𝗞𝗥𝗜𝗦 𝗞𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝘽𝙍𝙊𝙒𝙉𝙎𝙑𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙀 𝗔𝗦 "𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 . . . .𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗜𝗥𝗧 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗣𝗘𝗢𝗣𝗟𝗘"

 From the editor: With Brownsville native Kris Kristofferson's death Saturday in Maui at the age of 88, we're reposting our story from some time back:

BROWNSVILLE'S FORGOTTEN NATIVE, KRIS KRISTOFFERSON

 

Kris Kristofferson

For a dozen years or more, I've pitched the idea of naming a BISD school after Brownsville native Kris Kristofferson without results.

Brownsville is more inclined to name its schools after politicos or retired school officials like Juliet T. Garcia, so my fight has been a losing one.

Kristofferson, born in 1936, remembers fondly his early life in Brownsville as "the best part of his life. . . in bare feet on dirt roads with good people."A self-described "army brat," Kristofferson's family moved around a lot eventually establishing some roots in San Mateo, CA.

At age 18, while attending Pomona College, Kris had two of his essays published in Atlantic Monthly, "Gone Are the Days" and "The Rock," but also received national recognition in rugby, football and track and field.

In 1958 Kristofferson received a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, but, after graduation, joined the U.S. Army in keeping with family tradition, receiving helicopter and Army Ranger training.

Despite being offered a job teaching English Literature at a military school, Kristofferson decided to leave the army to pursue songwriting, a decision that created a breach with his career army family.

Getting a job on an oil derrick in Louisiana, he wrote songs in his spare time and sent them to Johnny Cash who never answered back.

So, Kristofferson landed a helicopter on Cash's front lawn to get noticed.

No need to publish a list of Kristofferson's songs or movies here.  If you're a fan, you're familiar with his work.