


Cash introduced Kristofferson at the 1969 Newport Folk Festival, where he performed to his first large audience. Kristofferson met singer Johnny Cash who decided to take the young songwriter under his wing. He was offered a teaching position at West Point Academy but turned it down to pursue his musical passion in Nashville, Tennessee. This was the beginning of what would eventually become a career once he left the Army. Kristofferson became interested in songwriting while studying literature and poetry.Īfter college, Kris joined the Army in 1960 and formed a band with other service members. He attended Pomona College in California, where he played football and was an English honors student. Kris Kristofferson is a singer, songwriter, and actor mostly known among country music fans.īorn in 1936 in Brownsville, Texas, his early interests were sports and writing. Apparently, he needn’t have worried because we all know the hit Me and Bobby McGee became. He wondered how well he could put this piece together when it wasn’t coming from his own inspiration. Kristofferson wasn’t used to writing songs for other people. She was the secretary at a music studio in Nashville, Tennessee, and Foster had a crush on her. In 1969, music producer Fred Foster approached Kristofferson to write a song for him.Īll Foster provided was a title inspired by a woman named Barbara “Bobbie” McKee. Songwriter Kris Kristofferson wrote the lyrics that Janis Joplin made famous. Let’s jump in! What is the Story Behind Me and Bobby McGee? We’re taking a closer look at this great oldie to learn who really wrote the lyrics that Janis sang so passionately. It’s not uncommon for songwriters to be somewhat unknown when they aren’t the ones making the song a hit. If you ask most people who wrote the song Me and Bobby McGee, they’ll say Janis Joplin.
