Kris Kristofferson’s Boots & Band

Kris Kristofferson’s boots have kept him standing for a long time. A band member guessed 30 years. Biggest KK Fan says it’s longer since 1971 at least. I don’t argue with BKKF ever. If it involves Kris & film she is THE expert. 

The tour is almost over. Kris’ gig in Ireland tonight is for charity. What a human, what a tour. 

Time for a quick pause & a brief glance back. A member of the band took a pic of Kris’ boots last night. They are symbols of a road well-travelled & a life well lived. 

Update: Cheryl Rummel took a snap of “The Boots” at a concert in 2019

Willie has Trigger, Kris Kristofferson’s boots have him 

Kris Kristofferson fans have grown accustomed to their intimate evenings with Kris. Sure, Kelly did a few songs with her father sometimes, & that was okay. It added a family vibe that complimented his work on his later albums. Roddy Hart or local artists in different towns opened & sang a few songs, & that was alright. The crowd still got what it expected. Lots of Kris alone on stage, travelling light – Free to adjust the set list or the tone to match his or the audience mood, & to talk to us when he felt like it. We were as comfortable with Kris as he was with his boots. 

Still recall the story by Fred Foster of Kris walking into his office and the sole of one of his boots had detached, flapping with every step….and Foster gave Kris some duct tape to reattach the sole. 🙂

Danny Waugh

It’d been too long since we saw him last. The natives were getting restless. Then it happened. 

The 2018 tour was announced

There was great excitement, then the lull. Kris was coming, “YAY!” He wasn’t coming alone. “OH?” “OHHHHH, K.” 

If you have ever invited a dear, an old friend to come & stay, got ready for the visit, made your plans – Then discovered he was coming, but a new partner & bunch of adult in-laws were tagging along, then you have some idea of how many dedicated Kristofferson fans felt.

Some looked back to the ’90s & wondered if they had another revolution in them. Others wished they hadn’t pre-booked (and pre-paid) for their hotel & air tickets, ‘though most were set on going anyway – It was worth seeing Kris even if it meant putting up with other people, wasn’t it? If these other people were called the Strangers, did that change anything? Maybe. Some expectations lowered, but the excitement never faded. 

We heard the new band members were from the band that backed Merle Haggard. That cheered up some people & confused others. Kris Kristofferson fans in the UK & some parts of Europe are not necessarily country music fans. I know this differs across continents, counties, provinces & even towns – But as strange as it might seem to some, there are Kristofferson fans who actually dislike country music altogether, or are otherwise unfamiliar with the genre &/ or other country artists. 

Some heard the name of the band & thought – We bought familiar, we got Strangers – We’ll make do.  

The News was OUT

The tour started. Kris has a growing number of younger fans in Europe. Some of us older fans have got more internet savvy. We talk to each other. We traded our Bush Telegraph for Social Media, so we now speak Facetime or WhatsApp & we share pics & video, too. The news flitted through cyberspace, ahead of the busses. 

Kris News 

• Kris was looking good
• Kris wasn’t signing autographs
• Kris headed for the bus right after each show
• No encores
• Merchandise kept selling out / Advice to get in quick 

Band News

The guys in the band were

• Great musicians
• Great fit. Blended well on stage
• Unassuming
• Gentlemen 
• Friends of Kris’
• Attentive – Spent time with fans
• Great with autographs 
• Familiar. Watching them felt like watching Kris perform with family or very close friends

So WHO are they?

They are very well-known, highly skilled musicians in their own right. 

Scott Joss – the fiddler

Scott Joss has his own solo career, & backed/recorded with Merle Haggard since at least 2003. 

Scott Joss plays the fiddle, mandolin & guitar. He is also a songwriter & a fabulous musician (from me who cannot play or read or a note, but I have ears & I know what I like) He looks amazing on stage, & has mastered the knack of breaking in & backing off at just the right moment. 

Jeff Ingraham – the drummer 

This article tells a bit about his career – notably, one of his biggest learnings was to play for the room. That has come across loud & clear on this tour, & endeared him to fans as the heartbeat of each performance 

Doug Colosio – Keyboard & Base 

Doug Colosio is an accomplished singer/songwriter & keyboard & base stage musician 

He is interviewed here

A Couple of Strangers

Doug Colosio & Joss Scott cut some music under the name, A Couple of Strangers. 

The link includes their BIOS as well as some video & other links

Doug completes the trio of Some Strangers who backed Kris on this tour.

Guess what? We would love to have them return with Kris on his next tour.  In the UK, like most places I suppose, we’d love more dates in the north of the country. Manchester, Birmingham – even Hull all have great venues that we’ll fill for you next time around.

Tour Fan Pics & Video can be found here