Paying tribute to one of his heroes.
After the news came out today that we lost the legendary Kris Kristofferson at the age of 88, tributes began pouring in from artists and fans alike.
It’s hard to overstate the impact Kristofferson had on country music with not only his iconic songwriting and his work with The Highwaymen but also his influence on other artists.
And one of those artists who credits Kristofferson with helping to launch his career is Eric Church.
Church has said in the past that it’s Kristofferson’s song “To Beat The Devil” that convinced him to stay in Nashville and pursue his country music dreams after a series of rejections. And over the years, Church became close with country music icon, even appearing at a Kristofferson tribute show back in 2016.
After the news of his passing, Church took to social media to pay tribute to one of his heroes and friends:
“Kris,
The ultimate life well lived. Thank you for being a beacon of light in a darkening world. You were my hero and my role model. And even then, you managed to exceed my expectations when you became my friend.
So long Captain. Till we meet again.”
And along with the photos that he shared of the two together, Church also shared an unreleased song, presumably written by Church himself, called “Kicking It With Kristofferson.”
Kris,
The ultimate life well lived. Thank you for being a beacon of light in a darkening world. You were my hero and my role model. And even then, you managed to exceed my expectations when you became my friend.
So long Captain. Till we meet again.
PS I found this on my phone. pic.twitter.com/sqttvPacoD
— Eric Church (@ericchurch) September 30, 2024
A fitting tribute to one of the best to ever do it.