With the entire country music world mourning the loss of Kris Kristofferson, who died yesterday at the age of 88 years old, it seemed right to unearth some of the best performances of his legendary, sprawling career. Of course, you have his legendary collaborations with Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash on “Why Me Lord” and “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” but there’s one performance from 2003 that remains one of his best collaborative efforts.
That performance is none other than his tribute to fellow Highwayman, Johnny Cash, shortly after his passing at the 37th annual Country Music Awards in which he, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams Jr., Sheryl Crow, Travis Tritt and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band honored The Man in Black with a medley of the most iconic songs throughout his career.
Willie began the medley with none other than “I Walk the Line” before Hank Jr. took over with an incredibly animated performance of “Ring of Fire.” Hank Jr. was then followed by Crowe and Tritt with Cash and June Carter’s “Jackson.”
Crow and Tritt then passed the torch to Kristofferson to perform arguably Cash’s most iconic song in his discography, “Folsom Prison Blues,” before The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band led the entire ensemble in a performance of “May The Circle Be Unbroken” to close out the legendary tribute.
With both Cash and Kristofferson gone, it only seemed fitting to remember both artists with this performance while many in the country music world grieve the loss of one of the most influential songwriters in the genre today.
Watch here: