50 Years Ago: Kris Kristofferson Famously Rides Motorcycle On Stage
Alright, it wasn’t officially Kris Kristofferson. It was his character John Norman Howard from the 1976 version of the music film A Star Is Born. But it still has gone down in history as one of the more legendary moments in the Kris Kristofferson career, even if it took a little cinematic magic to make it all happen.
The Country Music Hall of Famer, Rhodes Scholar, and Army helicopter pilot had a penchant for taking modes of transportation where they didn’t belong. After all, one of the ways Kristofferson broke through in the music business was by navigating a Army chopper off course, and landing it on the yard of Johnny Cash’s estate in Hendersonville, TN to pitch The Man in Black his songs. That earned him a cut with Cash in the form of “Sunday Morning Coming Down.”
When A Star Is Born Director Frank Pierson needed a way to illustrate the wild, rambunctious side of John Norman Howard to impress Esther Hoffman (played by Barbara Streisand), riding a motorcycle on stage and then burning some brodies seemed like the perfect opportunity. Of course, there was some dramatic embellishment, and perhaps a stunt double involved when the bike catches air on its way to the stage after John Howard sweet talks a fan backstage out of it.
In truth, the stadium audience assembled for the film was not there to see either John Norman Howard or Kris Kristofferson. The scene was filmed on March 20, 1976 at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium during a concert that featured performances by Santana and Peter Frampton. Kristofferson and A Star Is Born just borrowed the crowd and stage for a bit. It does appear it is Kristofferson himself burning donuts on the stage.
Though Kris Kristofferson was already a star to many in country music when A Star Was Born was released, it was really the moment (and scenes like the motorcycle incident) that raised his profile nationally and internationally, especially since he starred in the film opposite Barbara Streisand. Kristofferson was no longer just a songwriter, he was an American sex symbol, and a significant leading man actor who would go on to star and appear in dozens of more films.
A Star Is Born also played a significant role in Kristofferson’s personal life. As anyone who has seen the film, or the 2018 remake with Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga, they know the main character’s rambunctious ways end in tragedy. Kristofferson used the moment to help get his own life in order.
Soon, old friend Hank Williams Jr. was singing, “Kris, he is a movie star and he’s moved off to L.A.” in the song “All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down.” To many, Kris Kristofferson is a movie star first, not a country artist, or a songwriter.
But the truth is that no medium could wholly contain the Renaissance man that was Kris Kristofferson. From songwriting, to performance, to film, he was a master of artistic expression who was beloved worldwide and left a legacy of songs, movies, and moments that will always live large in our hearts.
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March 19, 2026 @ 8:29 pm
Used to dive for the Screaming Eagles Sport Parachute Team, Ft. Campbell, KY. & Ride with the boys while they were doing autorotate’s, in Huey’s, and cutting the tops out of pine trees.
We had a Blast, and almost managed to behave.
: D Kristofferson & Streisand were Great in that movie.
They almost burned the screen down. Whew
Totally agree.
Kristofferson was a true Renaissance man.
Cool article.
March 20, 2026 @ 3:57 am
I was there 13 years old Barbara flipped us off framton Santana Montrose plus
March 20, 2026 @ 4:09 am
I was at that concert. Five bands maybe? I want to say Montrose, possibly Aerosmith along with the two mentioned in the article. The producers wanted a big crowd and for a $2.50 ticket, they got a big crowd.
I do have to say the stuff with babs was the low point of the entire day. Never been a fan, even that far back when I knew zero of her politics or anyone’s for that matter. I was just a dumb college kid looking for fun.
March 20, 2026 @ 5:35 am
Dang,wish I could have seen Kris riding the hog onstage.Country had some cool dudes then,and Kris was one of the coolest.
March 20, 2026 @ 6:03 am
Rob Halford has been doing that for about as long. During the song Hell Bent for Leather. Judas Priest made it into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Also the lead singer Rob Halford came out as gay years ago.
https://youtu.be/IyEGGoWaxOc?si=8pcnk8BXkJz2r3oe
March 20, 2026 @ 6:14 am
My parents both loved his music and we’re my introduction to Kris. His was a truly larger than life figure and lived it to the fullest. I’ve heard his name mentioned as a big influence by so many different song writers past and present. I’m glad I got to see him play a show before his retirement and passing.
March 20, 2026 @ 6:44 am
Kris will be greatly missed 😢 😔 😞
March 20, 2026 @ 10:30 am
Kris was such a cool decent motivated dude and US Army pilot and not only Rhodes Scholar but also was on the faculty at West Point. His dad was a USAAF General and on a 1943 aeromedical chart about high altitude flying there was the approval signature of General Henry C. Kristofferson. I guess when Kris started singing right after the Army he changed his spelling to a “K” to avoid confusion with his Dad, who was still quite well known in military and public service professional circles. My two FAVORITE Kris Kristofferson movies are “Semi-Tough” and the not as well known “Flash Point”, about the JFK assassination and associated conspiracy theories.
March 20, 2026 @ 12:49 pm
Check out Kris’ performance in “The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea” with co-star Sara Miles. Based on a story from Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. A really weird film which led to Kris’ marriage to Rita Coolidge breaking up due to an erotic photo shoot between Kris and Sara in Playboy magazine.
Mishima was a great writer (five time Nobel prize nominee) who committed seppuku (disembowelment) in 1970 while trying to overthrow the Japanese government.
This is a really good movie and one of Kris’ first forays into movies.
March 20, 2026 @ 2:44 pm
I was 16 years old with a backstage pass standing on the northwest corner of the stage (back right) watching Peter Framptom’s drummer work on his foot pedal with a pair of pliers as Barbara Streisand sang “Evergreen”(I think that’s the name of the song). When she was finished singing we went downstairs to the caravan of Winnebagos to Kris Kristofferson’s trailer and he stumbled out gave my friend a hug and talked with us for a few minutes. He was obviously under the influence of something and in serious need of a shower but incredibly kind. It was absolutely surreal! I can’t believe it has been 50 years?! I just returned from ASU’s Football Stadium to celebrate the occasion. It has a new structure and landscaping where the filming took place though it was still worth the drive.
March 20, 2026 @ 4:07 pm
Bullshit , Krisstoffenson just rips off late jim morrison for his moves and vocal style. Strysand is just so improbable. People were told it’s amazing and somehow it stuck.
March 21, 2026 @ 12:07 am
He did not rip off Jim Morrison. He was mostly a country singer. Jim didn’t even write songs, did he? I think a different member of the band wrote them. Although I really like the Doors, their songwriting does not compare to Kristofferson’s. He wrote songs that other people, such as Janis Joplin, had big hits with.
March 21, 2026 @ 12:27 pm
In that movie, he even looks like Jim, so Alex is right.
He’s not Kris Kristofferson, he’s the washed-up rock/pop singer by the name John Norman Howard.
Kris did his two best roles in his friend John Sayles’ Limbo and Lone Star, both highly recommended. According to Sayles, those roles showed us the real Kris. Kris, of course, wholeheartedly disagreed.
March 23, 2026 @ 9:11 am
Morrison did write songs. His biggest fans think they’re genius level material. Most of us think VERY MUCH otherwise. You decide.
But I agree with you. And I will go much further in saying KK had more talent in his left pinky, in all conceivable ways, than JM had in his entire person.
March 20, 2026 @ 4:39 pm
KK rode on stage, although the bike catching air and landing on cardboard boxes was stunted. I was KK’s lighting and stunt double for some scenes, although not for the bike shots.
March 20, 2026 @ 5:59 pm
As far as I can tell, it is not a Harley- Davidson. (I used to work at a Harley dealership.) Maybe a Triumph of some sort?
March 21, 2026 @ 11:52 am
Great actor and a great songwriter but I have never been the biggest fan of his singing. Having said that, his “Why Me Lord” is outstanding, in my opinion.
March 21, 2026 @ 12:32 pm
As good as the covers are, I prefer his own recordings, he got a way to make the stories sound personal (as they mostly are).
Compare the macho bravado of Cash’ Sunday Morning to the forlorn, hopeless gospel of Kris’ own recording. Not even Jerry Lee Lewis reached that level of doom (but he came close).
March 21, 2026 @ 3:52 pm
Hate to criticize Trig, but the helicopter story has been confirmed untrue by Cash himself said never let the truth get in the way of a good story when this story got brought up
March 21, 2026 @ 4:00 pm
Hey Justin,
SO I’ve reported on this story in the past, and just brushed by it in passing here. It is true that Kris Kristofferson landed a helicopter on Johnny Cash’s lawn in an effort to get his attention. What is not true is the way Johnny Cash portrayed the story, which is that Kristofferson sauntered out with a beer in one hand, and his demos in another. In truth, Johnny Cash wasn’t even there. But he did hear about it, and it was one of the things that got him to pay attention to Kristofferson’s songs. I’m paraphrasing here, but yes, the embellished story was not true, and my understanding was it was Cash that did the embellishing, and Kristofferson who soft peddled it.
March 21, 2026 @ 5:10 pm
I always thought Rob Halford was the first. 🙂🤘🏾
March 22, 2026 @ 1:45 pm
There’s nothing quite as lonesome as the sound of Sunday morning…coming down.
March 22, 2026 @ 5:06 pm
Did you know there are actually 4 “A Star is Born” movies? The first one I believe was made in 1937. The second one started Judy Garland. The third one was Barbara and Kris. The 4th one was Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga.