Kris Kristofferson Side Steps CMA Lifetime Presentation for Iowa Show
Oh you’ve got to love this.
So the Country Music Association is currently trying to drum up interest for their annual CMA Awards set to be broadcast on ABC Wednesday, November 13th, and have been spending the last week or two piece mealing information out about the performers and presenters and stuff as they do every year. On Tuesday (11-5), The CMA Awards announced the 2019 recipient of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award would be none other than country music songwriting legend, Country Music Hall of Famer, well-known actor, and overall beloved character Kris Kristofferson.
Hurray, right? This is the kind of dude the CMAs should be honoring each year as opposed to some of the other phony pop stars who they prop up on stage each November. Who doesn’t love Kris Kristofferson? The Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2012 when they first awarded it to Willie Nelson. Other recipients over the years include Kenny Rogers, Johnny Cash, and Dolly Parton. It seems a little strange that they wouldn’t give the accolade to a woman this year to coincide with the celebration of women that the 2019 CMA’s are supposed to be all about. But whatever. Good for Kris!
Oh but wait, Kris Kristofferson is not even going to be there?
That’s right. The 83-year-old is blowing off the 2019 CMA’s and won’t be in attendance to receive is CMA Lifetime Achievement trophy. Instead of walking out on the stage at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville to receive his award in front of some 20,000 fans while 6 million or so watch along at home, Kristofferson has elected to honor his contract to play the Adler Theater and Apartment Complex that night in beautiful downtown Davenport, Iowa, capacity 2,400. Plenty of tickets are still available through Ticketmastar.
“Kris is a living legend whose impact on our genre has been monumental,” CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern said in a press release. “He is the definition of an icon and someone our community holds with such high regard. I’m thrilled our board selected Kris this year for one of CMA’s highest accolades. Though he won’t be joining us at the CMA Awards, I hope our tribute performance brings a big smile to his face.”
What a fart and fall down moment for the CMA’s this is. I don’t care what the excuses or scenarios are, if Kris Kristofferson wanted to be there, he would be there. The show at the Adler Theater and Apartment Complex can be rescheduled, and the ticketholders would be completely understanding. Your little disgruntled country music heart can’t help but think this is Kris Kirstofferson wagging his old, crotchety middle finger at the CMA’s, which has mostly ignored Kristofferson and his contemporaries for decades, and Kristofferson is giving into his Outlaw country urges to say, “Hey, thanks for your mantle piece. Here’s my shipping address.”
After all, this is a guy who once landed a helicopter on the lawn of Johnny Cash to pitch him demos.
But in truth this is probably more about Kris Kristofferson being a gentleman, and wanting to honor his commitments to his fans in Iowa, and spend the night in an intimate setting with people who truly appreciate who he is, and what he’s done for music over the years as opposed to using him as a token. Either way, the CMA’s should have been a bit more forward thinking in how this award was being handed out, either by notifying the Kristofferson camp months ago so the calendar could be resolved, or frankly, they could have given it to someone else who could be in attendance. The reason the CMA’s Sarah Trahern said, “I’m thrilled our board selected Kris this year for one of CMA’s highest accolades...” is a CYA from the CMA’s CEO. These Lifetime Achievement Awards are always more about the performance and presentation than the award itself.
Performing a tribute to Kristofferson on the night will be Dierks Bentley, the ubiquitous Sheryl Crow, the very mild Chris Janson, and John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. They will perform “Me and Bobby McGee.” Fellow Highwayman Willie Nelson will also be in attendance that night performing with Kacey Musgraves, so it could have been a cool moment to see the two remaining Highwaymen reunite on stage.
But it’s seems a lot more cool that Kris Kristofferson won’t be there at all.
November 6, 2019 @ 11:46 am
Maybe they should just broadcast his concert instead.
November 6, 2019 @ 12:16 pm
Love Kristofferson.
November 6, 2019 @ 12:55 pm
He deserves the award for sure and I am glad he is honoring his true fans who have concert tickets.
November 6, 2019 @ 1:00 pm
Pipe dream, but imagine if ALL the better, actual artists and legends all just decided not to show up to these dog an pony shows at all, and instead of these awards shows being 80ish% pop/bro/EDM “country,” they were 100% that. Maybe it would be an actual day of reckoning or something. As they are now, the good actual artists are in fact just tokens that help the industry still be able to use the word “country” in the title.
November 6, 2019 @ 1:44 pm
Kris made the best decision to not attend that flaming shit show. Good for him. What would you want to go to a popularity contest anyway, because that’s exactly what it is.
November 6, 2019 @ 2:07 pm
I hope that whoever runs the Davenport theater calls Kris up and tells him to go to the CMAs, and that they’ll reschedule.
Kris has not received anywhere near the number of public awards/celebrations that say, Jones, Haggard, Dolly, Loretta, and his three Highwaymen mates did to cap off their careers, and he should be there to experience this one.
November 6, 2019 @ 3:35 pm
Way to go Kris!
November 6, 2019 @ 4:18 pm
“These Lifetime Achievement Awards are always more about the performance and presentation than the award itself.”
Got it in one.
Good on Kris for keeping it country.
November 6, 2019 @ 4:35 pm
A TRUE COUNTRY LEGEND AND A BRILLIANT SONG WRITTER
November 6, 2019 @ 4:48 pm
Is he still married? I want him if he’s not.
November 6, 2019 @ 6:39 pm
its country music , ann . you can have him anyway and we’ll get a great song out of it .
November 6, 2019 @ 7:08 pm
The Grammys for the most part nominated true country/ anericana artists more than the CMA awards ever did which is a popularity and sales driven show. It doesn’t deserve to be called the Country Music Association. I don’t know what it is.
November 6, 2019 @ 7:37 pm
Speaking of a Kris’s
Chris Stapleton just released a LEGO music video,
and I expected a 3000 word article on why LEGO is awesome, Trigger. 😉
November 6, 2019 @ 8:46 pm
Yeah I was hoping he was teasing a new song we’d get to hear today. No offense to the video or LEGO, but he’s about due for new music. I bet we hear something in the coming months.
November 6, 2019 @ 8:19 pm
Fuck the CMA’s. I hope more artist start to decline. They realize no one is going to watch the show if they don’t have these artist who are actually Country
November 6, 2019 @ 9:31 pm
Haha. Take sit MORON. More and more people are watching.
November 7, 2019 @ 7:12 am
Actually, more and more people are NOT watching…
2018 10.1 million
2017 14.2 million
2016 12.5 million
2015 13.7 million
2014 16.2 million
2013 16.7 million
2012 13.6 million
2011 16.4 million
2010 11.7 million
2009 17.1 million
Ratings saw a significant dive last year to the lowest in 10 years, and over the last 10 years, each year has been lower than the 10 year high in 2009.
So no, more and more are not watching.
I know facts are hard. But don’t let them get in the way of your name calling.
November 7, 2019 @ 7:43 am
Very few shows get anywhere near 10 million viewers. TV viewership is way down across the board. If a show was released today and matched a bad night for the CMA it would be a massive hit. You can pick virtually any show you want and the numbers would be sliding. There are just too many other options, especially streaming, to watch to get a show to 17 million. Plus, the CMA Award show is a perfect YouTube on Thursday morning show. Why watch all the crappy acts when I can just wait a few hours and just watch the ones I like on YouTube.
November 6, 2019 @ 8:25 pm
This is a great line
“Hey, thanks for your mantle piece. Here’s my shipping address.”
November 7, 2019 @ 10:33 am
He’s not putting that piece of shit on his mantle. Maybe a door stop.
November 7, 2019 @ 12:59 am
Kris is dealing with serious memory loss, whether from dementia, undiagnosed Lymes, or repeated head trauma from boxing and football. He does not interact as much as he used to due to that.
November 7, 2019 @ 2:16 am
Gentleman is a good reason not to attend after all Like ALWAYS Nashville is riding on his NAME..they could have cared less about Kris ,Willie ,Waylon when they came there and the 3 MOST Wanted outlaws was pushed out but like the REAL TRUE music artists they are THEY did it on THEIR OWN..and don’t forget they came to Waylon NOT the other way around so I ALSO believe that Waylon SHOULD have been chosen..Nashville you still don’t get IT…because 90% of your music and artists stinks and they’re NOT COUNTRY..
November 7, 2019 @ 5:37 am
Can’t wait to see Kris at the Uptown in KC tonight! Congrats Kris I have been a fan since the 70’s.
November 7, 2019 @ 8:36 am
I’d say it’s his middle finger he’s wagging at the CMA’s.
November 7, 2019 @ 8:49 am
I lobe Kris Kristofferson..always have..Always have been a fan since Charlotte NC at Carol Winds with Rita Coolidge….stood in line for hours to see him..Wish he was going to be on the CMA but if he had pior engagements or events 30 mins. Of preforming is not worth a promise made being broken..so he is doing what’s right..A man should stand by his word …will miss seeing him but glad we will get to see him by satellite in Iowa..
He is a great singer..performer..entertainer..and I am one of his big and many fanss.
I love him and his character..
..
November 7, 2019 @ 1:06 pm
Saw Charlie Pride last week, he honored Kris and sang three of Kris’s songs SOLO, no band. Mr. Pride is a class act.
November 7, 2019 @ 4:07 pm
Kris is & always will be one of the most gifted & genius songwriters of all time I’ve always loved him ever since he first began, along with Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash , Willie & Waylan, Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, all Brilliant song writers. & story tellers, Hank William’s, Hank jr, George Straight, George Jones Dwight Yokum, Conway Twitty, Ernest Tubb Lefty Frizzell , Narvel Felts, Johnny Rodriguez, Freddy Fender & many more
November 7, 2019 @ 9:29 pm
I think it’s admirable that he’s chosen to honor an agreement for a prior committment. It speaks volumes about what kind of a man he is!
He has more integrity than most men!
I’ll love him forever!
November 8, 2019 @ 1:00 am
nobody can beat Kris or any old country singer , true country is gone , what they have now is little entertainment,
November 8, 2019 @ 10:00 am
First time here, Corky?
November 8, 2019 @ 5:25 am
Sunday morning comming down still rings in my head…..happy birthday Kris….
November 8, 2019 @ 11:55 am
I was thinking earlier of what my top ten country songs would be. Never finished the list, but it struck me I’d have to include at least two Kristofferson songs (Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down and Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)).
To me that says something about this man’s stature as a songwriter.
November 8, 2019 @ 1:19 pm
Sweet side step from the old All-American fly-half.
Kris always plays on the front foot.
November 8, 2019 @ 4:52 pm
Saw Kris in concert at the Orpheum Theatre in Wichita Ks in Wednesday Nov 6. It was wonderful to see him perform so many of my favorites of his songs. The band was great also. Thank you to Kris for caring about his long time fans still coming out to see a brilliant performer.