Kris Kristofferson will be the guest of honor at an all-star tribute concert taping at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on March 16.
Tickets go on sale Saturday (Jan. 23) at 10 a.m. CT.
The event will be filmed and recorded by Blackbird Presents for multi-platform distribution throughout traditional media (worldwide broadcast, music, and digital).
Billed as The Life & Songs of Kris Kristofferson, the concert will feature performances by Dierks Bentley, Ryan Bingham, Rosanne Cash, Eric Church, Emmylou Harris, Jamey Johnson, Lady Antebellum, Willie Nelson, Darius Rucker and Trisha Yearwood and special performances by Kris Kristofferson. Additional performers to be announced in the coming weeks.
Keith Wortman is the creator and executive producer of the show, and CEO of Blackbird Presents. Don Was will serve as music director and will lead an all-star band backing the performers. Was has produced several of Kristofferson’s albums, including A Moment Of Forever, This Old Road, Closer to the Bone and Feeling Mortal.
Kristofferson is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame whose songwriting credits include “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and “For The Good Times,” among many others.
“Few musicians have had as profound an impact on music as Kris Kristofferson,” Wortman said. “It’s only fitting that we celebrate his artistry just blocks from where the legend was born with both his friends and contemporaries and those who are continuing his legacy with raw, honest songwriting of their own.”
“A major reason for Kris’ enduring popularity is that he’s always been very honest and open about revealing his inner life,” says producer Don Was, who has worked with Kristofferson for more than 20 years. “In doing that he has created an incredible body of work that has resonated for decades with millions of listeners. It’s always a deeply moving experience to sing and play his songs.”