Kris Kristofferson passed on September 28, 2024, at 88, many fans of his music have started to reminisce on the country legend's legacy. In particular, one anecdote involving Johnny Cash has resurfaced and has certainly put a grin on everyone's face. And that is, of course, that one time Kristofferson landed in Cash's yard with a helicopter to pitch some of his music to the Man in Black.
Once Kristofferson moved to Nashville to pursue a music career, he began working as a janitor at Columbia Records. While the journey to becoming a country legend was still far from becoming a reality, Kristofferson didn't waste any time. Encountering musicians such as Bob Dylan and, of course, Johnny Cash while sweeping floors would just motivate him to continue working on his songwriting chops.
Moreover, Kristofferson sometimes would even give Cash some of his music in cassette tapes. Reports are varied on the way Cash handled these initial pitches. Either he threw them in the trash or at his property's lake. Either way, Cash wasn't particularly interested in Kristofferson's music, just a fellow working as a janitor at the time.
Kristofferson was already trying to pitch his songs all around Nashville, to little success. It was then that he began working as a helicopter flying instructor. After all, he knew very well how to fly one, thanks to his prior experience as an Army Aviator.
That is where two different words collided when, with nothing to lose, Kristofferson decided to take a helicopter and fly to Johnny Cash's property and land in his yard.
A Different Recollection Of The Event
While some reports said Kristofferson used that opportunity to convince Cash to hear him out, Kristofferson recalls the event quite differently. "Well, I admit, that did happen, but that didn't do me any good, landing on John's property," said Kris. "He wasn't even there in the house at the time."
"I think he told the story that I got out of the helicopter with a beer in one hand and a tape in the other. But he wasn't even in the house," he continues. "And I never would have been drinking while flying a helicopter."
Whether Cash was there or not, he did take notice of Kris Kristofferson's music, especially "Sunday Morning Coming Down," which would later become a number 1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Songs, sung by Cash himself.
Cash and Kristofferson would later join Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings to form The Highwayman, a country supergroup. Kris Kristofferson himself would later win four Grammys, including a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
