Kristofferson plays at Haugh
By John Sollenberger 10/16/2008
While we don’t often extend our music-seeking tentacles out to this stretch of the San Gabriel Valley, a show Sunday afternoon at Haugh Performing Arts Center on the Citrus College Campus might be worth the trip. That’s when poet/singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson drops in for a one-off.
Kristofferson’s career is the stuff of legend. He’s an ex-Army pilot and Rhodes Scholar who once turned down a teaching job at West Point. Despite his military background (or maybe because of it), he has been known to criticize the Iraq War in his songs and from the stage.
Adding to the storied nature of his career, he gained a foothold in the music business in a decidedly backdoor way: he landed a job as a janitor at Columbia Records back in the 1960s and happened to be at work during a Bob Dylan recording session, which led to getting the attention of the music industry and the world.
It was actually Kristofferson who penned the Janis Joplin hit, “Me and Bobby McGee,” a song long interpreted by music aficionados to be about his relationship with the late blues-rock singer. He also wrote such classics as “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and “For the Good Times,” among many, many others. Kristofferson doesn’t often play this area, so this would be a good opportunity to catch him up close.
The show starts at 2 p.m. Sunday at Haugh Performing Arts Center, Citrus College, 1000 Foothill Blvd., Glendora. Call (626) 963-9411.
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