Kris Kristofferson quietly played his final full live show in 2020, and the setlist was packed with his most important songs from across his legendary career.
When Did Kris Kristofferson Play His Last Live Show?
Kristofferson did not announce that his show on Jan. 30, 2020, would be the last live performance of his career, and it’s possible he might not have known himself.
The show took place at the Stardust Theater onboard the Norwegian Pearl during the fifth annual Outlaw Country Cruise just months before COVID hit in March of 2020, and Kristofferson may have been planning more live gigs before the pandemic brought live shows to an end for an extended period.
Whether planned as his farewell or not, the show was very special, with Merle Haggard‘s legendary band, the Strangers, backing Kristofferson on stage for a set that included several Haggard covers in addition to Kristofferson’s own hits.
READ MORE: See Pictures From Toby Keith’s Final Shows
According to Rolling Stone, a number of artists Kristofferson influenced, including Lucinda Williams, Shooter Jennings, Jim Lauderdale, Steve Earle and more, also paid tribute to Kristofferson with a special performance during the cruise.
The all-star lineup took the stage to close his show with a group rendition of “Why Me” that Kristofferson led.
He would stand behind a mic a handful of other times — like what’s believed to be his final performance, at Willie Nelson’s 2023 birthday celebration — but never played another full set after this one.
Is Kris Kristofferson in the Country Music Hall of Fame?
Kristofferson’s last performance marked the culmination of an extraordinary career. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1977, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985, and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
In 2016, he became a member of the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, and in 2019, the Country Music Association honored him with the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.
When Did Kris Kristofferson Announce His Retirement?
Kristofferson surprised fans and the industry when he revealed that he had retired in 2020 in a press release in January of 2021.
When Did Kris Kristofferson Die?
Kris Kristofferson died on Saturday, Sept. 28. 2024. He was 88 years old.
His cause of death was not revealed, but family shared the news with fans in a statement, which read:
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 28 at home. We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”
Read through below to see the setlist from Kris Kristofferson’s last show, according to Setlist.fm.
Kris Kristofferson Final Concert Setlist, Jan. 30, 2020, at Stardust Theater on Norwegian Pearl, Miami, Fla.:
“Shipwrecked in the Eighties”
“That’s the Way Love Goes”
“Darby’s Castle”
“Me and Bobby McGee”
“How Far to Jordan”
“Help Me Make It Through the Night”
“Okie From Muskogee”
“Place to Fall Apart”
“Feeling Mortal”
“From Here to Forever”
“Daddy Frank (The Guitar Man)”
“Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)”
“Sing Me Back Home”
“The Pilgrim, Chapter 33”
“I Think I’ll Just Stay Here and Drink”
“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”
“For the Good Times”
“Please Don’t Tell Me How the Story Ends”
The 9 Wildest Kris Kristofferson Stories
Kris Kristofferson isn’t just a legendary songwriting talent, and he’s not just a multi-faceted star of stage, page and screen. He also just might be one of country music’s most fascinating people ever.
Need proof? Let’s look back to the time he gave up a prestigious military career to be a janitor, or the time he landed a helicopter in Johnny Cash’s front yard — and don’t forget the time he sang a duet with Miss Piggy! Flip through the gallery below for a round-up of Kristofferson’s most unforgettable, almost unbelievable, stories through the years.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
Kris Kristofferson Dies: Country Stars React
The country world was left mourning when Kris Kristofferson died at age 88 on Saturday (Sept. 28.)
The legendary, genre-spanning singer-songwriter touched hearts and lives across a variety of corners of the entertainment industry. Whether you knew him as a Highwayman, the writer behind classics like “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” or as an actor in films like A Star is Born, Kristofferson’s impact was undeniable.
Flip through the gallery below to see country stars’ tributes to the late, great legend.
Gallery Credit: Carena Liptak
