If you’re a fan of the late great Kris Kristofferson, you’re probably also a fan of great musicians like Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and so on. But what about the slightly lesser-known artists who have the same vibe as Kristofferson? Let’s look at four lesser-known musicians to look into if you’re a fan of Kris Kristofferson!
Videos by American Songwriter
1. John Prine
Like Kris Kristofferson, John Prine is considered one of the most influential country and Americana musicians of his generation. Kristofferson himself heard Prine’s music and invited him to become his opening act back in the early 1970s.
“By the end of the first line we knew we were hearing something else,” Kristofferson recalled of the first time he heard Prine play. “It must’ve been like stumbling onto Dylan when he first busted onto the Village scene.”
2. Jerry Jeff Walker
This country and folk singer/songwriter, like Kristofferson, was an important pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement, as well as progressive country as a whole. You might know him as the songwriter behind the famous 1968 song “Mr. Bojangles”, though his discography is much richer than that one hit. The 1973 album Viva Terlingua and the 1977 record A Man Must Carry On are essential listening.
3. Billy Joe Shaver
Billy Joe Shaver doesn’t come up in conversations about outlaw country music as often as Kristofferson or Willie Nelson, but he definitely should. He was quite an underrated artist during that era and one of the best songwriters of his particular generation. Quite a few big names covered his songs, from Johnny Cash to Bob Dylan. If you’ve never heard of him, we recommend listening to Old Five And Dimers Like Me from 1973 in its entirety.
4. Johnny Paycheck
He had one heck of a name, and one heck of a somewhat short career. Johnny Paycheck was yet another great outlaw country music singer who deserved way more credit for his contributions to the genre. He was a member of the Grand Ole Opry and released quite a bit of music during his heyday. Though, he’s mainly known for recording the song “Take This Job And Shove It” by David Allan Coe. Sadly, addiction and legal issues plagued Paycheck and his career didn’t take off the way it should have.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives
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