Kristofferson is the sole writer of most of his songs, but he has collaborated with various other figures of the Nashville scene such as Shel Silverstein and Fred Rumfelt.Kristofferson's father was an Air Force general who pushed his son toward a military career.Kristofferson got his first dose of fame when he appeared in Sports Illustrated's "Faces In The Crowd" for his achievements in rugby union, football, and track and field.An aspiring writer, Kristofferson earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University (Merton College, Oxford) after previously attending Pomona College.While in England, Kristofferson began writing songs and working with his manager Larry Parnes; he recorded for Top Rank Records under the name Kris Carson, but was unsuccessful.Kristofferson ultimately joined the U.Army and achieved the rank of captain.There he met Johnny Cash, who initially took some of his songs but ignored them.During Kristofferson's time working as a janitor for Columbia, Bob Dylan was recording his landmark 1966 album Blonde on Blonde at the studio.PHI, sitting on an oil platform and flying helicopters.In 1966, Dave Dudley released a successful Kristofferson single, "Viet Nam Blues".Ray Price ("For the Good Times"), Waylon Jennings ("The Taker"), Bobby Bare ("Come Sundown"), Johnny Cash ("Sunday Morning Coming Down") and Sammi Smith ("Help Me Make It Through the Night") all recorded successful versions of his songs in the early 1970s.He appeared in Blume in Love (directed by Paul Mazursky) and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (directed by Sam Peckinpah) and also married Rita Coolidge in 1973.The latter also starred Willie Nelson.Music from Songwriter (an album of duets between Nelson and Kristofferson) was a massive country success.Loretta Lynn, Reba McEntire and the Dixie Chicks.I'd be getting an award with his name on it, it would have carried me through a lot of hard times."She acted in a number of films, TV and commercials.In 1960, Kristofferson married his high school sweetheart Frances (Fran) Beer.After Kristofferson dated Janis Joplin until her death and then dated Barbra Streisand.In 1973, he married singer...