Country icon Kris Kristofferson released his debut album Kristofferson in 1970, marking the belated start of what would turn out to be a long and illustrious recording career.
He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a more raw, introspective style.
Lyrically, he was very politically aware, further distinguishing himself from other country acts.
Many of his early songs were written by Kristofferson while on a side job flying workers to and from oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, which he would then pitch in his time off.
Via June Carter he attempted to reach her partner Johnny Cash, who later invited Kristofferson to join him at the 1969 Newport Folk Festival.
Following this performance, Fred Foster of Monument Records signed him as a songwriter and recording artist and the rest is history.
Kristofferson is available as a limited edition of 2000 individually numbered copies on orange coloured vinyl and comes in a deluxe, heavy duty sleeve featuring liner notes by Johnny Cash.
