There’s chemistry, and then there’s Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge. This dynamic duo was one of music’s most powerful couples in the 1970s, releasing several duet albums together and earning two Grammy Awards for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1974 for “From the Bottle to the Bottom” and in 1976 for “Lover Please.”
But few performances compare to a particularly steamy rendition of Kristofferson’s 1970 hit “Help Me Make It Through the Night” on an episode of the British music program The Old Grey Whistle Test.
Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge’s Captivating Duet
Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge met on a plane ride from Los Angeles to Memphis in 1971, and the couple hit it off right away. “I like to say that it was love at first flight,” Coolidge joked in a 2016 interview with People. “Before we went to sleep that night, we’d picked out a name for our first child. There was no doubt in my mind that we were going to be together.” And indeed, they were. Kristofferson and Coolidge married in 1973 and had one child together before divorcing in 1980.
But in those seven years, the couple proved their chemistry was as tangible on stage as it was off. Their rendition of Kristofferson’s classic ballad “Help Me Make It Through the Night” is a masterclass in intimate performance. With both singers hugging the microphone tightly, it seems as if they could kiss at any moment as they softly sing to one another.
Even without the intensely romantic chemistry between the two singers, their 1972 appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test was musically superb. Despite having to crowd a single microphone, the two singers looked as comfortable as could be, singing their airtight, perfectly balanced harmonies.
The Stunning Performance Had Us All Thinking The Same Thing
You know the feeling of walking into a room and unexpectedly interrupting an intimate moment between lovers? That’s how it feels watching Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge’s 1972 duet, at least according to our humble opinions—and the opinions of almost everyone else who watched this iconic performance on YouTube.
“I feel like I’m intruding watching this,” one user wrote. “Best dut I’ve ever seen in my life.” Another agreed, writing, “I have to admit I kinda felt like [the] third wheel watching this, like I was imposing on something private and intimate. But my god that is such a beautiful song! And just as beautiful to watch! You can just feel the love they had for each other.”
Kristofferson and Coolidge certainly had an undeniable connection, both romantically and musically speaking. However, their relationship was as volatile as it was passionate. Eventually, struggles with alcoholism and infidelity became too much for the couple, and they divorced seven years after marrying into their whirlwind romance. Fortunately for the rest of us, they left us with a beautiful musical catalog and collection of live performances to remind us just how incredible a musical collaboration can be when rooted in deep, authentic love.
Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns
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