Did That Infamous Kris Kristofferson vs. Toby Keith Showdown Actually Happen?

It was, at its heart, juicy celebrity gossip, but it had all the makings of a dramatic feud. An alleged backstage showdown between an unnamed country music star and country music legend Kris Kristofferson made its way to the pages of Rolling Stone and thus, into celebrity and internet lore. But did it ever actually happen?

The story, recalled by actor Ethan Hawke, allegedly occurred on April 9, 2003, as the unnamed star -- believed to be Toby Keith -- bumped into Kristofferson backstage in New York City's Beacon Theatre, where the two were taking part in "Live and Kickin'," an all-star tribute to Willie Nelson on his 70th birthday.

Keith's career was still riding high on the popularity of his post-9/11 anthem "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue." But that night, he played his smash-hit duet "Beer for My Horses" with Nelson. The story goes that he wished Nelson a happy birthday while backstage and made what was intended to be a passing remark to Kristofferson: "None of that lefty sh*t out there tonight, Kris."

Related: Famous Veteran: Kris Kristofferson

Kristofferson, a Ranger-tabbed Army veteran and former Golden Gloves boxer who died on Sept. 28, 2024, at the age of 88, didn't like what he heard. Hawke vividly recounted what happened next:

"What the **** did you just say to me?" Kris growled, stepping forward.

"Oh, no," groaned Willie under his breath. "Don't get Kris all riled up."

"You heard me," the Star said, walking away in the darkness.

"Don't turn your back to me, boy," Kristofferson shouted, not giving a sh*t that basically the entire music industry seemed to be flanking him.

The Star turned around: "I don't want any problems, Kris; I just want you to tone it down."

"You ever worn your country's uniform?" Kris asked rhetorically.

"What?"

"Don't 'What?' me, boy! You heard the question. You just don't like the answer." He paused just long enough to get a full chest of air. "I asked, 'Have you ever served your country?' The answer is, no, you have not. Have you ever killed another man? Huh? Have you ever taken another man's life and then cashed the check your country gave you for doing it? No, you have not. So shut the fuck up!" I could feel his body pulsing with anger next to me. "You don't know what the hell you are talking about!"

"Whatever," the young Star muttered.

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It was, perhaps, a sign of the times. Liberal versus conservative. Old school versus young upstart. Outlaw country versus the pop-infused newcomers. It was a time when American neoconservatives were riding a wave of unfettered support in the wake of the U.S. response to the Sept. 11 terror attacks. The United States invaded Iraq just weeks before the concert, a decision that was very unpopular with the American left. The alleged run-in between Kristofferson and "The Star" happened on April 9, 2003, the same day that Baghdad fell to American forces.

"The Star" was right about Kristofferson's personal politics. He had volunteered to serve in Vietnam and then left the Army when he was offered a position at West Point instead, but Kristofferson was dedicated to left-wing causes. He even released a 1990 album filled with songs expressing his views, called "Third World Warrior." It includes tracks about the Rev. Jesse Jackson, his support for the Sandinistas in Nicaragua and calls for the release of Nelson Mandela. So if someone was going to pull some "lefty sh*t," it would have been him.

But did the story actually happen? For his part, Kristofferson always claimed he didn't remember the incident. Keith was more aggressive with his rebuttal, calling the entire incident “fictitious”:

The two country singers, who both passed away in 2024, had often expressed their admiration for one another (despite their political views) and appeared in photographs together. If the event actually occurred, it might have been the case of two good guys having an extraordinarily bad moment, one that probably didn't bear mentioning in Rolling Stone.

Moreover, Hawke's recollection of Kristofferson's speech reads more like a forwarded email one might receive from their Baby Boomer parents than an angry rebuke from a country music Hall of Famer. It's also suspect because Kristofferson himself never took a man's life (at least, not while wearing an Army uniform), and it's doubtful a veteran of his pedigree would make such a statement. We would hope that the man who wrote "Help Me Make It Through the Night" could come up with better lines.

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