Kris Kristofferson to return to Ireland with four shows

Country music icon Kris Kristofferson will return to Ireland for four solo acoustic shows this June.

He will perform at the Royal Theatre, Castlebar on June 24, the Millennium Forum in Derry on June 25, Belfast's Waterfront Hall on June 26 before finishing at Dublin's Olympia Theatre on June 28.

Tickets go on sale this Friday at 9am.

81-year-old Kristofferson has spent three decades performing concerts all over the world.

He achieved remarkable success as a country songwriter at the start of the 1970s.

His songs "Me and Bobby McGee," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "Sunday Morning Coming Down," and "For the Good Times," all chart-topping hits, helped redefine country songwriting.

By 1987, it was estimated that more than 450 artists had recorded Kristofferson’s compositions.

In recent years he has performed in a solo acoustic setting, which puts the focus on the songs.

"There’s an honesty in the sparseness. It feels like direct communication to the listener," he says.

"I still have more fun when I’m with the band, but being alone is freer, somehow. It’s like being an old blues guy, just completely stripped away."

The three-time Grammy winner has recorded 30 albums, including three with pals Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings as part of the Highwaymen.

- Digital Desk