Norah Jones Enlists Mickey Raphael For Kris Kristofferson Tribute At ACL Festival

Watch the poignant performance of “Help Me Make It Through The Night.”

By Andy Kahn Oct 7, 2024 1:40 pm PDT

Norah Jones paid tribute to late singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson during her ACL Festival 2024 set at Zilker Park in Austin, Texas. Harmonica player Mickey Raphael of Willie Nelson’s Family Band helped out Jones and her band on a performance of Kristofferson’s “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”

“We’re gonna honor the great Kris Kristofferson, because we’re here and we want to,” Jones told the festival crowd. “This happens to be the first song I ever sang with Willie, 25 years ago in San Francisco.”

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Along with that performance with Nelson, Jones also performed “Help Me Make It Through The Night” with Kris Kristofferson at one of the April 2023 concerts celebrating Nelson’s 90th birthday. The song appeared on Kristofferson’s 1970 debut album, Kristofferson. Willie Nelson recorded the song for his 1972 album, The Willie Way, and recorded another version for his 1979 album of Kristofferson covers, Sings Kristofferson.

Kristofferson died on September 28 at age 88. “Help Me Make It Through The Night” was among his noteworthy original songs along with “Me And Bobby McGee” and others. An accomplished scholar and athlete, his acting career included starring in feature films such as A Star Is Born for which he won a Golden Globe.

Watch Norah Jones and Mickey Raphael pay tribute to Kris Kristofferson with a performance of “Help Me Make It Through The Night” at ACL Festival below:

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Setlist

Norah Jones
  • What Am I to You?
  • Running
  • Paradise
  • I’m Awake
  • I Just Wanna Dance
  • Sunrise
  • Little Broken Hearts
  • Staring at the Wall
  • Queen of the Sea
  • Don't Know Why
  • Happy Pills
  • Help Me Make It Through the Night
Setlist data setlist.fm.
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