7 Years Ago Today, We Said Goodbye to Kris Kristofferson’s Longtime Keyboardist and “Funky” Staple of the Muscle Shoals Scene

“Donnie Fritts is my brother,” said legendary singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson ahead of his longtime keyboardist’s 2008 induction into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Known as the “Alabama Leaning Man” and “Funky Donnie Fritts,” the Alabama native was also a songwriter, actor, and a central figure in both the Nashville outlaw country movement and the vibrant, soulful Muscle Shoals scene. His songs have been recorded by everyone from Dusty Springfield and Tina Turner, to Waylon Jennings and Charlie Rich. He counted Bob Dylan, John Prine, Willie Nelson, and Grammy-winning producer T-Bone Burnett among his friends.

On this day (August 27) in 2019, Fritts died from complications of heart surgery at a Birmingham, Alabama hospital. He was 76 years old. Today, we’re honoring his extraordinary, often unsung contributions to country music.

Who Was Donnie Fritts?

Born November 8, 1942, in Florence, Alabama, Donald Ray “Donnie” Fritts got his start playing drums in local bands when he was 15 years old. Later, he switched from drums to piano when he decided to give songwriting a shot.

An early fixture on the Muscle Shoals recording scene in nearby Sheffield, Fritts wrote or co-wrote signature songs for the likes of the soul singer Arthur Alexander (“Rainbow Road,” with Dan Penn) and the Box Tops (“Choo Choo Train,” with Eddie Hinton). (You might recognize “Choo Choo Train” from the soundtrack of the 2019 Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood.

With Hinton, Fritts also co-wrote the soul-R&B track “Breakfast in Bed”, which Dusty Springfield recorded for her seminal 1969 album Dusty in Memphis.

Despite his vast resume, Fritts’ favorite composition was never a massive hit. In 1973, Waylon Jennings reached number 28 on the country singles chart with “We Had It All”, written by Fritts and Troy Seals.

Other artists — including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, Ray Charles, and the Rolling Stones — would later record the song.

“After that, no matter how low I got… I could put that on and say, ‘You know what? That’s Ray Charles singing my damn song,’” Fritts recalled.

A “Magical” Time with Kris Kristofferson

In 1965, Donnie Fritts signed with a publishing company in Nashville. There, his life trajectory changed forever after befriending an up-and-coming songwriter by the name of Kris Kristofferson.

In 1970, Kristofferson decided to hit the road as a touring musician, taking Fritts with him.

Things moved quickly, and by December of that year, the band found themselves on stage at New York City’s prestigious Carnegie Hall.

“We were a bunch of guys who didn’t have any idea what we were doing, but we had Kris’ songs,” Fritts told Mother Jones in 2015. “As long as you have those brilliant songs, it didn’t matter how bad you played, or how bad he sang on ’em sometimes. It was one of those magical things that really worked, and I don’t think could ever happen again.”

His friendship with Kristofferson also translated to opportunities on the silver screen. Fritts appeared in three of director Sam Peckinpah’s movies, along with landing roles in the 1976 musical romance A Star is Born.

[RELATED: This 1973 Waylon Jennings Hit Was Later Recorded by Over a Dozen Artists]

He also played keyboards on the movie’s theme song, “Evergreen,” written by Barbra Streisand and Paul Williams. The song won an Academy Award for best original song and a Grammy for song of the year.

A recording artist in his own right, Donnie Fritts also released five studio albums, His debut, 1974’s Prone to Lean — produced by Kristofferson — featured appearances from Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, John Prine, and more.

Featured image by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Americana Music

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