 1973 was Kristofferson’s apex with respect to commercial success.His duet album with wife Rita Coolidge topped the country albums chart, and his previous solo albums, "Jesus Was a Capricorn", went gold, largely thanks to the surprise gospel smash “Why Me.” In addition to being one of the most successful and respected songwriters in the business, Kristofferson was also a movie star, having appeared in "Blume in Love" and starring in Sam Peckinpah’s "Pat Garret and Billy the Kid".Although Kristofferson commercial stock was high, some reviewers contended that the quality of his songwriting was slipping due to his preoccupation with Hollywood.