A: John Denver

I couldn't come up with a good Kris Kristofferson MoDo, so I'll just do a poll. Who did the best Kristofferson cover?

— New York Times Pitchbot (@DougJBalloon) October 1, 2024

"Casey’s Last Ride,” on the “Aerie” album.

Before he got Rocky Mountain high and thanked God he was a country boy, Denver wrote some good songs and made some great music. His cover of Kristofferson’s song is equal to Joplin’s “Bobby McGee.” It’s heartbreakingly good, well suited to the song.

I don’t know if he ever performed it again, but it’s my favorite performance of his recordings.