Dolly Parton Wishes Kris Kristofferson a Happy Birthday With Major Throwback

Dolly Parton took to Twitter on Saturday to wish Kris Kristofferson a happy birthday.

Two country music legends came together this weekend to mark Kristofferson’s 83rd birthday. Parton posted an old photo of herself and Kristofferson arm-in-arm on Twitter, both smiling with their vintage appearances on.

“Wishing my pall Kris Kristofferson a very happy birthday!” Parton wrote.

The picture showed her in a white blouse trimmed in red and covered in multicolor spots. It was tucked tightly into a red skirt, which matched her red nails, red hair band and red lipstick. Parton had one hand on her hip and one around Kristofferson, who smiled through a beard just turning gray from the bottom.

Kristofferson’s hair and mustache were still thick and brown at the time. He wore a dark shirt and jacket, with a big ornate belt buckle fastened at the waist. Kristofferson wore a necklace in place of a tie, and had his arm over Parton’s shoulder.

Fans flooded Parton’s replies with their own birthday wishes for Kristofferson as well. Many had forgotten that the two were close friends and colleagues, and the throwback picture made them smile.

Kristofferson has a long and legendary career in country music going back to the 1960s. Raised in military bases around the country, he was the son of an Air Force officer, and his family pushed him to enlist in the U.S. military as well. Kristofferson resisted at first, gaining awards and acclaim throughout college where he got a degree in literature. However, afterward he did serve briefly in the army.

Kristofferson began taking music seriously in 1965, when he left the army and moved to Nashville, Tennessee. He had a steady rise from there, starting as a janitor at Columbia Recording Studios and rising to one of the most lauded songwriters of his generation. Kristofferson collaborated with other legends besides Parton, including Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson and many others. He married Lisa Meyers in 1983 and they remain together to this day.

Unfortunately, as he grew older his health became a limiting factor to Kristofferson’s output. From 2004 to 2015 he suffered from puzzling symptoms that were finally diagnosed as Lyme Disease, after doctors had already begun to theorize that it was early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. He is still treated to this day, and his condition is much better.

Kristofferson has a full 10 years on Parton, whom he has worked with since at least the 1970s. Parton’s cover album, Treasures, includes a cherished rendition of Kristofferson’s song “For the Good Times.”