53 Years Ago Today, Kris Kristofferson Knocked Himself Off the Top of the Charts With His First Album Alongside Wife Rita Coolidge

On 11 November 1973, Kris Kristofferson’s album *Jesus Was a Capricorn* lost the top spot on the US country albums chart to *Full Moon*, his first duet album with his wife, Rita Coolidge. The change meant Kristofferson replaced himself at No. 1, and showed that the newlyweds’ collaboration had quickly found an audience.

Released in September, *Full Moon* drew on the pair’s shared interest in harmony and took a lighter, more romantic direction than Kristofferson’s earlier songwriting. It reached No. 1 and produced a top 40 pop hit with “A Song I’d Like to Sing”; the duo later won a Grammy for “From the Bottle to the Bottom”. They recorded two more duet albums before divorcing in 1980.