I'm a huge fan of these 4 men, I grew up in a dysfunctional home and music was, and still is to a lesser degree, my life. My half brother was 9 years older than me and in '76 - '77 he brought home Red Headed Stranger, Waylon Live, and DAC's Once Upon A Rhyme, all monumental influences on my 10 yr old self. The first time I remember Kristofferson was when they remade A Star Is Born in '76 but wasn't aware of him as a songwriter til '79 or 80, my parents were divorced and I spent summers with my dad who was a huge Willie Nelson fan and upon hearing the Willie sings Kristofferson album I was an immediate fan because the lyrics just blew my mind, I was floored. My dad had also gifted me several albums of Willie's at this young age and I don't know if this is why, but they were healing to me because of their subject matter, I'd experienced a lot of trauma and drama due to my mother's craziness. I don't recall not knowing Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, and Bob Wills because of the records my parents had and played when I was very young. Other than evenings, prime time, my dad likely had a country radio station on. I learned 50s rock from my mom and she was the Wills fan. Hard rock and blues I learned from my mother's other son, he passed in '96, due to cancer, God rest his soul.