Kristofferson to headline benefit concert

Country Music Hall of Famer Kris Kristofferson will headline a Tulsa concert in November to benefit the legal defense fund of Leonard Peltier, a Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents in 1975.

The event, dubbed “The Spirit of Crazy Horse: A Benefit for Leonard Peltier,” will take place on Nov. 6 at Tulsa’s BOK Center, 200 S Denver. Along with Kristofferson, Arlo Guthrie, Jamey Johnson, Jessi Colter, Shooter Jennings, Rita Coolidge and Joe Ely are all confirmed to appear, with artists still being added, according to a news release.

All proceeds from the show will benefit the Leonard Peltier International Defense Committee and go toward Peltier’s legal defense, according to the release.

Peltier was convicted in the 1975 shooting death of two FBI agents during a conflict on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The trial has been the subject of much controversy, and Amnesty International placed his case under the “Unfair Trials” category of its Annual Report: USA 2010.

Among those who have called for Peltier’s release are Pope Francis, Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and U2 lead singer Bono. President Barack Obama denied Peltier’s application for clemency just before leaving office in January.

Tickets for the Tulsa event go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday and will be available online at www.bokcenter.com, at the Arby’s Box Office at BOK Center, or by calling 866726-5287. Ticket prices range from $25 to $99. In addition to regular reserved seating tickets, a select number of VIP packages will be available at www.doksha.com.