365 Days of Columbo: June 22nd

Happy Birthday Kris Kristofferson

Country music legend Kris Kristofferson was born June 22, 1936, in Brownsville, Texas. His connection to Columbo is a little distant, he never appeared on Columbo, but his fingerprints are all over one of the show’s most musically memorable episodes.

In Swan Song, Johnny Cash’s murderous gospel singer Tommy Brown performs “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” one of Kristofferson’s signature songs. Cash had taken the song to No. 1 on the country chart, and the Country Music Association named it Song of the Year in 1970.

Remembering David Rayfiel

June 22nd also marks the passing of David Rayfiel, who died on this date in 2011 at the age of 87. Rayfiel was a respected screenwriter and script doctor, best known for his work with director Sydney Pollack, including films such as Three Days of the Condor.

For Columbo fans, Rayfiel’s key credit is Swan Song. Season 3’s episode list credits the episode’s teleplay to Rayfiel, from a story by Stanley Ralph Ross.