Kris Kristofferson, Country Legend + Movie Star, Dies At 88
Country music legend and movie star Kris Kristofferson has died at the age of 88. In a social media post to his official accounts, his family posted, “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 28 at home. We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.” The post noted that the family asks for privacy during this time. The statement was offered on behalf of his wife, Lisa, his eight children Tracy, Kris Jr., Casey, Jesse, Jody, John, Kelly and Blake; and his seven grandchildren.
Kristofferson, the son of an Air Force officer, attended Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar, and later returned to the U.S. where he joined the Army, attaining the rank of captain. He was about to start a career teaching English at West Point, but instead moved to Nashville to pursue music. He worked in a recording studio, and as a commercial helicopter pilot. He had problems getting artists to notice his songs. And, in a legendary move, he landed a helicopter on Johnny Cash’s lawn, greeting the superstar with a beer and a tape. Cash later recorded Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down.”
A number other ot artists recorded his music as well, including rock and roll legend Janis Joplin, who had a big posthumous hit with his “Me and Bobby McGee.” Artists across different genres loved his writing; R&B legend Al Green later covered “For The Good Times.”
In 1970, he released his debut album, Kristofferson, which had a number of classics, including “Me and Bobby McGee,” “To Beat The Devil,” “Best Of All Possible Worlds,” “For The Good Times” and “Help Me Make It Through The Night.”
He had a number of classic albums and songs in the ’70s, including “Why Me,” which was a number one country hit. He also kicked off his acting career during that decade. He co-starred in A Star Is Born in 1976 with pop singer Barbra Streisand.
In the ’80s, Kristofferson teamed up with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson in the supergroup the Highwaymen, who would record and tour through the ’90s when all of the members’ schedules aligned.
He recorded albums on his own and with the Highwaymen, and also appeared in films over the years, including the classic film Lone Star (he played evil lawman Charlie Wade) and the Marvel franchise Blade (he played vampire hunter Abraham Whistler in all three films in the series between 1998 and 2004). He would laugh about turning on young audiences to his music through that role.
In a social media post, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum said, “Kris Kristofferson believed creativity is God-given, and those who ignore such a gift are doomed to unhappiness. He preached that a life of the mind gives voice to the soul, and his work gave voice not only to his soul but to ours. He leaves a resounding legacy.”