By Reeturaj - Sep 30, 2024
Country music legend and award-winning singer and actor Kris Kristofferson has passed away at 88 in Hawaii. Known for hits like "Me and Bobby McGee," he also starred in "A Star Is Born." Kristofferson, who believed in the power of creativity, left behind a rich legacy in country music and film, winning Grammys and a Golden Globe. He was a member of The Highwaymen supergroup and received numerous lifetime achievement awards. Kristofferson is survived by his wife, eight children, and seven grandchildren.
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Kris Kristofferson, the award-winning country singer and actor who collaborated with Johnny Cash and Martin Scorsese, has passed away at the age of 88. A representative confirmed that he died "peacefully" at his home in Hawaii on Saturday, surrounded by family. The statement described Kristofferson as "a peacenik, a revolutionary, an actor, a superstar, a sex symbol, and a family man." The multi-award winner was known for his songwriting, notably credited for "Me and Bobby McGee" and "Help Me Make It Through the Night," among others. He also starred in the hit movie "A Star Is Born." A message from his family expressed their gratitude for the time they had with him. The message thanked everyone for their love and mentioned that when they see a rainbow, it should remind them that he’s smiling down at them.
Kristofferson, born in Brownsville, Texas on June 22, 1936, became a prominent figure in country music. He once stated, “When I started, I was one of the people hoping to bring respect to country music. Some of the songs I had that became hits did that. I imagine that’s why somebody might vote me into a Hall of Fame. I know it’s not because of my golden throat.” Kristofferson studied writing at Pomona College in California and later pursued studies at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. He earned his master's from Oxford in 1960 and then returned to the US to join the army. He was assigned to teach literature in the military, which he described as "sounding like hell". In 1965, he visited Nashville and within two weeks had resigned from his army post to pursue his music career in the country music hub. The head of the Country Hall of Fame and Museum emphasized that Kristofferson left behind “a resounding legacy”. Kyle Young wrote, “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.”
In 1971, Kristofferson made his acting debut and won a Golden Globe for his role as John Norman Howard in A Star Is Born (1976) opposite Barbra Streisand's Ester Hoffman. Throughout his acting career, he took on various roles, including in films such as Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Lone Star, and the Blade franchise. He won three Grammys for Best Country Song, Help Me Make It Through the Night in 1972, and two separate duets with Rita Coolidge (1974, 1976), to whom he was married in the 1970s.
In 1985, Kristofferson joined his friends Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson to form the supergroup called The Highwaymen. He once humorously remarked to journalist Mikal Gilmore that he felt like the "janitor" in such an iconic company, referencing his former job at CBS's Nashville studio. In 2003, Kristofferson was honored with the Free Speech Award from the Americana Music Association. A year later, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Additionally, he received several lifetime achievement awards from The Recording Academy, the Country Music Association, and the Academy of Country Music. Kristofferson is survived by his wife Lisa, eight children, and seven grandchildren.