Kris Kristofferson, the nine-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and actor, died Saturday at his home in Maui, a representative for the performer shared with TheWrap. Kristofferson was 88 years old.
His family confirmed the news in a statement. “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,” their statement read. “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.”
Beyond his music, Kristofferson began to find success in acting. He made his cinematic debut in “The Last Movie,” which was directed by Dennis Hopper. One of his most prominent roles was opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 version of “A Star Is Born.” His additional credits include “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid,” “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” “Flashpoint,” “Lone Star” and the three “Blade” films.
“Blade” producer Peter Frankfurt said in 2018 that the film’s casting director suggested Kristofferson for the part of vampire hunter Abraham Whistler. “We were like, ‘Oh my God, he’s the coolest person we’ve ever wanted to meet,’ and it turned out he was,” Frankfurt told Entertainment Weekly. “He was awesome.”
Kristofferson released his first album in 1970 to much acclaim. Janis Joplin recorded his song “Me and Bobby McGee” the following year — he was soon considered a changemaker in Nashville, Tennessee. His website quotes Bob Dylan as having said, “You can look at Nashville pre-Kris and post-Kris, because he changed everything.”
In 1970, Kristofferson’s song “Sunday Morning Comin’ Down” was performed by Johnny Cash, who refused to change a line despite worries about censors. The song won the Country Music Association’s song of the year award that year.
Kristofferson went on to release 18 studio albums and three live records. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985.
He met his second wife, singer Rita Coolidge, in the 1970s. They went on to record the album “Full Moon” together and received several Grammy nominations for their effort. While his own success as a singer began to taper off in the mid-’70s, artists continued to record his songs and found their own success while doing so.
Kristofferson formed supergroup the Highwaymen with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings in the ’70s. The group performed together for several years.
Kris Kristofferson was born June 22, 1936, in Brownsville, Texas. He graduated from high school in San Mateo, California, in 1954 and went to Pomona College, where he played football and studied writing with Dr. Frederick Sontag. He won a Rhodes scholarship and went to Oxford, where he studied the work of William Blake and wrote stories.
Kristofferson returned to California after he graduated from Oxford in 1960. He married his first wife, Fran, that year and also joined the Army. He was introduced to Dylan’s music while in the military.
He visited Nashville in 1965, where Marijohn Wilkin connected him with industry insiders, and he soon resigned from the military to pursue music full-time. While working as a janitor at a Nashville studio, he was able to listen in as Cash and Dylan recorded albums.
His career eventually took off, and Kristofferson went on to become a cherished figure in the music industry. He is survived by his wife Lisa, eight children and seven grandchildren.
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