Legendary country music star Kris Kristofferson passed away on Sept. 28 at the age of 88. Kristofferson leaves behind a legacy of both songwriting and performing. He released 18 studio albums, the last of which came in 2016 before his retirement in 2021.
Kristofferson wrote countless hits, the most notable of which were recorded by other artists. Among those include “Me And Bobby McGee,” “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and “Help Me Make It Through The Night.” In 1985, Kristofferson joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen, along with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. Now, Willie Nelson is the only surviving member.
Many country artists reacted to Kristofferson’s death on social media including George Strait, Dolly Parton, Darius Rucker, Eric Church, Reba McEntire and Travis Tritt.
“So sad to hear of the passing of [Kris]. Artists and songwriters of this caliber come along very rarely and he certainly made his mark on the world. My family, like most people, were huge fans and we will all miss him. I knew him on a professional level only but I always felt like it was more because of the kindness and respect he showed me on the times we met. I’ll treasure those times forever. He lived one heck of a life and I’m hoping it has only just begun for him. God bless Kris and all of the Kristofferson family.” – George Strait, Country Artist
Kristofferson not only had a successful music career, but also appeared in several notable movies, such as the 1975 film “A Star Is Born” with Barbra Streisand and the “Blade” film trilogy. He was awarded a Golden Globe Award for his role in “A Star Is Born” for Best Actor in a Musical and won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
In his personal life, Kristofferson was married three times and had eight children. He was married to fellow singer-songwriter Rita Coolidge from 1973 – 1980 and was married to Lisa Meyers for 41 years until his passing. He was a vocal opponent of numerous United States military interventions and the Iraq War and Gulf Wars. He was a supporter of the United Farm Workers and hosted several rallies and events for them.
In 2021 at the age of 84, Kristofferson retired from music and lived with his wife in Maui until his passing.
