Kris Kristofferson in 2020. Photo by Boom Baker
Kris Kristofferson, an icon in American country music and film, has passed away in his Maui home at the age of 88. No cause of death has been released at the time of publishing.
Known for his gravelly voice and penchant for vivid storytelling, the Texan singer-songwriter released 19 solo records, four live albums, and six collaborations with other artists like Rita Coolidge, Barbra Streisand, Willie Nelson, and more. He also wrote hits like “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” which Johnny Cash made famous; “For The Good Times,” beloved by country and Western artist Ray Price and soul icon Al Green; and “Me And Bobby McGee,” which became a posthumous chart-topper for Janis Joplin. Additionally, Kristofferson was beloved as a member of the country music supergroup The Highwaymen, comprised of Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings (which went on to inspire The Highwomen with Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires). He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.
On screen, Kristofferson wooed audiences with both his looks and his emotive performances. He served as the leading man in the second remake of A Star Is Born, across from Barbra Streisand, where he went on to win the Golden Globe for Best Actor in 1977. For three decades, he was also a regular presence in Western films like Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid (1973), Stagecoach (1986), and Lone Star (1996) and Two For Texas (1998). He was also in the Blade trilogy that ran into the 2000s.
Born June 22, 1936 in Brownsville, Texas, Kristofferson moved frequently growing up. His father, the song of a Swedish immigrant and military man, was a pilot and Air Force major general. The family settled in San Mateo, California, where Kristofferson went on to finish high school in in 1954 and study creative writing at Pomona College. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and moved to England to complete the prestigious Rhodes scholarship at Oxford University. Throughout his early life, he was a star college athlete, joined the US Army, became a helicopter pilot, served as an English teacher, published essays, and even served as a janitor at Columbia Nashville before his music career took off. He continued to release original music into his 80th year, as the Grammy-nominated The Cedar Creek Sessions came out in 2016. Another live record, Live At Gilley’s – Pasadena, TX: September 15, 1981, came out in 2022.
Part poet, part crooner, and part country outlaw, Kristofferson seemed to move between each of these identities with ease and grace. But in January 2021, still in the midst of a tense pandemic era, Kristofferson’s team announced that, at 84 years old, he had quietly retired from performing. However, even earlier than that, in 2016, he told Rolling Stone that he had been struggling with memory loss, possibly caused by Lyme disease. Around that time, Terry Roldan wrote his own appreciation for Kristofferson here at No Depression.
Many of No Depression‘s current contributors and featured artists also offered their own tributes across social media. M.C. Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger described Kirstofferson’s songs as “woven through the fabric of my life and my house.” Margo Price thanked him for “your spirit, your songs, your spirit, your compassion and courage,” and noted that singing together at the Newport Folk Festival in 2016 was one of her career highlights. Charley Crockett referred to him as, “My Rio Grande Valley brother who has no equal.”
Although no cause of death was reported, the family wrote the following on Instagram, while asking for privacy during this time:
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.
Kristofferson is survived by his wife Lisa, eight children, and seven grandchildren.
