By Kate Stow
Songwriter and Music Icon Kris Kristofferson died on Saturday at his home in Maui, Hawaii, at the age of 88. According to family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland, he was surrounded by his family when he peacefully passed away.
Kristoffer Kristofferson was born on June 22, 1936, in Brownsville, Texas, to Mary Ann (née Ashbrook) and Lars Henry Kristofferson, a U.S. Army Air Corps officer (later a U.S. Air Force major general. After frequent moves, the family settled in San Mateo, California.
After graduating from San Mateo High School in 1954, he enrolled at Pomona College, hoping to become a writer. His early writing included prize-winning essays: “The Rock” and “Gone Are the Days,” both published in The Atlantic Monthly.
Kristofferson was a Golden Gloves boxer, rugby star, and football player in college. As a Rhodes Scholar, he attended the University of Oxford in England and received a master’s degree in English from Merton College.
Following his dad’s example, Kristofferson joined the U.S. Army and achieved the rank of Captain as a helicopter pilot. He turned down an appointment to teach at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, to pursue songwriting in Nashville.
After a successful breakthrough, he soon won writing awards as others recorded his songs. Soon, he was recording his own music and collaborating with other Texas-born musicians, such as Willie Nelson, John Prine, and Waylon Jennings.
While he recorded his music and toured with a band that at one time included the Gatlin brothers, among others. Following an affair with Janis Joplin, who recorded his song “Me and Bobby McGee,” Kris married singer Rita Coolidge, and together they won two Grammy awards for songs he penned.
His self-recorded music never reached the charts as high as those recorded by others. Only two of his six albums went to No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. His only single to top the charts was the 1973 single “Why Me.”
“Sunday Morning Comin’ Down” was recorded by both Kristofferson and Ray Price, but Johnny Cash took it to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart. Later, Cash’s version won Song of the Year at the CMA Awards.
Most are familiar with Janis Joplin’s posthumously released 1971 version of “Me and Bobby McGee” off the album Pearl; it topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart the same year. Not many will remember that Country legend Roger Miller was the first to record the Kristofferson classic.
Sammi Smith’s version of “Help Me Make It Through the Night” became one of the most successful country singles of all time. People soon forgot that Kris had included it on his own 1970 debut album. With Sammi’s voice, it became a top 10 hit on the all-genre chart and won her the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance.
When country legend Ray Price recorded Kristofferson’s “For the Good Times” in 1970, it became his first No. 1 hit in over a decade. Subsequently, it peaked at No. 11 on the all-genre Hot 100, giving Price his only top 40 pop hit.
Only good things could come from a meeting between Kris and Shel Silverstein. That was proven when the song they penned together hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in 1971. Recorded by former Buddy Holly bass player Waylon Jennings, “The Taker” was the title track on his debut album.
In the 1980s, Cash joined Kristofferson, Nelson, and Jennings to form a successful band called “The Highwaymen.”
Hailed as one of the greatest songwriters of his generation, Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
“There’s no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson,” Willie Nelson said at a 2009 BMI award ceremony for Kristofferson. “Everything he writes is a standard, and we’re all just going to have to live with that.”
In addition to his music, Kristofferson pursued an acting career. He made his film debut in “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid” (1973), where he starred alongside cinematic icons such as James Coburn and Bob Dylan. He won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role in “A Star is Born” (1976) alongside Barbra Streisand, showcasing his acting and musical talents. Throughout his career, he appeared in numerous films and television series, garnering accolades for his performances.
Kristofferson retired from performing and recording in 2021, making only occasional guest appearances on stage, including a performance with Cash’s daughter Rosanne at Nelson’s 90th birthday celebration at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in 2023. The two sang “Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again),” a song that was a hit for Kristofferson and a longtime live staple for Nelson.
In addition to his artistic achievements, Kristofferson is known for his advocacy on social issues, including support for veterans and environmental causes. He has used his platform to speak out on matters of importance and has remained an outspoken figure throughout his life.
Kris Kristofferson has been married three times. His first marriage to Fran Beer in 1960 resulted in two children and divorce. He later married Rita Coolidge, a fellow musician, in 1973, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1980; they had one child together. In 1983, he married Lisa Meyers, and they had five children together; the couple was still together at his death.
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