Musician and Actor Kris Kristofferson Dies, Aged 88

Kris Kristofferson in ‘Convoy’. Photo: United Artists.

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Musician and actor Kris Kristofferson has died at the age of 88.
In movie terms, he was best known for performances in films such as ‘A Star is Born’ and ‘Blade.’
Kristofferson’s music also appeared on many soundtracks.

Kris Kristofferson, who forged a wildly successful an impactful career in country music but also made an impression on the world of cinema, died on Saturday at home in Maui, Hawaii. He was 88.

Kristofferson was that rare artist whose career crossed between both music and movies successfully, and he had several memorable roles, including in the original ‘Blade’ trilogy, and 1976’s ‘A Star is Born.’

Kris Kristofferson: Early Life and Career

(L to R) Burt Reynolds and Kris Kristofferson in ‘Semi-Tough’. Photo: United Artists.

Kristofferson was born on June 2nd, 1936, in Brownsville, Texas. His father was a career Army Air Corps and Air Force officer, and his family moved frequently.

He attended high school in San Mateo, Calif., where he proved both a strong student and a gifted athlete. He graduated summa cum laude with a degree in English from Pomona College and attended Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar.

After initially failing in his creative pursuits (he unsuccessfully attempted to publish two novels), he joined the Army, married his childhood sweetheart, had a daughter, enlisted in the Army and was deployed to Germany as a helicopter pilot.

After he was discharged, the Pentagon offered him a teaching position at West Point. It was a career-making honor, but Kristofferson decided to first stop in Nashville to see if he could sell songs he’d been working on with Army friends in a band he named the Losers.

It took just two weeks to change his path once more, this time for good. “I fell in love with the whole life, of songwriters hanging out writing songs to each other,” he recalled. He turned down the West Point offer and moved to Nashville.

It was a controversial decision for his family –– his mother, for one, disowned him.

Kris Kristofferson: A Life in Music

(L to R) Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand in 1976’s ‘A Star Is Born’. Photo: Warner Bros.

As a musician, he broke through as the author of such No. 1 country hits as “For the Good Times, ” “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night.” His song “Me and Bobby McGee” became a posthumous No. 1 pop hit for his former girlfriend Janis Joplin in 1971.

His first four albums for Monument Records, which showcased his unique singing style and, all reached the country top 10, and 1972’s “Jesus Was a Capricorn,” which contained his No. 1 country hit “Why Me,” topped the country LP chart.

He won three Grammys: for best country song (“Help Me Make It Through the Night”) and a pair of duets with Rita Coolidge, to whom he was married from 1973-80. Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004.

He retired from performing in 2020, at the age of 83.

Kris Kristofferson: Movies

(L to R) Kris Kristofferson and Isabelle Huppert in ‘Heaven’s Gate’. Photo: United Artists.

The musician made his first mark on screen in Bill L. Norton’s 1972 movie ‘Cisco Pike,’ in which he played the titular character, an L.A. musician and drug dealer under the thumb of a corrupt narcotics cop (Gene Hackman) –– in keeping with his other career, the film also employed several Kristofferson songs on its soundtrack.

His handsome features would land him a variety of work in romantic dramas, including ‘Blume in Love’ and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore’.

In 1976, co-starring with Barbra Streisand, he won a Golden Globe Award as a dissolute rock star in the third version of “A Star is Born.”

“For anyone who has ever loved…”

R2 hr 19 minDec 19th, 1976

Despite some bumps along the way –– including in the much-maligned ‘Heaven’s Gate’ –– Kristofferson enjoyed an eclectic film career both as a performer and on soundtracks.

A sampling of his movie roles include ‘Convoy,’ ‘Honeysuckle Rose,’ ‘Big Top Pee-Wee,’ ‘Lone Star,’ ‘U Turn,’ and the three original ‘Blade’ movies, where he was craggy, fatherly Whistler opposite Wesley Snipes’ titular vampire hunter.

In 1984, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for ‘Songwriter’ alongside Willie Nelson, with whom he also co-starred in the music drama.

“He got mad when they took his money and his business. But when they tried to take his songs… Nobody ever had a better time getting even.”

R1 hr 34 minOct 14th, 1984

Kris Kristofferson: Tributes

Kris Kristofferson in 2006’s ‘Kris Kristofferson: Live from Austin, TX’. Photo:

Kristofferson’s family took to social media to pay tribute:

“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 28th 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.”

He was also remembered by Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum:

“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. He leaves a resounding legacy.”

Kristofferson leaves behind his third wife, Lisa; his eight children, Tracy, Kris Jr., Casey, Jesse, Jody, John, Kelly and Blake; and his seven grandchildren.