Commemorating the Late Country Musician and Actor
On Saturday, September 28, 2024, it was reported that Kris Kristofferson (A Star is Born (1976)) passed away at age 88 at his home in Maui, Hawaii. The famed groundbreaking country singer-songwriter and successful Hollywood film and TV star was described as having passed away peacefully while surrounded by his family, with no mentioned cause of death.
A Legendary Renaissance Man
Born the son of an Air Force major general in Texas on June 22, 1936, Kristofferson had served the military before he wrote songs. Before then, he attended Pomona College to study English, graduating in 1958 and being awarded The Rhodes Scholarship that allowed him to attend Oxford. After his time in Oxford, Kristofferson returned to the U.S. to serve in the Army as a helicopter pilot. It was after he rejected a commission to teach literature at West Point that Kristofferson moved to Nashville – and was disowned by his family – to pursue a music career. Following this, he worked as a janitor at Columbia Studios, spending his free time pitching songs. It wasn’t until Johnny Cash recorded Kristofferson’s song “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” in 1969–four years after Kristofferson moved–and ended up taking it to the top of the charts that Kristofferson started to grow.
Kristofferson was a man of many things. Notably expressed in the biography on his website, “He was an Oxford scholar, a defensive back, a bartender, a Golden Gloves boxer, a gandy dancer, a forest-fighter, a road crew member, and an Army Ranger who flew helicopters. He was a peacenik, a revolutionary, an actor, a superstar, a Casanova, and a family man. He was almost a teacher at West Point, though he gave that up to become a Nashville songwriting bum.” What a ‘Nashville songwriting bum’ Kristofferson was as the singer became the voice of a generation.
Country Legend
The country legend Kristofferson was a songwriter when he started. According to a 2013 interview with NPR, he wrote his first song, “I Hate Your Ugly Face,” at 11. He never truly stopped exploring songwriting and music, even while he was serving. His passion was reignited when he visited Nashville, Tennesse, while he was on leave, which led him to become one of the top country musicians. Kristofferson spent years submitting his songs and collaborating with other artists like Fred Foster. Together, they wrote “Me and Bobby McGee,” which was sung by Janis Joplin. The song got two Grammy nominations in 1972, the same year Kristofferson won his first Grammy for Sammi Smith’s version of “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”
Funnily, Kristofferson thought he wasn’t a good singer, something he mentioned in a 2016 Rolling Stone interview. Due to this, it wasn’t until 1970 that Kristofferson released his debut album. It included classic songs like “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.”
During his career, he won three Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004. In the book Country Music, U.S.A. Bill C. Malone noted, “Kristofferson’s lyrics spoke often of loneliness, alienation, and pain, but they also celebrated freedom and honest relationships, and in intimate, sensuous language that had been rare to country music.” It was this kind of music that Kristofferson created that made him a pioneering figure in the 1970s outlaw country movement. It was a movement where a group of artists fought for the creative freedom of the country music subgenre, outlaw country. The genre blended rock and folk rhythms with the loved country instrumental.
A Renowned Actor
It wasn’t until 1971 that Kristofferson would begin his acting career. With 118 acting roles, Kristofferson got his first role as Minstrel Wrangler in The Last Movie. It wouldn’t be until 1976 that he’d star in the classic A Star is Born alongside sensational actress Barbra Streisand (Funny Girl). An A-list Hollywood star, Kristofferson was also known for his roles in Cisco Pike, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, and Blume in Love. Amid his accomplishments, he has been nominated 30 times for awards between his music and acting, including one Oscar nomination. Kristofferson won 15 awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in A Star is Born.
He focused on that aspect of his career around the time he first started acting. With a talent for pulling off numerous characters like gunslinging sheriffs, a U.S. president, or a self-destructing rock and roll star, Kristofferson was a star on the screen despite his lack of formal training. While becoming a Hollywood star, Kristofferson would never leave music far behind him.
A Star Gone But Never Forgotten
Kristofferson knew exactly what he wanted engraved on his epitaph years before he passed: “Like a bird on the wire / Like a drunk in a midnight choir / I have tried in my way to be free.” The allegedly stolen lyrics are the first few lines of Leonard Cohen’s song Bird on the Wire. Kristofferson is survived by his wife, Lisa, and his eight children, including Tracy, Kris Jr., Casey, Jesse, Jody, John, Kelly, Blake, and his seven grandchildren. His family issued a statement confirming his death to People the following day, September 29: “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.” The star may be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten.
“Tell the truth. Sing with passion. Work with laughter. Love with heart. ‘Cause that’s all that matters in the end.” – Kris Kristofferson (1936-2024).
Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again) (2014) Official Kris Kristofferson Video
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Kendra Dennis is a Pennsylvania-based creative and content writer. While her passion lies within the creative realm, Kendra enjoys any time she gets to write. Kendra graduated from American Public University System in June of 2025 with a BA in English. She enjoys writing stories that open up to a larger world where readers can get lost. You can find her daydreaming about her newest stories or reorganizing one of her many bookshelves.
Elke Simmons' writing portfolio includes contributions to The Laredo Morning Times, Walt Disney World Eyes and Ears, Extinction Rebellion (XR) News/Blog, and Dead Talk News.