Legendary Singer-Songwriter/Actor Kris Kristofferson Dies At 88

Legendary singer-songwriter/actor Kris Kristofferson has died at age 88. Among his many credits included writing the classic song “Me And Bobby McGee” and starring in feature films such as A Star Is Born for which he won a Golden Globe.

A message regarding Kristofferson’s passing was shared by his family:

“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’s official website gives a snapshot of his storied life and career as an actor and musician, stating:

Born Kristoffer Kristofferson in the border town of Brownsville, Texas on June 22, 1936, Kristofferson changed the language of country music, with extraordinary internal rhymes, Shakespearean iambic pentameter, and socially progressive subject matters that found the personal within the political.

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.

Sam Peckinpah cast him as Billy the Kid. Willie Nelson recorded an entire album of his songs, then joined him in supergroup The Highwaymen, with Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. Muhammad Ali sat side-stage at his concerts. Mama Cass Elliot called him “No Eyes.” Atlantic Monthly published his short stories.

In addition to writing “Me And Bobby McGee,” Kristofferson penned such well-known songs as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and “For the Good Times,” alongside others. Kristofferson’ was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985. An induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame followed in 2004.

Additional notable film credits include Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Blade, Semi-Tough, Songwriter, The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea and Lone Star, among many others.

Throughout his life, he was known for his political activism and outspoken views on social issues, often using his platform to advocate for the causes he believed in. In his later years, Kristofferson continued to perform and record. He dealt with several health issues, officially retiring from touring in 2021.