Kris Kristofferson was a singer, songwriter, and actor whose writing helped reshape country music and whose successful jump into acting made him one of the 1970s’ biggest stars.
- Died: September 28, 2024 (Who else died on September 28?)
- Details of death: Died in Maui, Hawai’i at the age of 88.
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Kris Kristofferson’s legacy
Texas-born Kris Kristofferson’s route to superstardom first went through college and the military before reaching the stage and screen. He was a star athlete at Pomona College good enough to be featured in Sports Illustrated magazine, then earned a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford University, where he received a master’s degree in English literature. His father was a brigadier general in the Air Force Reserves who pushed his son to also go into the military. Kristofferson capitulated, joining the U.S. Army, finishing Ranger School, and reaching the rank of captain before leaving the service in 1965.
Kristofferson moved to Nashville, where he tried to make it as a songwriter. After a chance encounter with June Carter, he passed on a demo tape to her for her husband, Johnny Cash. In order to ensure Cash heard his music, Kristofferson landed a helicopter on the couple’s front lawn, and when the country music icon came out to investigate, its bold pilot handed him a tape personally. The unusual (if invasive) bid worked: Kristofferson was soon writing songs for Cash and other artists, as well as recording his own material.
Hits began to mount up. Janis Joplin’s version of his song, “Me and Bobby McGee,” went to No. 1 on the charts. Cash had a hit with “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” which won Song of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. “Why Me,” which Kristofferson wrote and performed, went to No. 1 on the country charts, was a top 20 popular hit, and was nominated for Academy of Country Music Awards’ Song of the Year. They also nominated “Why Me” and “One Day at a Time,” which he co-wrote, in back-to-back years.
Around the same time, Kristofferson began to put his focus on developing an acting career. He debuted in 1971 and arguably broke through with 1973’s “Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid.” Directed by Sam Peckinpah, the film was a failure upon release, but has since been reappraised, now considered one of the great movies of the western genre. Kristofferson earned further accolades the following year for Martin Scorsese’s “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore,” which won Ellen Burstyn an Oscar for Best Actress. Two years later, his status as a screen star was cemented with “A Star is Born.” With Kristofferson playing opposite Barbra Streisand, the remake was a major hit both critically and commercially.
Other notable films featuring Kristofferson include “Convoy,” “Heaven’s Gate,” “Lone Star,” and the “Blade” trilogy.
His music career continued to thrive as well. Kristofferson and country superstars Cash, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings formed The Highwaymen in the 1980s and received acclaim for the song “Highwaymen.” He is in the Country Music Hall of Fame, has a Lifetime Achievement Grammy in addition to his three competitive Grammy Award victories, and won many more accolades.
Kristofferson’s last screen appearance as an actor came in 2018; he continued to tour and perform music for decades, retiring in 2021. He had eight children across three marriages.
Tributes to Kris Kristofferson
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
