Country legend Kris Kristofferson dies at 88

Kris Kristofferson, songwriter, actor, activist, and one of the greatest Country music singers of all time, has died at the age of 88. 

The songsmith who found success for himself, Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin, and who won the Golden Globe for A Star Is Born, passed away at the age of 88 in Maui, Hawaii on Sunday, September 29, 2024.

He had won a Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford University, and on returning to the US, he enlisted in the army and taught English classes at West Point. He later resigned to become a songwriter instead. Beginning his career as a musician in the late 60s, in Nashville he got his breakthrough hit with Help Me Make it Through the Night and went on to pen some of the biggest hits for some of the most famous singers of the late ’60s and ’70s.

The embodiment of the countercultural spirit in postwar America, Kris Kristofferson was born in 1936 and grew up in San Mateo, California. He studied boxing at Pomona College and later discovered his musical calling while working at the New York Military Academy. Inspired by Hank Williams and Bob Dylan, he gained recognition from the world of Country music in the 1970s at the Nashville music school. His breakthrough as a songwriter came with the bittersweet ballad For the Good Times, which topped the charts.

Songwriter to Johnny Cash, Al Green, The Grateful Dead, and Janis Joplin

Kristofferson really made the big time when his song Sunday Morning Coming Down, about coping with a hangover, was recorded by Johnny Cash and reached number one. The hit was not a one-off though, as also artists including Al Green, The Grateful Dead, Michael Bublé, and Gladys Night and the Pips scored success with Kristofferson’s songs.

His lyrics explored themes of freedom, commitment, alienation, desire, and darkness. One of his most popular songs, Me and Bobby McGee, became a huge hit for Janis Joplin with whom he has a brief love affair. He later went on to win a Grammy for Help Me Make It Through the Night, performed by Sammi Smith.

In the mid-1970s, he received the call from Hollywood to appear in Sam Pekinpah’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, in which he played the outlaw Billy. Kristofferson became an icon for his look, his wisdom, and his romantic touch. After appearing alongside Barbara Streisand in A Star Is Born, Kristofferson won his first Golden Globe in 1977. While not having started out with the intention of being an actor, he ended up appeared in more than 50 films.

His last musical recording was back in 2016 with the album The Cedar Creek Sessions, which earned him a Grammy for Best Americana Album.

He retired in 2021 and only made sporadic appearances on stage, such as the performance with Roseanne Cash at Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday party in 2023. Kris Kristofferson leaves this world with more than 40 albums to his credit and a great career full of successes in varied fields.