Groundbreaking country music singer-songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson has died at 88-years-old.
His family confirmed news of his passing in a statement, saying Kristofferson died Sept. 29 at his home in Maui, Hawaii, surrounded by loved ones and requested privacy during this time.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully,” read the Instagram post.
“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.”
No cause of death was specified. The musician had reportedly been suffering from memory loss since he was in his 70s.
Tributes began pouring in across social media from other country greats and those who worked alongside him for many years.
Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, praised Kristofferson for his special gift and the impact he left on others through his songwriting.
“Kris Kristofferson believed to his core that creativity is God-given, and that those who ignore or deflect such a holy gift are doomed to failure and unhappiness,” read the statement.
“He preached that a life of the mind gives voice to the soul, and then he created a body of work that gave voice not only to his soul but to ours.”
Friend and fellow country music singer-songwriter John Rich called working with Kristofferson a “distinct honor,” remembering their friendship over the years.
“He was one of the greatest lyricists to ever live, and a true class act. He set the bar so very high. Miss ya brother,” he wrote.
Dubbed the “queen of country,” Reba McEntire called Kristofferson “one of her favorite people” who was a “gentleman, kind soul, and a lover of words.”
“I am so glad I got to meet him and be around him,” she wrote. “Rest in peace, Kris.”
Kristofferson is survived by his wife, Lisa, eight children, and seven grandchildren.
Early Career
Born in Brownsville, Texas, Kristofferson grew up in San Mateo, California, where he attended college before enlisting in the Army. There, he was tapped to teach English at West Point but moved to Nashville in 1965 to pursue his passion for music full-time.
He worked as a commercial helicopter pilot and swept the floors of Columbia Records, a studio frequented by the likes of Bob Dyan, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash who eventually recorded Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down.”
Despite being a singer himself, many of his songs were best known as performed by others, including Ray Price’s “For the Good Times” and Janis Joplin’s single “Me and Bobby McGee.”
His first four albums all reached the country’s top 10 chart, and his No. 1 country hit “Why Me,” topped the country LP chart.
In the mid-1970s, he pursued a side career in acting, where he made a breakthrough in Hollywood with his role in the hit remake of “A Star Is Born” opposite Barbra Streisand.
He won the award for “best performance by an actor” during the 1977 Golden Globes for the film, and holds over 100 acting credits, including “Songwriter,” “Lone Star,” “Semi-Tough,” the “Blade” trilogy, and many others.
Kristofferson went on to become part of the supergroup “Highwaymen” alongside Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash, which revolutionized the outlaw country music genre in the 1980s. The quartet released two more popular albums in 1990 and 1995.
Throughout his career, he garnered 13 Grammy nominations with three wins including for Best Country Song for his hit “Help Me Make It Through The Night.”
Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy a decade later.
He continued performing full sets up until the beginning of 2020, with one of his final performances being during a celebration of Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday at the Hollywood Bowl in 2023.