Remembering Kris Kristofferson: A Tribute to the Country Music Icon and “A Star is Born” Actor, Who Passed Away at 88
Kris Kristofferson, renowned country music singer, songwriter, and prolific actor, passed away at 88 on Saturday, September 28, at his home in Maui, Hawaii, his family said in a statement, according to People. “Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all,” they expressed.
Kristofferson’s affinity for country music began at an early age, and according to a 2013 interview with NPR, he penned his first song, I Hate Your Ugly Face, at only 11 years old.
According to his official website, Kristofferson attended Pomona College in California, where he played football, won a Golden Gloves boxing title, and served as sports editor of the school paper. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Pomona, Kristofferson earned a Rhodes Scholarship and completed his master’s in English literature at Oxford University’s Merton College in 1960.
After wrapping up his academic pursuits, his parents urged him to join the military, where he became a helicopter pilot within five years. While serving in West Germany in the 1960s, Kristofferson continued to explore his musical prowess by forming a band with his fellow soldiers. He soon made his way to Nashville, where he later described in an interview that he immediately fell in love with the music community. Much to his parents’ dismay, Kristofferson resigned from the military in 1965.
In Nashville, Kristofferson did not find success immediately and worked as a bartender and night janitor at Columbia Studios. However, he continued submitting his songs, including For the Good Times and Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, hoping for a breakthrough.
The former track did not achieve mainstream success until Ray Price released his version of it in June 1970, shortly after it appeared on Kristofferson’s debut album in April of that year. It was also famously covered by Al Green. Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down captured the attention of Nashville singer Ray Stevens and country music icon Johnny Cash.
Cash’s rendition of the song on his live album won Song of the Year at the CMA Awards in 1970 and topped Billboard’s country music charts.
Kristofferson saw immense success as a songwriter in the coming years, with notable covers of his songs, including Me and Bobby McGee and Help Me Make It Through the Night. The latter won him his first Grammy for Best Country Song. Throughout the ’70s, Kristofferson continued to release albums and singles, including Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again) and the two-time Grammy-nominated song Why Me. His collaboration with his second wife, Rita Coolidge, on From the Bottle to the Bottom earned them two Grammys.
Kristofferson’s acting talents were showcased in films such as Cisco Pike, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, and Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. In 1974, Kristofferson told Rolling Stone that he felt confident about his foray into Hollywood despite lacking formal training. He shared that he had been advised to take lessons before signing for Cisco Pike, but he believed acting was about understanding a character and being as honest as possible in its portrayal.
His role as John Norman Howard in A Star is Born (1976) opposite Barbara Streisand is world-renowned. His performance earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
Juggling his musical career simultaneously, Kristofferson formed the country supergroup The Highwaymen with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson. The band released three albums together: Highwayman, Highwayman 2, and The Road Goes On Forever.
Throughout his decades-long career, Kristofferson amassed numerous awards and honors, including three Grammys and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2014. He was also a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee.
Kristofferson is survived by his third wife, Lisa, his eight children, and seven grandchildren.
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