The award-winning country music legend and actor, Kris Kristofferson,has passed away at the age of 88.
The singer-songwriter died peacefully at his home in Hawaii on Saturday, surrounded by his family, according to a statement released by his representatives.
Kristofferson, who gained fame for his timeless hits such as Me and Bobby McGee and Help Me Make It Through the Night, was celebrated for his talents both as a musician and an actor.
He was also widely admired for his role in the classic film A Star Is Born(1976), alongside Barbra Streisand, for which he won a Golden Globe.
Born in Brownsville, Texas, on June 22, 1936, Kristofferson initially pursued a path in academia, studying writing at Pomona College in California and later attending Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar.
However, he ultimately left behind a promising career in the military to follow his passion for music, moving to Nashville in 1965 to kickstart his career.
Kristofferson’s family paid tribute to him, describing him as “a peacenik, a revolutionary, an actor, a superstar, a sex symbol, and a family man.”
In a message, they expressed their gratitude for the time they spent with him, saying, “Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”
Throughout his career, Kristofferson won three Grammy Awards and earned numerous lifetime achievement honors.
In 1985, he joined forces with Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings to form the supergroup The Highwaymen. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
Kristofferson is survived by his wife Lisa, eight children, and seven grandchildren. His contributions to country music and film leave behind a lasting legacy that will be remembered for generations to come.
