Hollywood legend and country music hall of famer Kris Kristofferson has passed away. He was 88.
He died “peacefully” Saturday (Sept. 28) surrounded by his family, per a statement shared with Variety. A cause of death has not been shared.
“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,” the family said.
As an actor, Kristofferson is best known for his Golden Globe-winning role opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 drama A Star Is Born, which was later remade once again in 2018 with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper.
Streisand shared a tribute to the star after his death was announced. “The first time I saw Kris performing at the Troubadour club in L.A. I knew he was something special,” she wrote on X. “Barefoot and strumming his guitar, he seemed like the perfect choice for a script I was developing, which eventually became A Star Is Born.”
She continued, “For my latest concert in 2019 at London’s Hyde Park, I asked Kris to join me on-stage to sing our other A Star Is Born duet, ‘Lost Inside Of You.’ He was as charming as ever, and the audience showered him with applause. It was a joy seeing him receive the recognition and love he so richly deserved.”
As his music career skyrocketed, he found his place in the film industry as a rugged romantic lead in the ’70s, with roles in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore and Blume in Love. In 1973, he starred alongside Bob Dylan in Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid.
He also starred opposite Wesley Snipes in the Blade franchise.
Kristofferson was also a Rhodes scholar who studied at Oxford University in England, where he recorded his first records, per Variety.
He later left the army in 1965 and moved to Nashville to begin his illustrious music career, which featured hits like “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” and “Help Me Make it Through the Night.” In 1985, he formed the country group The Highwaymen with Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings.
He won three Grammy Awards and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy in 2015. Kristofferson was also inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
Kristofferson’s final acting role was in the 2018 biography of country songwriter Blaze Foley, Blaze, directed by Ethan Hawke.
He is survived by his wife, Lisa Meyers, his eight children, and seven grandchildren.
