According to a representative, Kristofferson died “peacefully” at his home in Hawaii on Saturday, with his family by his side.
The official statement described him as “a peacenik, a revolutionary, an actor, a superstar, a sex symbol, and a family man.”
Kristofferson, a multi-award-winning artist, was renowned for his songwriting, most notably penning hits like Me and Bobby McGee and Help Me Make It Through the Night. He also made a significant impact as an actor, with a memorable role in the film A Star Is Born.
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In a heartfelt message, his family expressed their gratitude for the time they had with him, saying, “We are all so blessed.” They thanked his fans for their enduring love, adding, “When you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”
Born in Brownsville, Texas, on June 22, 1936, Kristofferson became a towering figure in the world of country music and left an indelible mark on both music and film.
“When I got started, I was one of the people hoping to bring respect to country music,” he said, according to the family message.
“Some of the songs I had that got to be hits did that. I imagine that’s why somebody might vote me into a Hall of Fame. I know it’s not because of my golden throat.”
Kristofferson studied writing at Pomona College in California and later went to Oxford as a Rhodes scholar. He earned his masters from Oxford in 1960, then returned to the US and joined the army.
He was assigned by the military to teach literature, which he said “sounded like hell”.
In 1965 he visited Nashville, and within two weeks had resigned from his army post and moved to the country music hub to pursue his music career.
The head of the Country Hall of Fame and Museum said he left behind “a resounding legacy”.
“Kris Kristofferson believed creativity is God-given, and those who ignore such a gift are doomed to unhappiness,” Kyle Young wrote on X. “He preached that a life of the mind gives voice to the soul, and his work gave voice not only to his soul but to ours.”
He won three Grammys for best country song, Help Me Make It Through the Night in 1972, and two separate duets with Rita Coolidge (1974, 1976), to whom he was married in the 1970s.
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