Kris Kristofferson dies: Country music legend and Blade star dies at 88

Grammy Award-winning country artist and actor Kris Kristofferson has died at the age of 88, his family has confirmed.

Tributes poured in after the death of the American artist, who starred in films including the Blade trilogy and… Planet of the ApesHe died “peacefully” at his home on Maui on Saturday (September 28), surrounded by his family.

The Kristofferson family said in a joint statement with American media: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the peaceful passing of our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, on Saturday, September 28, at home.”

“We are all so lucky for the time we had with him. Thank you for loving him for these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know that he is smiling at us all.

Starting in the late 1960s, the Brownsville, Texas native wrote such classic standards as “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “For the Good Times” and “Me and Bobby McGee.”

Kristofferson was a singer himself, but many of his songs became famous when performed by others, whether it was Ray Price singing “For the Good Times” or Janis Joplin singing “Me and Bobby McGee.”

With his long hair, long pants, and counterculture songs influenced by Bob Dylan, he represented a new breed of country songwriter alongside peers like Willie Nelson, John Prine, and Tom T. Hall.

He was so well-respected in the industry, that Nelson himself declared at a 2009 event: “There’s no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson. Everything he writes is a standard and we all have to live with that.

Kristofferson has received numerous awards, including four Grammy Awards. He won Best Country Song in 1971 for “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group twice with Rita Coolidge, to whom he was briefly married, in 1973 and 1975, respectively.

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In 2014, he also received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award for his long-standing contributions to the music industry.

He retired from performing and recording in 2021, making only occasional guest appearances on stage.

Aside from his hugely successful music career, Kristofferson has also been a prolific star in Hollywood, appearing on both big and small screens with other A-list names.

He starred opposite Ellen Burstyn in director Martin Scorsese’s 1974 film Alice doesn’t live here anymoreAnd with Barbara Streisand in the 1976 film A star is born. He has also worked alongside Wesley Snipes in Marvel’s code in 1998 and then reprized his role as Abraham Whistler in subsequent films.

In a 2006 interview with Associated PressKristofferson revealed that he owes his music career largely to fellow legendary singer Johnny Cash.

“Shaking his hand while I was still in the Army backstage at the Grand Ole Opry was the moment I decided to come back,” Kristofferson said.

“It was electric. He took me under his wing before he cut any of my songs. He cut my first record which was a record of the year. He put me on stage the first time.”

Christopherson is survived by his wife, Lisa; his eight children, Tracy, Chris Jr., Casey, Jesse, Judy, John, Kelly and Blake; And his seven grandchildren.