Kris Kristofferson, who had a multifaceted entertainment career, passed away at his home in Maui, Hawaii, at the age of 88. The cause of death is still unknown.
From the walls of Oxford to the Nashville country music scene to the bright lights of Hollywood, Kristofferson was an intelligent, humorous rogue who was always willing to challenge established norms. While doing this, he also carved out a star-studded career.
Rhodes Scholar
Kristofferson was born in Brownsville, Texas, on June 22, 1936. The son of an Air Force Major General, the family moved to Northern California, where Kristofferson attended high school in San Mateo. There, he was a star on the football team and on the side, a successful amateur boxer. He graduated from Pomona College and he matriculated to Oxford, England, as a Rhodes Scholar.
Next, he was a helicopter pilot for the U.S. Army who turned down a teaching job at West Point to become a songwriter. He moved to Nashville and started honing his craft while working as a janitor at a music studio. This decision caused his parents to disown him.
Songwriter Extraordinaire
By the early 1970s, he had established himself as a hit-writing songwriter. His breakthrough came with the song “For the Good Times,” a ballad by Ray Price that became a number-one country hit and reached the Top 40 on the pop chart in 1970. Next, he wrote “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” recorded by Johnny Cash, which was named Song of the Year in 1970 by the Country Music Association.
A string of hits followed, including “Me and Bobby McGee,” “To Beat the Devil,”” Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” all of which made it onto his debut album, “Kristofferson.”
His songs became so famous that rock star Janis Joplin (whom Kristofferson briefly dated) recorded “Me and Bobby McGee,” a posthumous hit for the soul-rock queen. The song was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Of Kristofferson’s influence on Nashville, Bob Dylan said, “You can look at Nashville pre-Kris and post-Kris because he changed everything.”
And the Awards Started Coming
He won his first Grammy Award for Sammi Smith’s version of “Help Me Make It Through the Night” and a few years later, two more for the duets “From the Bottle to the Bottom” and “Lover Please,” both sung with his then-wife, Rita Coolidge.
But by this time, drugs and alcohol were starting to take a toll on his life, and he suffered deep bouts of depression, which would lead to his divorce from Ms. Coolidge in 1980.
Acting Bug
Hollywood came calling, and Kristofferson soon appeared in notable films like Cisco Pike, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Heaven’s Gate, and Lone Star.
He is probably best known for his portrayal in the 1976 remake of A Star Is Born, for which he received an acting Golden Globe Award. But it was not all sunshine and roses on the movie set. His co-star, Barbra Streisand, took offense to his freewheeling style, and the production was tumultuous.
The Highwaymen
Kristofferson later found musical success with the outlaw country supergroup The Highwaymen, which consisted of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Kristofferson. The idea for the group originated when filming a Johnny Cash Christmas television show in Switzerland.
They released three studio albums: Highwayman (1985), Highwayman 2 (1990), and The Road Goes On Forever (1995). Their concerts would include songs written specifically for the group and solo material from their vast catalogs. With the passing of Mr. Kristofferson, Willie Nelson is the last remaining Highwaymen.
Activism
In the 1980’s, Kristofferson became politically active. He protested nuclear testing in Nevada, vehemently opposed U.S. policy in Central America, and traveled to Nicaragua in support of the Sandinista government, as well as speaking out against the U.S. backing of El Salvador’s military-led junta during that country’s deadly civil war. His 1990 album, Third World Warrior, gave him a chance to express his political views:
Survived By
Kris Kristofferson is survived by his wife of over 40 years, Lisa (Meyers) Kristofferson; their sons, Jesse, Jody, Johnny, and Blake; and a daughter, Kelly Marie; a son, Kris, and daughter, Tracy, from an earlier marriage to Frances Beer; and a daughter, Casey, from his marriage to Ms. Coolidge; and seven grandchildren.
Personal Memory
When I think of Kris Kristofferson, I always think of the chorus from his song “The Pilgrim, Chapter 33.”
That about sums it up.
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