Kris Kristofferson has died at the age of 88

Kris Kristofferson, the well-known actor and country singer-songwriter, has died. He was 88.

A rep for the star said he died “peacefully” at his Maui home surrounded by his family on Saturday, September 28.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that our husband/father/grandfather Kris Kristofferson passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, September 28th. We are all so blessed for our time with him. “Thank you for loving him for all these many years and when you see a rainbow, know that he is smiling down on all of us,” his family said in a statement shared with PEOPLE.

Kristofferson was born on June 22, 1936 in Brownsville, Texas, to Mary Ann (née Ashbrook) and Lars Henry Kristofferson – a first-generation Swedish immigrant and US Army Air Corps officer and Luftwaffe general. His love of country music began at a young age, and according to a 2013 interview with NPR, Kristofferson wrote his first song, “I Hate Your Ugly Face,” when he was just 11 years old. A military brat, he moved around often throughout his childhood until his family ended up in San Mateo, California when he was a teenager.

According to his official website, Kristofferson published two short stories – “Gone Are the Days” and “The Rock”. Atlantic Monthly at the age of 18. In 1954, he attended Pomona College in California, where he played football, was crowned a Golden Gloves boxer, and served as sports editor of the school newspaper. His athletic performance and academic achievements earned him the cover of Sports Illustrated'S In his senior year, 1958, the issue “Faces in the Crowd” was published. After earning a bachelor's degree in creative writing from Pomona, Kristofferson received a Rhodes Scholarship in 1960 and his master's degree in English literature from Merton College, University of Oxford.

Kristofferson's parents urged him to join the military after college, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reported. He joined the U.S. Army and within five years became a helicopter pilot and achieved the rank of captain. While serving in West Germany in the early 1960s, Kristofferson continued songwriting and formed a band with other soldiers. After completing his tour of duty in Germany, Kristofferson was offered a position as an English teacher at West Point Military Academy. While on leave, he soon made his way to Nashville, Tennessee, which reignited his passion for music and led to his retirement from the Army in 1965.

“I just fell in love with the music community that was going on there,” he said collision in 2010 of the Nashville country music scene. “The way the old heroes helped the new ones. It was a very sensitive business back then; I don't know if it's still something like that today. But it was definitely the best move I’ve ever made.”

In Nashville, Kristofferson submitted songs he had written while working as a night janitor at Columbia Studios, including “For the Good Times” and “Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down.” Originally recorded in 1968 by singer Bill Nash, “For the Good Times” did not achieve mainstream success until Ray Price released his version in June 1970, shortly after the song appeared on Kristofferson's debut album in April of that year. The track received a Grammy nomination for Best Country Song in 1972 and was covered by soul icon Al Green.

Written by Kristofferson and also recorded for his first album, “Sunday Mornin' Coming' Down” caught the attention of Nashville crooner Ray Stevens and country legend Johnny Cash. Cash's rendition for The Johnny Cash Show The live album won Song of the Year at the 1970 CMA Awards and peaked at #1 billboardCountry charts.

More covers were to follow, including “Me and Bobby McGee,” co-written with Fred Foster and released on Janis Joplin's posthumous album in 1971. pearl. The song became one of Kristofferson and Joplin's biggest hits, reaching No. 1 on the pop charts and receiving two Grammy nominations in 1972 for Best Country Song and Song of the Year. That same year, Kristofferson won his first-ever Grammy for Best Country Song for Sammi Smith's version of “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”

Throughout the '70s, Kristofferson continued to release albums and singles as a recording artist, including “Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I'll Ever Do Again)” and the two-time Grammy-nominated song “Why Me.” He also collaborated with country singer Rita Coolidge – his second wife – on several collaborative albums. The pair won two Grammys for 1973's “From the Bottle to the Bottom” and their rendition of Clyde McPhatter's 1962 hit “Lover Please.”

“He is more of a poet than a musician, more concerned with interpretation than with the quality of the voice.” The New York Times wrote in a 1970 profile. “At once blunt and mystical, he rises above petty prejudices and appeals strongly to both campus and intellectual circles. He is an important link between country, pop and underground music.”

Kristofferson's talents extended beyond music and songwriting. He starred in films like Cisco Pike (1972), Pat Garrett and Billy The Kid (1973) and Alice doesn't live here anymore (1974).

In 1974, Kristofferson recounted Rolling Stone Despite his lack of formal training, he was confident about making his foray into Hollywood.

“I had never been in a school play before, but I read this [Cisco Pike] “I wrote the script and I could identify with this cat, this drug dealer,” he explained. “People said, 'Don't do it, take acting classes first!' But I felt that acting had to just be about understanding a character and then being as honest as possible.”

Then came his big break with his role as self-destructive rock star John Norman Howard in the 1976 remake A star is born. The film, starring Barbra Streisand as Esther Hoffman – an unknown singer and John Norman's lover – earned Kristofferson a Golden Globe for Best Actor in 1977. He was also known for his performances as Whistler in blade Trilogy with Wesley Snipes.

However, the music was never far behind. Kristofferson formed a country supergroup called The Highwaymen with Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. your first album, highwayman, and its title single reached the top of the country charts in 1985. The band released two more albums – in the 1990s Highwayman 2 and 1995s The road goes on forever.

Kristofferson garnered numerous awards and honors throughout his decades-long career, including three Grammy winners and a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2014. He also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song for the Motion Picture in 1985 songwriterwhere he starred alongside band member Nelson. In 2004 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In 2013, the actor and musician spoke about his experiences with memory loss. According to CBS News, doctors originally misdiagnosed him with Alzheimer's disease when it was actually Lyme disease. However, according to his wife Lisa Kristofferson (née Meyers), he sought treatment and noticed improvement within a few weeks.

“He's been taking all these medications for things he doesn't have, and they all have side effects,” Lisa said Rolling Stone in 2016.

She added: “Suddenly he was back. There are still bad days, but some days he’s completely normal and it’s easy to forget he’s even fighting anything.”

After the release of his last studio album The Cedar Creek SessionsIn 2016, the country icon officially announced his retirement from music in 2021 and shared that Morris Higham Management was representing his estate.

“Kristofferson is the artist every artist wants to be,” MHM president and partner Clint Higham wrote in a statement. “He is an artist’s artist. If Mount Rushmore had a place for songwriters, Kris would be there.”

When asked what he thought the secret to life was, Kristofferson responded Men's diary In 2017, “I once came up with a list of rules. It says: Tell the truth, sing with passion, work with laughter and love with heart. That’s good to start with anyway.”

Kristofferson is survived by his wife Lisa, eight children and seven grandchildren.

He was previously married to Frances Beer, with whom he gave birth to daughter Tracy in 1962 and son Kris in 1968. He and Coolidge had their daughter Casey in 1974. He is also the father of five children with Lisa, including Jesse (1983). , Jody (1985), John (1988), Kelly Marie (1990) and Blake (1994).