All about his sons and daughters

Kris Kristofferson was surrounded by a lot of love – and talent! – throughout his life thanks to his eight children: Tracy, Kris Jr., Casey, Jesse, Jody, Johnny, Kelly Marie and Blake.

The beloved singer-songwriter, who died “peacefully” at home on September 28 at the age of 88, shared daughter Tracy and son Kris Jr. with his former high school sweetheart Frances Beer. After her divorce, Kris fell in love with singer Rita Coolidge. During their seven-year marriage, they had a daughter named Casey. In 1983, Kris married celebrity hairdresser Lisa Meyers. The couple welcomed daughter Kelly Marie and sons Jesse, Jody, Johnny and Blake during their 41-year marriage.

In 2021, Kris, who suffered from memory loss, announced his retirement from country music. It was announced that his son Johnny, who has a law degree from Pepperdine University, would be taking over the family business in partnership with Morris Higham Management.

“It was great to delve into my father's catalog and story with this seasoned group of professionals… I can't think of a better partnership to bring the full depth of his songwriting to a new generation,” Johnny said in a press release received from PEOPLE. “The name has always been synonymous with songwriting as an art and we are excited to reintroduce his work to new and old fans alike.”

Kris was surrounded by his family when he died at his Maui home on September 28, a rep for the country star tells PEOPLE.

His family also shared a statement saying, “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 the time with him. Thank you for loving him for all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, you know he’s smiling down on us all.”

Here's everything you need to know about Kris Kristofferson's eight children: Tracy, Kris Jr., Casey, Jesse, Jody, Johnny, Kelly Marie, and Blake.

Tracy Kristofferson, 62

Tracy was born on January 9, 1962. She is the oldest of the Kristofferson children and Kris' first child from his marriage to his high school sweetheart Frances Beer.

While attending Stanford University, Tracy was in a dangerous high-speed motorcycle accident with five-time Olympic gold medalist Eric Heiden. She suffered a serious head injury, causing Kris to cancel his concert in Sweden so he could rush home to be by her side. “My daughters mean everything in the world to me,” Kris said The New York Times at the time.

Tracy made a full recovery, graduated, and began a career in Hollywood. She made her acting debut in 1985 Trouble in the headwhich made her a leading star in the 1990s Night of the cyclone And A place to grow in 1995. The same year she was nominated as an associate producer for the film Pharaoh's army.

She has a child with actor Richard Tyson, whom she divorced in 2017.

Kris Kristofferson Jr., 56

Kris and Frances' second child, a son named Kris Jr., was born on January 20, 1968 – a year before the couple's separation. Despite inheriting one of country music's most famous nicknames, Kris Jr. leads a relatively private life.

Casey Kristofferson, 50

Born on March 21, 1974, Casey is the daughter of '70s singer Rita Coolidge. Coolidge met Kris on a flight from Los Angeles to Memphis in 1971 and was immediately smitten with the country artist. The two worked together on a number of projects until their divorce in 1980.

“I like to say it was 'love at first flight,'” Coolidge recalled to PEOPLE. “Before we went to sleep that night, we had chosen a name for our first child. I had no doubt that we would be together.”

Despite growing up on the streets with her famous parents, Casey was in no rush to see her own name on the marquee. She performed with the Asheville Ballet before opening her own dance school at the Black Mountain Center for the Arts in North Carolina.

“After growing up on the streets, I always avoided the spotlight. I was more interested in the punk rock scene, classical ballet and music. “Almost anything that you don’t recognize just because of my name,” she said in an interview with Asheville Movies.

In 2019, the Casey Kristofferson Band was formed and they released their debut album, Dirty feet. The album, written primarily by Casey, includes a cover of Kris' 1971 hit “Me and Bobby McGee.”

“When the kids were little and I was dancing, I didn’t have much time for music,” she said Black Mountain News in 2019. “One of my daughters has now graduated from college and my other two are 14 and 11, so I have a little more leeway.”

Casey has three daughters with her ex-husband.

Jesse Kristofferson, 40

Born on October 7, 1983, Jesse is the first child Kris welcomed with his wife Lisa Meyers. He briefly tried his hand at acting and got roles Planet of the Apes (2001), the 2010 television series Gigantic And Bloodline (2013). However, he is best known for his role as Neil Hultgrin Days of our lives. Since leaving Hollywood in 2013, Jesse has retreated from the spotlight.

Jody Kristofferson, 39

Jody was born on May 21, 1985. Although he didn't catch the acting or singing bug like some of his siblings, he did inherit his father's natural stage presence. Jody was a professional wrestler for the WWE.

He fought in the WWE under the ring name Jody Reese and has since retired from the sport.

Johnny Kristofferson

Kris and Lisa had their third son, Johnny, in 1988. Johnny earned a law degree from Pepperdine University, which also happens to be his mother's alma mater. He took over the family business after Kris retired from music in 2021.

Kelly Marie Kristofferson, 33

Kelly Marie was born on November 1, 1990 and is the only daughter of Kris and Lisa. She has made a name for herself as both an actress and a musician. She appeared in 2016 Traded and the short film 2017 Pimp my life. Kelly Marie will also produce and star in the upcoming crime drama Little lamb.

In 2013, she demonstrated her singing prowess when she sang with Kris at Magnolia Fest in Florida. The pair performed a father-daughter rendition of his song “The Wonder.”

She is married to the painter Aydin Hanami, whom she married in 2018.

Blake Kristofferson, 30

Kris' youngest son, Blake, was born on July 27, 1994. Blake followed in his big brother's footsteps and attended Pepperdine University. Like some of his siblings, Blake has lived a life away from the spotlight.