At the age of 88, Kris Kristofferson, who wrote iconic songs about lovers, loners, booze and an unhappy hitchhiking couple – and later gained fame by starring in numerous motion pictures – has died.
The singer, songwriter and actor passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 28, at home in Maui, Hawaii, surrounded by his loved ones, according to his spokesman. The cause of death was kept private.
Starting in the late 1960s, Kristoffson gained recognition as a songwriter in Nashville. He wrote hits such as “Me and Bobby McGee”, “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night”, which later became singles for Janis Joplin, Johnny Cash and Sammy Smith, among others .
His film appearances helped him to become known and a sex icon, especially when he starred with Barbra Streisand in the remake of “A Star Is Born” in 1976.
“In 1999, I imagined myself leading a pretty full life,” Kristoffson said on NPR's Fresh Air. “I was blessed to be a football player even though, for God's sake, I wasn't forced to be one. I became a scout, a boxer, a parachutist, a helicopter pilot and a lot of other things that I don't think I was created for. I just imagined them.
Three Grammy Awards were given to Kristofferson; Two of them were duets he performed with Rita Coolidge, his wife from 1973 to 1980. In 1976 he won the Golden Globe for his role in the film “A Star Is Born”.
In 2014 Kristoffson received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2004 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
