Outlaw Country Star Kris Kristofferson Dies at 88

Photo: Ole Hagen/Redferns

Kris Kristofferson — actor, songwriter, and outlaw country star — has died. He was 88. According to a statement released by his family, Kristofferson died “peacefully on Saturday, September 28 at home,” located in Maui. “We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all,” the statement continued.

Kristofferson was born in 1936 in Brownsville, Texas. The family moved often, due to his father’s career in the Air Force, eventually settling in San Mateo, CA. Kristofferson wrote his first song “I Hate Your Ugly Face,” at 11 years old. Kristofferson had a military career like his father, until a trip to Nashville on leave reinvigorated his passion for music. He started writing songs like “Sunday Morning Coming Down” and “Me and Bobby McGee,” making friends with the folks who popularized them like Johnny Cash and Janis Joplin.

According to Cash, Kristofferson won his favor by landing a helicopter in his yard. “Kris came right into the control room at Columbia sweeping up and slipped his tape to June, who gave it to me. I put it with a big pile of others that had been given to me. I think I was guilty of throwing some of Kris’ songs into Old Hickory Lake,” he said. “I didn’t really listen to them until one afternoon, he was flying a National Guard helicopter and he landed in my yard. I was taking a nap and June said, ‘Some fool has landed a helicopter in our yard. They used to come from the road. Now they’re coming from the sky!’ And I look up, and here comes Kris out of a helicopter with a beer in one hand and a tape in the other.” Despite starting his career in Nashville, Kristofferson eventually became associated with the outlaw country sound that was in many ways a rejection of Nashville’s polish. In 1985, he joined Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson in the outlaw country supergroup the Highwaymen.

Besides his work in music, Kristofferson became an acclaimed actor. He played the falling country star to Barbra Streisand’s rising diva in the 70’s version of A Star Is Born — the version Bradley Cooper’s take is most indebted to, stylistically. Kristofferson won a Golden Globe for his performance. He also appeared in Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, the Blade trilogy, and the video game Fallout: New Vegas.

Kristofferson officially retired from music in 2021. His last album, The Cedar Creek Sessions, was released in 2016. He is survived by his wife Lisa, eight children, and seven grandkids.