The music world mourns the loss of Kris Kristofferson – a singer-songwriter and actor whose gravelly voice and rugged persona left an indelible mark on country music and carved out a successful Hollywood career. But gone with him goes an era for fans who loved his music as much as his films.
Born on June 22, 1936, in Brownsville, Texas, to a military family, Kristofferson was an excellent student, and he received a Rhodes Scholarship to study English literature at Oxford University. He turned his life around when he decided not to enlist in the army but to pursue music instead-always just following in his family’s tradition.
Kristofferson burst upon the Nashville scene in the 1960s, and writing one hit song after another established him among the writers to be reckoned with very quickly. Among his songs were those destined to become anthems of a generation, like “Me and Bobby McGee,” famously recorded by Janis Joplin. It was pretty apparent that this was a person whose songwriting ability really did exist for such interpretations as “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” “For the Good Times,” and “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down.” His lyric flows-through were often revolved around heartache, redemption, and existential thinking, which drew fans to him as one of the finest country music storytellers of all time.
Kristofferson also acted in over 70 films. Some of his most memorable performances were in A Star is Born (1976), where he was starred opposite Barbra Streisand, whom he received a Golden Globe for; and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and the Blade trilogy-tests to the charisma which he can bring on screen and in various roles.
Of course, Kristofferson, aside from his music and acting, was an even unapologetically loudmouthed political voice, committed to social justice. He was always a vocal anti-war activist when it came to speaking against the Vietnam War, and through his stage he voiced his opinion on countless causes he believed in.
Kris Kristofferson’s legacy was enormous-just the man had a life-career of six decades, and many artists were inspired by him. He will be missed both in music and film, but songs, films, and his spirit will continue to inspire generations.
