Country music pioneer dies aged 88: ‘What a great loss’

Kris Kristofferson, the legendary country singer and songwriter who was an important part of the outlaw country movement, has died. He was 88 years old.

The prolific musician and actor died on Saturday, September 28, at his home in Maui, Hawaii, Kristofferson’s family said in a statement on Facebook on Sunday.

“We are all so blessed for our time with him,” the statement said. “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.”

Family spokeswoman Ebie McFarland told the Associated Press that Kristofferson died peacefully surrounded by his family. A cause of death was not given.

There have been repeated tributes to the late musician on social media, including from Dolly Parton on X.

“What a great loss. What a great author. What a great actor. What a great friend. I will always love you, Dolly,” the country music icon wrote.

“Kris Kristofferson believed that creativity is God-given and that those who ignore such a gift are doomed to misfortune,” Country Music Hall of Fame CEO Kyle Young wrote on X. “He preached that a spiritual life is a voice.” to the soul, and his work gave a voice not only to his soul, but also to our soul. He leaves behind an impressive legacy.”

Born June 22, 1936, the Brownsville, Texas native wrote several top hits, including “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” and “Help Me Make it Through the Night.”

Although Kristofferson was a singer himself, many of his songs were best known for being sung by others, such as “For the Good Times” by Ray Price and “Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin.

These songs, which “redefined the sound of country music” according to AllMusic, made Kristofferson, along with fellow artists Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash, an integral part of the outlaw country music movement.

The four formed the country supergroup Highwaymen in 1985. The group recorded three albums together and scored a No. 1 country hit with “Highwayman” the same year the band formed.

Kristofferson also released more than 20 albums alone, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004, and won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He also won three Grammy Awards, including two for his work with his then-wife Rita Coolidge in 1973 and 1975.

As an actor, Kristofferson is known for his roles in Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid, Flower in Love, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Convoy, Heaven’s Gate, Stagecoach, Lone Star and the “Blade” trilogy.

He won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his role opposite Barbra Streisand in 1976’s “A Star Is Born.”

Kristofferson retired from performing and recording in 2021.