June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024

Kris Kristofferson, who attained success as both a groundbreaking country music singer-songwriter and a Hollywood film and TV star, died Saturday at home in Maui, Hawaii. No cause of death was given, but he was described as passing away peacefully while surrounded by family. He was 88.

Said his family in a statement, “It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 28 at home. 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 was offered on behalf of Kristofferson’s wife, Lisa; his eight children, Tracy, Kris Jr., Casey, Jesse, Jody, John, Kelly, and Blake; and his seven grandchildren.

Admired for the grit, emotional vulnerability, and literary craft of his country songwriting, Kristofferson frequently topped the US country charts, and cover versions of his songs were hits for artists including Janis Joplin, Gladys Knight, and Johnny Cash. In the mid-70s, he worked with film directors including Martin Scorsese and Sam Peckinpah, and won a Golden Globe for his work opposite Barbra Streisand in the 1976 remake of A Star Is Born.

Kristofferson retired in 2021. His final film role was in the Ethan Hawke-directed drama Blaze (2018), and his most recent album was 2016’s The Cedar Creek Sessions.

He was married three times, first to Fran Beer in 1960. He married singer Rita Coolidge in 1973, and their duet album that year, Full Moon, became one of Kristofferson’s biggest hits, crossing over into the pop charts’ Top 30. They divorced in 1980. He is survived by his third wife, Lisa Meyers, whom he married in 1983 and had five children with, adding to three other children from his first two marriages.

Streisand paid tribute to her co-star on Instagram, writing that he was a “special” and “charming” performer. “It was a joy seeing him receive the recognition and love he so richly deserved,” she wrote.

Dolly Parton, who performed duets with Kristofferson such as From Here to the Moon and Back, wrote: “What a great loss. What a great writer. What a great actor. What a great friend. I will always love you, Dolly.”

Country singer Reba McEntire wrote: “What a gentleman, kind soul, and a lover of words. I am so glad I got to meet him and be around him. One of my favorite people.”