Key Takeaways
- Kris Kristofferson passed away on September 28, 2024, at 88.
- He has been through many things in life, but none kept him from his dream of being a musician.
- His father was Swedish, while his mother came from a mix of multiple European ethnicities.
Kris Kristofferson, the American country singer, songwriter, and actor most famous for his songs “For the Good Times,” “Me and Bobby McGee,” and “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” has sadly passed away at the age of 88.
Family spokesperson Ebbie McFarland broke the news.
She added that he passed peacefully, surrounded by family in his Maui home.
Heartbroken over the recent passing of legendary country singer Kris Kristofferson at the age of 88.
— 🎸 Rock History 🎸 (@historyrock_) September 29, 2024
Here is Kris with The Highwaymen performing "Highwayman" Live at Nassau Coliseum, 1990.
Rest In Peace legend 🙏 pic.twitter.com/BSX1Iasko2
Kris Kristofferson was born on June 22, 1936, in Brownsville, Texas, to his parents, Mary Ann and Lars Henry Kristofferson.
According to ethnicelebs.com, Kristofferson’s father comes from a Swedish heritage, while his mother comes from a mix of English, Scots-Irish/Northern Irish, German, Swiss-German, and Dutch heritages.
So Kris Kristofferson has Caucasian ethnicity.
His grandfather, Lars Kristoffersson, was born in 1879 in Nås, Sweden.
A corporal by rank, he emigrated to America in 1905, accompanied by his wife, Elin Karolina Johansson (1876–1963), who was also from Forsvik, Sweden. He passed away in 1967.
Due to his father’s military career, Kris often had to move as a child.
The family settled in San Mateo, California, where Kris attended San Mateo High School and graduated in 1954.
At 17, Kris worked a summer job as a dredging worker on Wake Island, which he later described as the most challenging job he ever had.
With aspirations of becoming a writer, he enrolled in Pomona College.
There, he wrote many prize-winning essays, including “The Rock” and “Gone Are the Days,” which were published in The Atlantic Monthly.
At college, Kris was also an accomplished athlete and was featured in Sports Illustrated in March 1958 for his collegiate rugby, football, and track and field achievements.
He graduated college in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, summa cum laude, in literature.
In 1958, Kristofferson received a Rhodes Scholarship to attend the University of Oxford, where he pursued a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in English literature at Merton College.
During his time at Oxford, he earned a Blue in boxing, participated in rugby for his college, and initiated his songwriting career.
Following his graduation from Oxford in 1960, Kris married his longtime girlfriend, Frances “Fran” Mavia Beer, in 1961.
His father, Lars Henry, was a U.S. Army Air Corps officer who encouraged Kris to pursue a military career from a young age.
This pressure led Kris to join the U.S. Army. He was soon commissioned as a second lieutenant and eventually attained the rank of captain.
After receiving flight training at Fort Rucker, Alabama, Kris became a helicopter pilot for the Army.
After completing Ranger School, he was stationed in West Germany. There, he returned to his music dreams and formed a band.
His tour ended in 1965. While he was given the prestigious honor of teaching English literature at West Point, Kris decided to give up his military career and pursue songwriting full-time.
His deeply military-rooted family did not take this decision, leading to Kris being disowned.
In 2003, Kris Kristofferson was awarded the “Veteran of the Year” at the American Veterans Awards ceremony.
Following the end of his military service and rejection of his family, Kris moved to Nashville, Tennessee.
His initial years as an aspiring musician were tough; he had to work odd jobs to support his family and his son’s medical bills resulting from his defective esophagus.
Kris and Frances divorced in 1968. They had two children, Tracy Kristofferson and Kris Kristofferson Jr.
His music career took off when he met Johnny Cash while working as a sweeper at Columbia Recording Studios.
“Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” impressed Cash so much that he decided to record it.
In 1970, Kristofferson received the “Songwriter of the Year” award at the Country Music Association Awards for his work.
In 1970, Kris briefly dated rock icon Janis Joplin before her untimely passing in October 1970 at 27.
He married singer Rita Coolidge in 1973. They divorced in 1980. The pair had one daughter, Casey Kristofferson.
Kris married Lisa Meyers in 1983. The pair had five children: Jesse, Jody, Johnny, Kelly Marie, and Blake.
Kris and Lisa never divorced. Their marriage of 41 years was ended by Kris’s passing on September 28, 2024.
Kris Kristofferson’s passing marked the end of an era, but his impact on country music, film, and the surrounding culture will continue to resonate for generations.
His timeless songs, rebellious spirit, and dedication to living authentically have cemented him as a true American icon.
Kris once mentioned that he wanted his tombstone to read the opening lines of Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on the Wire“―
Like a bird on the wire
GENIUS
Like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
Whether remembered for his poignant songwriting, his rugged Hollywood roles, or his unwavering pursuit of his dreams, Kristofferson leaves behind a legacy that will forever inspire.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- The story of Kris Kristofferson landing a helicopter in Johnny Cash’s front yard, with a beer bottle in one hand and his songs in the other, was later refuted by Kris himself.
- Kris won four Grammy Awards throughout his music career, the last being the “Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2014.
