American actor and country star Kris Kristofferson, who notably inspired Bob Dylan and starred in films alongside Barbra Streisand, died on Saturday at the age of 88, his family announced on Sunday.
“Kris Kristofferson died peacefully on Saturday at his home” in Hawaii, his relatives said on his Facebook site. “When you see a rainbow, know that it is the one that smiles on us all.”
Winner of a Golden Globe in 1976 for his role alongside Barbra Streisand in “A Star is Born”Kris Kristofferson also distinguished himself in “Pat Garrett et Billy the Kid” the Sam Peckinpah and 1973.
Grammy Awards, Hall of Fame
Author notably of the classics “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” (1969) et “Me and Bobby McGee” (1970), covered by Janis Joplin, Kristofferson was a leading country singer-songwriter, like Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, with whom he formed The Highwaymen.
Winner of several Grammy Awards, he joined the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
“He changed everything”
Born June 22, 1936 in Brownsville, Texas, Kris Kristofferson first embraced a military career, like his father, before settling in Nashville, the Mecca of country music, writing there notably “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down” for Johnny Cash.
“There is Nashville before Kris, and Nashville after Kris. Because he changed everything”underlined Bob Dylan, quoted by Kristofferson’s site.
Passion pour William Blake
The singer with the hoarse voice, who throughout his life nurtured a passion for the English poet William Blake, continued to perform regularly on stage until his artistic retirement at the age of 84, in 2021.
