Kris Kristofferson, singer-songwriter, is dead at 88
The musician wrote hit songs for Janis Joplin and Johnny Cash before starring in Hollywood movies


What happened
Kris Kristofferson, an Oxford-educated Rhodes Scholar and Army veteran who wrote hit songs for Janis Joplin and Johnny Cash before starring in Hollywood movies, died Saturday at his home in Maui, a family spokesperson said Sunday evening. He was 88 and no cause of death was offered.
Who said what
Kristofferson, "who could recite William Blake from memory, wove intricate folk music lyrics about loneliness and tender romance into popular country music," PBS said. His "rugged brand of sensitivity brought him acclaim as a poet laureate of intimacy and longing," The Washington Post said. In 1970, the year Kristofferson released his first album, three of his songs hit No. 1 on the country charts: "Sunday Mornin’ Comin' Down," sung by Cash, his friend and mentor; Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee," her last recording before her fatal overdose; and Sammi Smith's version of "Help Me Make it Through The Night."
A gig opening for Linda Ronstadt in Los Angeles led to a second career in acting, where Kristofferson won a Golden Globe for 1976's "A Star is Born" and had starring roles in "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," "Lone Star" and the "Blade" vampire-slayer franchise. His music career rebounded when he began touring with Cash, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings in the supergroup The Highwaymen between 1985 and 1995, and despite health problems, he "remained active into his 80s," The New York Times said.
What next?
“There's no better songwriter alive than Kris Kristofferson," Nelson — the last living Highwayman — said in 2009 at a BMI award ceremony for Kristofferson. "Everything he writes is a standard and we're all just going to have to live with that."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Myanmar quake deaths rise as survivor search intensifies
speed read The magnitude-7.7 earthquake in central Myanmar has killed a documented 2,000 people so far, and left scores more trapped beneath rubble
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'We should end this betrayal of man's best friend'
Instant Opinion 'Opinion, comment and editorials of the day'
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - March 31, 2025
Cartoons Monday's cartoons - improper ideology, robot replacements, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Music reviews: Playboi Carti, Charley Crockett, and Throwing Muses
feature “Music,” “Lonesome Drifter,” and “Moonlight Concessions”
By The Week US Published
-
10 upcoming albums to stream in the hazy spring
The Week Recommends Ring in the end of the cold weather with some new music
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Music reviews: Lady Gaga, Jason Isbell, and Astropical
Feature “Mayhem,” “Foxes in the Snow,” and “Astropical”
By The Week US Published
-
Museum exhibitions across the globe are in artful bloom this spring. These are 5 to experience.
The Week Recommends See treasures from ancient Japan, Versailles and the Forbidden City
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
David Johansen: the glam rocker who was a godfather of punk
Feature His band, the New York Dolls, influenced the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and even the Smiths
By The Week US Published
-
25 things Andrew Tate has said about women
IN DEPTH The accused rapist and sex trafficking influencer has a long and well-documented history of commercializing his misogyny for an audience of susceptible young men
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
10 concert tours to see this spring
The Week Recommends As winter comes to an end, check out a variety of live performances
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Music reviews: Mdou Moctar, Panda Bear, and Tate McRae
Feature “Tears of Injustice,” “Sinister Grift,” and “So Close to What”
By The Week US Published