Vale: Kris Kristofferson
Country singer, songwriter and actor, best known for A Star Is Born and the hits “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” has died.
- Published by David Knox
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Country singer, songwriter and actor Kris Kristofferson, best known for A Star Is Born and the hits “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” has died, aged 88.
He died at home in Maui, Hawaii, his family announced. “We’re all so blessed for our time with him,” they said in a statement. “Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”
Kristofferson’s music career began when he moved to Nashville, where he worked as a janitor at Columbia Records. “Me and Bobby McGee” was initially recorded by Roger Miller in 1969 before Janis Joplin made it a rock classic in 1971. Kristofferson also performed “Help Me Make It Through the Night” on his 1970 self-titled album with Monument Records, but it was Sammi Smith’s version that became a hit. He would go on to write for Ray Price, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Waylon Jennings and Johnny Cash -famously landing a heliopter in Cash’s yard to deliver a demo tape.
Kristofferson received the best country song Grammy Award for his duets with then-wife Rita Coolidge on “From the Bottle to the Bottom” and “Lover Please,” once saying, “The people that were writing the closest thing to white man’s soul music were country writers. They were writing about real life — about sex and cheating and drinking and losing and stuff like that. I figured the most honest you could be would be the most successful.”
In 1985, he teamed with Cash, Jennings and Willie Nelson to form The Highwaymen, and the four “outlaws” released three albums.
He enjoyed a long film career including The Last Movie, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, Heaven’s Gate, Lone Star, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea and famously alongside Barbra Streisand,whom he had once dated, in the remake of A Star Is Born –he won a Golden Globe for the latter.
Other films included Semi-Tough, Blade and its sequel, Convoy, Big Top Pee-wee, Payback, Planet of the Apes, Joyful Noise and Traded.
His TV credits included The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James, Blood & Orchids, Amerika, Christmas in Connecticut, Tad, Dead Man’s Gun, and Texas Rising.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
7 Responses
Movie: A Star Is Born screens on ABC 12:25am Tuesday (Mon night).
The man deserves a statue… RIP, Kris.
10 4 good buddy, over and out…
“I’m singing this song for my sister Sinead
Concerning the god awful mess that she made
When she told them her truth just as hard as she could
Her message profoundly was misunderstood
There’s humans entrusted with guarding our gold
And humans in charge of the saving of souls
And humans responded all over the world
Condemning that bald headed brave little girl
And maybe she’s crazy and maybe she ain’t
But so was Picasso and so were the saints
And she’s never been partial to shackles or chains
She’s too old for breaking and too young to tame
It’s askin’ for trouble to stick out your neck
In terms of a target a big silhouette
But some candles flicker and some candles fade
And some burn as true as my sister Sinead
And maybe she’s crazy and maybe she ain’t
But so was Picasso and so were the saints
And she’s never been partial to shackles or chains
She’s too old for breaking and too young to tame”
Amazing singer and actor. What a bad week with Maggie Smith & Drake Hogestyn.
Vale Kris.
Have always liked Kris, and that became two-fold when back in 1992 he stood beside and up for Sinéad O’Connor after the SNL appearance and boo’s she got at The Bob Dylan Anniversary Concert. Even right through to 2009 when he recorded a song to and about her called Sister Sinéad (and in 2010 a duet with her of Help Me Make It Through The Night), and let’s face it backing Sinéad back then could have derailed him in the public eye and he did it anyway.
So outside of his great songs and film career, Kris came across as a stand up guy and that means a lot in my mind.
Loved his music and his work…. Christmas in Connecticut is in my favourites bundle….Respect!