Kris Kristofferson

Kristoffer Kristofferson (June 22, 1936 – September 28, 2024) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a pioneering figure in the outlaw country movement of the 1970s, moving away from the polished Nashville sound and toward a more raw, introspective style. During the 1970s, he also embarked on a successful career as a Hollywood actor.

Kristofferson released his debut album Kristofferson in 1970. Among his songwriting credits are "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night", all of which became hits for other artists. Kristofferson was also a member of the country music supergroup the Highwaymen between 1985 and 1995. He has charted 12 times on the American Billboard Hot Country Songs charts; his highest peaking singles there are "Why Me" and "Highwayman", which reached number one in 1973 and 1985, respectively. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. He was a three-time Grammy Award winner, out of 13 total nominations.

As an actor, he became known for his roles in Cisco Pike (1972), Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973), Blume in Love (1973), Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974), and A Star Is Born (1976); for the latter, he earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. He was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for the film Songwriter (1984). His acting career waned somewhat following his role in the box office bomb Heaven's Gate (1980), but he continued to act in films such as Stagecoach (1986), Lone Star (1996), and the Blade film trilogy (1998–2004).