Kris Kristofferson, renowned country music singer, songwriter, and prolific actor, passed away at 88 on Saturday, September 28, at his home in Maui, Hawaii, his family said in a statement, according to People. “Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all,” they expressed.
Kristofferson’s affinity for country music began at an early age, and according to a 2013 interview with NPR, he penned his first song, I Hate Your Ugly Face, at only 11 years old.
According to his official website, Kristofferson attended Pomona College in California, where he played football, won a Golden Gloves boxing title, and served as sports editor of the school paper. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from Pomona, Kristofferson earned a Rhodes Scholarship and completed his master’s in English literature at Oxford University’s Merton College in 1960.
After wrapping up his academic pursuits, his parents urged him to join the military, where he became a helicopter pilot within five years. While serving in West Germany in the 1960s, Kristofferson continued to explore his musical prowess by forming a band with his fellow soldiers. He soon made his way to Nashville, where he later described in an interview that he immediately fell in love with the music community. Much to his parents’ dismay, Kristofferson resigned from the military in 1965.
In Nashville, Kristofferson did not find success immediately and worked as a bartender and night janitor at Columbia Studios. However, he continued submitting his songs, including For the Good Times and Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down, hoping for a breakthrough.