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Outlaw country musician and Hollywood actor Kris Kristofferson<\/a> died on Saturday, September 28, at his home in Maui, Hawaii. The news was announced in a press release from Essential Broadcast Media<\/a>. A cause of death was not provided, just that he was surrounded by family. Kristofferson was 88 years old.<\/p>\n Kristofferson was born into a military family and moved frequently, as a child, due to his father\u2019s service. He attended Pomona College, in California, and earned a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford. While in England, he earned his master\u2019s degree, in English literature, and attempted to enter the recording industry. He wasn\u2019t successful with his early foray into the music industry, and he returned the United States to join the U.S. Army.<\/p>\n After leaving the Army, in 1965, Kristofferson moved to Nashville to try again to make it in the music business. While working as a janitor at Columbia Records, he started to make a name for himself as a songwriter. Hits like \u201cMe and Bobby McGee\u201d and \u201cSunday Morning Coming Down\u201d were recorded by Janis Joplin and Johnny Cash. Waylon Jennings, Ray Price, and Gladys Knight also recorded Kristofferson\u2019s songs.<\/p>\n Kristofferson released his first studio album, Kristofferson<\/em>, in 1970, and he continued to gain recognition with 1971\u2019s\u00a0The Silver Tongued Devil and I<\/em>. The next year, 1972, Kristofferson had a great showing at the Grammy Awards<\/a>, as he received three nominations for Best Country Song. Ultimately, \u201cHelp Me Make It Through the Night\u201d prevailed over \u201cMe and Bobby McGee\u201d and \u201cFor the Good Times.\u201d Kristofferson was also nominated twice for Song of the Year.<\/p>\n While Kristofferson continued to release albums at a regular clip, he also became a familiar face on the silver screen. In the 1970s, he acted in Cisco Pike<\/em>, Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid<\/em>, and more, but he really turned heads as Barbra Streisand\u2019s co-star in the 1976 version of A Star Is Born<\/em>, earning a Golden Globe Award for his performance. Kristofferson continued to act into the 2010s, appearing in Heaven\u2019s Gate<\/em>, several Blade<\/em> films, Tim Burton\u2019s 2001 Planet of the Apes<\/em>, and many other productions.<\/p>\n Another of Kristofferson\u2019s major musical achievements began in 1985 when he formed the Highwaymen with fellow outlaw country music superstars Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson. Across their decade-long run, they released three studio albums\u2014 1985\u2019s Highwayman<\/em>, 1990\u2019s Highwayman 2<\/em>, and 1995\u2019s The Road Goes on Forever<\/em>\u2014played countless shows, and starred together in Stagecoach<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n