Kris Kristofferson was an American country singer, songwriter, and actor. Kristofferson was best known for his collaborations—he was a member of outlaw country super group The Highwaymen with Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie Nelson—and his star turn alongside Barbra Streisand in 1976’s A Star Is Born. He worked a series of odd jobs, including a stint as a janitor at Columbia Records in Nashville, before launching his musical career.

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Two of his first songs that were recorded by other artists went on to become his greatest hits: Me and Bobby McGee was famously covered by Janis Joplin, and Sammi Smith’s version of Help Me Make It Through the Night earned a Grammy award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance in 1972. Elvis Presley, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and Jerry Lee Lewis also recorded their own takes on the country ballad. Kristofferson won two other Grammys, as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014. His discography includes albums including Kristofferson and The Silver Tongued Devil and I. 

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In the 1970s, Kristofferson shifted his focus from music to film, though he brought his musical talents to A Star Is Born with excellent results: The soundtrack for the film hit No. 1 on the charts, and he won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy. He is also known for his roles in the Blade franchise, in which he played the mentor to Wesley Snipe’s titular vampire, and in Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. He died in 2024.