Remembering Kris Kristofferson | Country Singer, Songwriter and Actor (Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for A Star Is Born) and ARMY Veteran
Just heard of the passing of country music star (“Me and Bobby McGee”, “For the Good Times”, “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down”, and “Help Me Make It Through the Night”) and movie actor [(Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (1974), A Star Is Born (1976) (which earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor), Convoy (1978), Heaven’s Gate (1980), Stagecoach (1986), Lone Star (1996), and the Blade film trilogy (1998–2004)]: Kris Kristofferson!
Did you know that before Kris Kristofferson went on to fame and fortune (including being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2004 and receiving the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014), Kristofferson (under pressure from his family) joined the U.S. Army and was commissioned as a second lieutenant, attaining the rank of captain. He became a helicopter pilot after receiving flight training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He also completed Ranger School. During the early 1960s, he was stationed in West Germany as a member of the 8th Infantry Division. During this time, he resumed his music career and formed a band. In 1965, after his tour in Germany ended, Kristofferson was given an assignment to teach English literature at West Point. Instead, he decided to leave the Army and pursue songwriting. His family disowned him because of his career decision; sources are unclear on whether they reconciled. They saw it as a rejection of everything they stood for, although Kristofferson says he is proud of his time in the military and received the Veteran of the Year Award at the 2003 American Veterans Awards ceremony.
Kristoffer Kristofferson was born on June 22, 1936 and passed away at the age of 88 on September 28, 2024.
#RIP, #KrisKristofferson! Thank you for your music, thank you for some classic movies… and especially: thank you for your service to our great country!
See if your favorite celebrity served: FamousVeterans.com #FamousVeterans