• 3 months ago
The star was surrounded by his family, but no cause of death was given, Variety reported Sunday.

Just one month before his death, the Golden Globe winner put his ranch on Northern California’s Mendocino Coast on the market for $17.2 million, per The Sacramento Bee.

He announced his retirement in a 2021 statement issued by his management, revealing that he had slowly stepped back from the spotlight.

Kristofferson was known for his chart-topping 1972 song “Why Me,” and “Me & Bobby McGee,” a hit recorded by Janis Joplin shortly before her 1970 death.

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00:00thank you for watching my channel please subscribe and like now back to the news
00:05chris christopherson the vibrant trailblazing country music hitmaker who wowed audiences in
00:09the 1976 remake of a star is born died on saturday at the age of 88 the star was surrounded by his
00:16family but no cause of death was given variety reported sunday just one month before his death
00:22the golden globe winner put his ranch on northern california's mendocino coast on the market for
00:2617.2 million dollars per the sacramento b he announced his retirement in a 2021 statement
00:32issued by his management revealing that he had slowly stepped back from the spotlight
00:37christopherson was known for his chart-topping 1972 song why me and me and bobby mcgee a hit
00:42recorded by janice joplin shortly before her 1970 death christopherson once said his songs come from
00:48that soul and described his songwriting ability as a gift according to pbs he was just as successful
00:54on the big screen he played vampire hunter abraham whistler in the 1998 horror film blade and the
01:00love interest of ellen burstyn's character in the 1974 drama alice doesn't live here anymore
01:05directed by martin scorsese blade took off as a trilogy series with the second installment
01:10premiering in 2002 and the third in 2004 he reprised his role as whistler in all of the
01:16following movies playing blades mentor wesley snipes christopherson was born on june 22nd
01:221936 in brownsville texas where he found a passion for music at a young age here called
01:28hearing country in norteno music and songs of mexico and southern texas on radio stations there
01:33i think it was the strongest influence in my life christopherson admitted during a 2018 appearance on
01:38new orleans public radio station wwno i spend about 11 years down there my first 11 and the
01:44border music the mexican music it was just heart music and the country music was the same he
01:49continued i always felt that it was the rio grande valley that got the music going in my brain
01:54when christopherson was just 11 years old he wrote his first song i hate your ugly face per pbs
02:00he said it was the closest he felt comfortable to writing a love song at the time in 2009 he
02:06released the ballad he moved around quite a bit as a child since his father was an army air corps
02:11officer per pbs his family eventually made a home in san mateo california a suburb of san francisco
02:17when he was a teen after graduating from high school in 1954 christopherson departed for pomona
02:23college in clermont where he played football when he was just 18 he was published in the atlantic
02:29monthly after he won first prize in a short story contest held by the outlet the two compositions
02:34were titled gone are the days and the rock he focused on writing learning from philosopher
02:39dr frederick son tag who encouraged him to apply for a road scholarship he studied literature at
02:44the university of oxford in england graduating in 1960 and then returned to california he married
02:50his high school sweetheart fran bier that same year according to wide open country they divorced
02:56in 1969 christopherson served in the military beginning his service in 1960 he trained as a
03:02helicopter pilot of fort rucker in alabama per vi news and later served in west germany with
03:078th infantry division but even while in germany he continued to write songs performing in a band
03:12with his fellow soldiers the outlet reported after he returned from germany he was even offered
03:18a spot to teach literature at the prestigious west point but declined after he learned he would
03:22have to write up lesson plans a feat that scared him in 1965 he moved to nashville where he resigned
03:28from the army and vowed to make it in the industry and that he did he worked scrappy night shifts as
03:33a janitor at columbia studios and gave the country music stars demo tapes of his songs
03:38per his biography on nashville's walk of fame website the star hit a turning point in his
03:43career in 1969 when johnny cash recorded christopherson's song sunday morning coming
03:48down which won the 1970 country music association's song of the year trophy
03:53his career continued to take off as he wrote for fellow legends like cash ray price and waylon
03:58jennings scoring a grammy award in 1972 for his work on help me make it through the night which
04:02was recorded by sammy smith before her death in 1970 he briefly dated janice joplin as they were
04:09introduced to their mutual friend and folk singer bobby neworth according to far out magazine they
04:14played a show together in new york and then traveled to her home in california which ended
04:18up being a three-week long trip in 1976 he hit a stride in his acting career starring as john
04:24norman howard a failing rock star in the third iteration of the star is born christopherson
04:29played opposite barbara streisand who was his love interest esther hoffman their performance
04:34became the third highest grossing film of 1976 according to vox while other reviews of the film
04:40were mixed and it was generally disliked by critics the piece won a golden globe for best
04:44motion picture in 1977 earning christopherson his first award in film in 1985 he formed country
04:51supergroup highwayman with cash jennings and willie nelson which proved to be legendary
04:56they released three studio albums highwayman 1985 highwayman 2 1990 and the road goes on forever
05:031995 per the willie nelson and friends museum even after the musical group disbanded they
05:09remained close friends with nelson and christopherson still playing music together
05:13every so often after the deaths of jennings in 2002 and cash in 2003 over the course of
05:19his career christopherson received many awards and accolades
05:26you

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