Kris Kristofferson once admitted to nearly destroying himself through hard partying because he believed being a serious artist meant “living on the edge” alongside the twin demons of drink and drugs. “I thought all serious artists were self-destructive,” the star, who has died aged 88 at home in Hawaii , once remarked. “That anybody worth their salt was going to be out there living on the edge.
” The country music legend, who was also a Hollywood leading man and admired character actor, was a man of deep contradictions. He was a thoughtful intellectual who studied literature at Oxford University before joining the US Army and volunteering for Vietnam; a major songwriter whose biggest hits were enjoyed by other people; and an imposing 6ft blue-collar hero yet never happier than when he was discussing poetry. His most famous songs included ‘Me and Bobby McGee’, ‘Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down’, and ‘Help Me Make It Through the Night’ – all of which first became hits for other artists.
Over seven decades, Kristofferson’s career varied wildly between triumph and mediocrity, at times it was almost as if he was deliberately trying to alienate fans. Yet his best films, including playing a troubled rocker in A Star Is Born alongside Barbra Streisand in 1978, for which he won a Golden Globe , were huge box office successes, and his songs, inspired by a love of literature, would transform country music in the seventies when the genre was awash with mediocre tunes.
