Link copied
Kris Kristofferson’s final performance turned out to be in January 2020, when he performed as part of the Outlaw Country Cruise.
It wasn’t supposed to be his last, but the onset of the pandemic changed that. Now, the singer-songwriter has quietly retired, according to Variety.
“It was an evolution, and it just felt very organic,” says Kristofferson’s manager Tamara Saviano. “There was no big change — it was this sort of slow ‘What should we do now? What’s next?’ And here we are in the middle of a pandemic… It was like, ‘Yeah, let’s retire.’”
Saviano clarified that while Kristofferson won’t be touring anymore, his music won’t be “going anywhere.”
Morris Higham Management will oversee Kristofferson’s estate and his son John will take care of the family business, including running his father’s independent label KK Records.
The hope is that Kristofferson’s songs will reach new generations through a variety of special projects.
"The name has always been synonymous with songwriting as an art, and we’re excited to reintroduce his work to new and old fans alike,” John said in a press release, according to USA Today.
Kristofferson released his debut eponymous album in 1970 and continued a steady output that included hits such as 'Me and Bobby McGee', 'Help Me Make It Through the Night', and 'For the Good Times.'
Alongside pals Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash, he co-founded the supergroup the Highwaymen.
Outside of music, he earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the 1976 film A Star is Born opposite Barbara Streisand.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
For more on Kris Kristofferson, see below: