The country music world is mourning a monumental loss after Kris Kristofferson passed away last weekend. The Brownsville, Texas-born artist packed more experiences into 88 years than many could in 10 lifetimes. Tonight (Wednesday, October 2), CMT is set to honor the larger-than-life singer-songwriter with his very own special.
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How To Watch ‘CMT Remembers: Kris Kristofferson’
Viewers can tune in to CMT Remembers: Kris Kristofferson Wednesday (Oct. 2) at 8 p.m. Eastern on CMT. The 30-minute special will somehow condense nearly nine decades of extraordinary accomplishments into just half an hour.
Featuring standout performances, exclusive interviews, and other key moments, the program will air again Friday (Oct. 4) at 11 p.m. Eastern, and again at noon Central on Sunday (Oct. 6.)
Additionally, CMT is scheduled to air a special remembrance package during this weekend’s all-new episode of CMT Hot 20 Countdown, at 8 am Eastern Saturday and Sunday.
A trailer for the CMT special acknowledged Kristofferson’s talents as an actor, singer and “one of the greatest songwriters that ever lived. The “Bobby McGee” singer “both defied and defined country music in the ’60s and ’70s.”
[RELATED: 5 of Kris Kristofferson’s Most Heartwrenching Song Lyrics]
If Kris Kristofferson’s life were a Hollywood screenplay, executives would have likely dismissed it as too far-fetched. At age 18, The Atlantic Monthly published two of his prize-winning essays. At Pomona College in Claremont, California, Kristofferson was a standout athlete in rugby, football, and track and field. Earning a highly coveted Rhodes Scholarship, the “Why Me” singer earned a post-graduate degree in English literature from the University of Oxford’s Merton College.
Following a successful military career, Kristofferson turned down a West Point teaching job to try his hand at songwriting full time. Needless to say, it worked out.
Barbra Streisand Remembers a Legend
Due to his triple-threat status as a singer, songwriter and actor, Kris Kristofferson made many connections in the entertainment industry. Barbra Streisand, his co-star in 1976’s A Star Is Born, remembered him in a touching social media post.
“The first time I saw Kris performing at the Troubadour club in L.A. I knew he was something special,” the EGOT winner wrote. “Barefoot and strumming his guitar, he seemed like the perfect choice for a script I was developing, which eventually became A Star Is Born.”
The role earned Kristofferson a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical.
Featured image by Bob Daemmrich/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
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