Kris Kristofferson once thought he would never 'live past 30' before transforming his partying lifestyle

MAUI, HAWAII: Kris Kristofferson died at the age of 88 at his Hawaii home on Saturday, September 28, but the singer, at one point in his life, thought his hard-partying would not let him "live past 30."

His seven decades-long professional life as a singer, songwriter, and actor could have been cut short due to his live-on-the-edge lifestyle that included substance abuse and consumption of alcohol.

"I thought all serious artists were self-destructive. That anybody worth their salt was going to be out there living on the edge," Kristofferson said in a 1998 interview with People.

However, the country music legend's decision to quit his self-destructive lifestyle stemmed from having a family and his desire to support his loved ones.

Kris Kristofferson's road to sobriety was kicked off by his role in 'A Star is Born'

Though wanting to be there for his family inspired him to quit drinking, Kris Kristofferson's journey to sobriety was triggered after witnessing his character's death in the 1976 remake of 'A Star is Born.' Before the iconic role, the singer was addicted to alcohol at the end of the 1960s and early 1970s when he started dating fellow artist Janis Joplin, who was also an addict.

"I liked her sense of humor. I was doing a lot of drinking then... And she was trying to kick [heroin]," he once said of Joplin, who died in October 1970 at the age of 27 from substance abuse.

However, Kristofferson continued to be a "functioning alcoholic," drinking Jack Daniels and tequila. At that stage of his life, he was unable to think about performing without drinking.

His role in 'A Star is Born' coincidentally mirrored his real life, triggering him to stop alcohol consumption. Starring alongside Barbra Streisand, Kristofferson witnessed the death of his character, who was also an alcohol addict, which coerced him to change his lifestyle.

"I had a half quart of Jose Cuervo in my icebox that they never let get empty," the four-time Grammy Award winner reminisced about the atmosphere on set before viewing his character's death scene.

"I remember feeling that that could very easily be my wife and kids crying over me. I quit drinking over that. I didn't want to die before my daughter grew up," he acknowledged.

Kris Kristofferson's addiction to alcoholism could have prevented him from a peaceful family life

Kris Kristofferson did not have to wait for long to enter his next stage of life, which was in stark contrast to his hard partying.

In 1982, he met his wife, Lisa Meyers, and the couple tied the knot the next year. Together, they had five children, along with Kristofferson's three other children from earlier marriages.

"I never could have imagined this. I sit right here and think how it could have turned out so differently. I never thought I'd live past 30. I could have ended up dead," the legendary singer said in 1998 about his happy family life in Maui, Hawaii.

Kristofferson was surrounded by family when he took the last breath at his home, bringing an end to a long career spread across music and acting.

Over his 70-year-long professional life, he has written songs for himself and other singers besides his notable acting roles. He won the Songwriter Of The Year award for 'Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down' at the Country Music Association Awards in 1970 and, in 2004, got inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.