Kris Kristofferson’s death: Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire pay tribute to late icon

HAWAII, MAUI: Kris Kristofferson’s death at the age of 88 has prompted heartfelt tributes from co-stars and friends, honoring the legacy of the beloved actor and country singer. 

Among those who paid tribute is his co-star Barbra Streisand, along with fellow artists Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Kyle Young, Travis Tritt, LeAnn Rimes, Josh Brolin, Melissa Etheridge, and Dakota Fanning, all of whom have shared touching messages in memory of the late icon.

After Kristofferson's death, his family expressed their gratitude for the time they shared with him, stating they feel blessed.

"Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all," they said.

Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand paid a heartfelt tribute to her late co-star from 'A Star Is Born', Kris Kristofferson. On the evening of Sunday, September 29, the 82-year-old actress took to Instagram to mourn the death of the country music legend. 

She shared a screenshot of the album cover for 'A Star Is Born', released in 1976 alongside the film, as well as a more recent photo of the two performing together in 2019. In her post, Streisand reflected on her initial impressions of Kristofferson.

She claimed, "The first time I saw Kris performing at the Troubadour club in L.A. I knew he was something special. Barefoot and strumming his guitar, he seemed like the perfect choice for a script I was developing, which eventually became A Star Is Born."  

She continued, "In the movie, Kris and I sang the song I’d written for the film’s main love theme, “Evergreen.” For my latest concert in 2019 at London’s Hyde Park, I asked Kris to join me on-stage to sing our other A Star Is Born duet, “Lost Inside Of You.” He was as charming as ever, and the audience showered him with applause." 

She concluded, "It was a joy seeing him receive the recognition and love he so richly deserved. My thoughts go to Kris’ wife, Lisa who I know supported him in every way possible."

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton, a longtime friend and collaborator of Kristofferson, also paid tribute on her Instagram Stories.

She expressed her deep sense of loss and shared her enduring affection for him.

"What a great loss What a great writer What a great actor What a great friend,” she wrote against a black background to her 7.1 million followers. “I will always love you,- Dolly.”

Reba McEntire

Country music star Reba McEntire shared a heartfelt tribute to Kris Kristofferson on X (formerly known as Twitter). The 69-year-old posted a photo of the late singer performing alongside her and wrote to her 2.3 million followers, “What a gentleman, kind soul, and a lover of words. I am so glad I got to meet him and be around him. One of my favorite people. Rest in peace, Kris.”

Kyle Young

Museum CEO Kyle Young also paid tribute to Kris Kristofferson on social media on Sunday.

"Kris Kristofferson believed creativity is God-given, and those who ignore such a gift are doomed to unhappiness,” the statement said.

“He preached that a life of the mind gives voice to the soul, and his work gave voice not only to his soul but to ours. He leaves a resounding legacy.”

Travis Tritt

Another country singer who starred alongside Kris Kristofferson in the 1999 film 'Outlaw Justice' shared two nostalgic photos of the duo on Instagram.

“Sad to hear of Kris Kristofferson’s passing. He was an inspiration to me and I was fortunate to get to know him on the set of “Outlaw Justice” that we filmed in Spain in 1998” he wrote in the caption.

He concluded, “My heartfelt condolences go out to Kris’s wife, Lisa and all of his family, friends and fans.”

LeAnn Rimes

Singer and songwriter LeAnn Rimes took to X to post a photo of herself with Kris Kristofferson, both of them wearing big smiles.

Rimes can be seen gently holding his cheeks while Kristofferson wraps his arms around her. At 42, Rimes captioned the snapshot, “An epic human with the biggest heart ♥️ you will be so, so missed. rest easy, my friend. #kriskristofferson.”

Josh Brolin

'Dune' actor Josh Brolin selected some of Kris Kristofferson’s moving song lyrics to share on Instagram on Sunday.

Josh Brolin, 56, wrote to his 3.3 million followers, “Oet, lovely human being, road scholar redneck old schooler,” before quoting a portion of the late star’s 1971 song, 'Loving Her Was Easier (Than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again)'.

Brolin's post included the lines: “Comin’ close together with a feelin’ that I’ve never known before, in my time / She ain’t ashamed to be a woman, or afraid to be a friend / I don’t know the answer to the easy way she opened every door in my mind / But dreamin’ was as easy as believin’ it was never gonna end … Kris Kristofferson RIP to another great.”

Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge posted a touching black-and-white photo of herself with Kris Kristofferson.

"Loved this man, his talent, his mind and his beautiful heart.

Journey well, my friend.” she wrote on X on Sunday, September 29, to her 130K followers. 

Dakota Fanning

The 30-year-old Dakota Fanning shared an Instagram Story reflecting on her time with Kris Kristofferson during the 2005 film 'Dreamer'.

"This legend was so good to me when we worked together on Dreamer,” the star of 'Perfect Couple' wrote.

“What an honor to have spent time in his presence.”