Years before Kris Kristofferson passed away at the age of 88, Taylor Swift had praised the actor and music icon as one of her “best role models.”
Taylor Swift and Kris Kristofferson had crossed paths at the 2009 County Music Association Awards. He presented her with the award for Female Vocalist of the Year. She was up against Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, and Carrie Underwood.
While accepting the award, Swift was seen hugging Kristofferson.
In 2010, both Taylor Swift and Kris Kristofferson appeared at the annual All for the Hall concert benefiting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. The then-20-year-old Swift was onstage at the event honoring Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, and Lionel Richie.
“These are the best role models I could have,” Swift gushed about the four music stars on stage, per the Los Angeles Times.
The duo reportedly had a conversation backstage. “ just know you are going to have the most wonderful career, and most wonderful life,” Kristofferson had told her.
She appeared to tell him, I could not ask for a better role model,” before he replied back, “Now, who’s the silver-tongued devil?”
Swift also told reporters, “I felt like I was going to pass out! He said so many nice things about my songwriting … I can’t even remember everything he said; I blacked out a little bit,”
12 years later, on Valentine’s Day, Kristofferson took to Instagram to pay tribute to his and Swift’s friendship. “No better way to kick off Kris’ official [Instagram] account than with this picture of him and [Taylor Swift] at the All For the Hall concert benefit in 2010.”
Taylor Swift has yet to publicly release a statement about Kris Kristofferson’s death.
Kris Kristofferson Passed Away on September 28
Kris Kristofferson passed away on Sept. 28. His family issued a statement.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share the news our husband/father/grandfather, Kris Kristofferson, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 28 at home,” the statement revealed. “We’re all so blessed for our time with him. Thank you for loving him all these many years, and when you see a rainbow, know he’s smiling down at us all.”
The cause of death was not revealed.
Along with being a renowned actor, Kris Kristofferson was also a Grammy-winning singer and Golden Gloves boxer. As if that wasn’t enough, he was a Rhodes scholar, author, and U.S. Army veteran.