Kris Kristofferson’s death marks the end of a special time. He wasn’t just a talented songwriter and musician, but also a poet who shared the deep feelings of life — love, loss, and everything in between.
His strong words and heartfelt voice touched many people.
Now, it’s his final photo that has left fans crying.
The news of Kris Kristofferson’s death has been hard, leaving a big gap in my heart.
For those who grew up with his music, it feels like we’ve lost someone irreplaceable. Now, with Willie Nelson being the last living member of The Highwaymen, we’re reminded that an important era of American music and culture is fading away.
But Kristofferson’s life was about more than just his time with that legendary group. Born with roots in Texas and Sweden, his career took off in the 1960s. He wrote timeless songs like “Sunday Mornin’ Comin’ Down,” “Help Me Make It Through the Night,” and “For the Good Times.” His lyrics weren’t just songs — they were like poetry, capturing the raw feelings of life.
Most people would need many lifetimes to do what Kris did in one. He wasn’t just an award-winning musician — he also acted in movies, starring with Barbra Streisand in *A Star Is Born* (1976), a role that won him a Golden Globe.
“He was something special.”
“The first time I saw Kris performing at the Troubadour club in L.A., I knew he was special,” his co-star Streisand shared on Instagram. “Barefoot, playing his guitar, he seemed perfect for the movie I was working on, which became *A Star Is Born*.”
Kristofferson was also an Army ranger, a Rhodes scholar, a helicopter pilot, and, most importantly, a storyteller. His work touched many generations. As country singer Channing Wilson wrote on Instagram, “Kris, you left this world better than you found it.”
Beyond his music and movies, Kris had a huge heart. He fought for social justice, supporting civil rights and gender equality. Even as he got older, he stayed active, helping raise awareness and funds for groups like the United Farm Workers (UFW).
Last Instagram photo
Kris passed away peacefully at his home in Maui, Hawaii, on September 28. No cause of death was shared.
His Instagram was soon filled with tributes, as fans posted memories of how his music changed their lives. But it was his last public photo, shared by country star Tanya Tucker in April, that really touched people’s hearts.
In the photo, Kris stands next to Tanya, both representing the golden age of country music. Kris is wearing a Muhammad Ali T-shirt and smiling softly. Though age has softened his rugged looks, his spirit still shines. The young, bearded heartthrob may be gone, but what remains is a legend — a man whose presence is unmistakable, even in his later years.
‘DWTS’ star, mocked as orphan for spotty skin, dies at 29, – adoptive mom dies next day
The ballet world is mourning the death of Dancing with the Stars’ Michaela Mabinty DePrince, an inspirational ballerina who beat staggering odds to become one of the world’s most famous dancers.
Michaela, an orphan from war-torn Sierra Leone, was a dancer with the Boston Ballet who gained widespread notoriety after starring in the 2011 documentary First Position. She died September 10 at only 29.
Adding to the family’s tragic loss, Michaela’s adoptive mom – who rescued Michaela from the filthy shelter where she was told she was “too ugly” to find a family – died only 24 hours later.
After her father was brutally killed in war-torn Sierra Leone and her mother died from fever, four-year-old Michaela Mabinty DePrince was abandoned by her uncle in a shelter where staff every day tried to break her spirit.
Known then as “Number 27” a young Michaela had little hope of finding a family as she had vitiligo, a condition that causes patches of skin to lose pigmentation.
The young girl, called “the devil child” because of her patchy skin, was told repeatedly that she was too ugly to be picked.
“We were all ranked from the most favored to the least, and I was at the very bottom for being rebellious and having a skin condition called vitiligo, which produces white freckles on my neck and chest,” Michaela said, adding she slept on a grass sleeping mat with “Number 26.”
Aside from the vomit-stained nightgown she was wearing, all she had was a magazine, which according to Glamour had (literally) blown onto her face. And on the cover was a ballerina en pointe – a dancer supporting all her body weight on the tips of her toes.
“The dancer looked beautiful and happy, that’s what caught my eye,” Michaela tells Glamour. “I wanted to be happy.”
And the crumpled old photo of the ballerina was the first thing she handed Elaine DePrince, who took her to her new home in New Jersey.
“There was so much love right away,” said Michaela, who over the next two decades would be the prima ballerina on the cover of magazines. “I had never been surrounded by something like that.”
‘My life is proof’
Michaela’s passion for dancing was ignited at a young age, and she pursued her dreams with remarkable dedication.
In 2011, Michaela became one of the stars of First Position, a documentary that followed six gifted dancers leading up to the competition for a place in the prestigious American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School of Ballet (JKO)
She not only earned a spot but was also awarded a scholarship to study at JKO.
The same year the award-winning documentary was released, Michaela also appeared on Dancing with the Stars.
“My life is proof that no matter what situation you’re in, as long as you have a supportive family, you can achieve anything,” Michaela said.
In 2012, the talented ballerina joined the renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem, where she continued to shine as a rising star. Her exceptional talent and grace later led her to the Dutch National Ballet, where the War Child Ambassador further established herself as a formidable presence in the ballet world.
While she was living in Amsterdam and training for The Nutcracker, she received a call, inviting her to travel to New Orleans and dance in Beyonce’s hour-long video, Lemonade, which was released in 2016.
Speaking with the Wall Street Journal of meeting the pop sensation, Michaela said, “She walked up to me and said, ‘It’s such an honor to have you here.’ I was really cheesy and said, ‘The honor is mine.’ I was on cloud nine.”
‘Beacon of hope’
On September 10, her family released a heartbreaking message about the principal soloist with the Boston Ballet.
“Rest in Power,” the post starts about the dancer who died on September 10. “With pain in our hearts, we share the loss of star ballerina Michaela Mabinty DePrince, whose artistry touched countless hearts and whose spirit inspired many, leaving an indelible mark on the world of ballet, and beyond.”
The Facebook post describes Michaela as an inspiration who “stood as a beacon of hope for many, showing that no matter the obstacles, beauty and greatness can rise from the darkest of places.”
The cause of her death has not yet been released.
Mom ‘spared the pain’
Only 24 hours after Michaela’s sudden death, her doting adoptive mom Elaine DePrince died on September 11 “during a routine procedure in preparation for a surgery.”
A family statement on Facebook explains that at the time of Elaine’s death, she was unaware that her daughter had died.
“As unbelievable as it may seem, the two deaths were completely unrelated. The only way we can make sense of the senseless is that Elaine, who had already lost three children many years ago, was by the grace of God spared the pain of experiencing the loss of a fourth child.” The message continues, “What the family is going through right now is truly unimaginably painful. Grieving two family members who died within a 24-hour period is tragic and devastating. We continue to ask for privacy…”
Rest in peace Michaela and Elaine. Please share your thoughts with us and then share this story so we can all send a lot of love to the family and friends of this mother-daughter duo.
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