Obituary for Kris Kristofferson: the free-spirited country music star who studied at Oxford

Kris Kristofferson, a hard-drinking singer-songwriter with an outlaw spirit, transformed the country music scene in the 1970s, bringing lyrical sophistication and a “seldom-heard openness and depth” to the genre, according to the Irish Times.

His songs are “infused with a neo-romantic sensibility” and explore “freedom and devotion, alienation and desire, darkness and light.” He recorded them all himself; but his singing was raw and many became bigger hits when covered by other artists – from Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Gladys Knight to the Grateful Dead and Michael Bublé. In particular, he wrote “Me and Bobby McGee,” with the resonant refrain “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose/Nothin’, don’t mean nothin’ hon if it ain’t free,” which became one Posthumously became No. 1. 1 hit for Janis Joplin (with whom he had a brief affair).