Kris Kristofferson's 8 children: from his daughter's car crash to those who followed him into the spotlight

The country music world, Hollywood and beyond is mourning the heartbreaking loss of Kris Kristofferson.

A veteran, Rhodes scholar, songwriter, singer turned Hollywood actor known for roles in the original A Star is Born and Blade , the Texas-born star passed away on Saturday, September 28 aged 88 in his home in Maui, Hawai'i.

His spokesperson Ebie McFarland shared the news in a statement on Sunday evening, stating he passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family, though no cause of death was given.

He is survived by his wife of over 40 years, Lisa Meyers, and eight children. Read below for all there is to know about his family life.

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Kristofferson was married three times

Kristofferson first tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Frances "Fran" Mavia Beer when he was 25 years old in 1961, though they ultimately divorced in 1969.

After a brief relationship with Janis Joplin, for whom he wrote the iconic hit "Me and Bobby McGee" prior to her death aged 27 in 1970, he married singer Rita Coolidge in 1973, and they were married until 1980.

Third time's the charm for Kristofferson, who married his third wife Lisa in 1983, and they were together until his passing.

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He is survived by eight children

Kristofferson had eight children across his three marriages. He welcomed daughter Tracy , 62, in 1962, and his namesake Kris Jr., 56, in 1968. With his second wife Rita, he welcomed one child, daughter Casey , 50, in 1974.

He welcomed his youngest five children with his third wife; first Jesse , 40, in 1983, followed by Jody , 39, Johnny , 36, Kelly Marie , 33, and Blake , 30.

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His firstborn had a terrifying car crash

In 1982, when Tracy was a student at Stanford University, Kristofferson canceled a European tour to tend to his daughter, after she was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident also involving five-time Olympic gold medalist Eric Heiden , who was driving the motorcycle.

She fortunately made a full recovery, and went on to follow in her father's footsteps, with roles in films such as Trouble in Mind, Night of the Cyclone and A Place to Grow .

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Some of his kids have followed in his footsteps

Aside from Tracy, Casey, Jesse, and Kelly Marie have also followed in their father's footsteps.

Though she avoided the spotlight for years, in 2019, Casey formed the Casey Kristofferson Band, starting with the debut album Dirty Feet . Jesse had a brief acting career, with roles in Planet of the Apes plus series Gigantic and Bloodline , but he retired from acting in 2013.

Lastly Kelly Marie has ventured into both music and acting; she has performed with her father on stage, and also had roles in the Western film Traded in 2016, which featured her father, and the 2017 short P imp My Life .

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Others have shied away from the spotlight

Kristofferson's other four children, Kris, Jody, Johnny and Blake have all kept their personal life out of the spotlight and have not pursued very public professional lives.

Jody was a WWE wrestler for a while, though he has since retired, Johnny has a law degree from Pepperdine University, and is now taking over the family business, and Blake also studied at Pepperdine, his mother's alma mater, but little is known about what he does today.