Following news of Kris Kristofferson's death at age 88 on September 28, tributes poured in from some of the music industry's biggest names to honor the legendary songwriter and actor whose influence spanned decades.

Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire, Eric Church and others have shared personal thoughts about the man they admired, loved and called a friend.

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Dolly formed a close friendship with Kristofferson, and the pair performed duets over the years such as “From Here to the Moon and Back” and “Put It Off Until Tomorrow.”

“What a great loss,” Dolly said. “What a great author. What a great actor. What a great friend. I will always love you.”

Country star Reba McEntire said: “What a gentleman, a kind soul and a lover of words. I'm so glad I got to meet him and be close to him. One of my favorite people. Rest in peace, Kris.”

Travis Tritt, who appeared in the spaghetti western television movie Outlaw country Next Kristofferson wrote: “Sad to hear of the passing of Kris Kristofferson. He was an inspiration to me and I was lucky enough to meet him on set Lawless justice that we filmed in Spain in 1998. My deepest condolences go out to Kris’ wife Lisa and all his family, friends and fans.”

For songwriter Diane Warren, Kristofferson was the epitome of a multi-talented artist.

She wrote: “Brilliant songwriter, Rhodes scholar, great actor, not to mention criminally handsome,” she noted in her tribute. “How often do you get all of that in one person? Write Forever in Power, Kris Kristofferson. We’re losing too many greats and we just lost another one.”

Country star Eric Church expressed his admiration for Kristofferson as both a role model and a friend. “The ultimate life well lived. Thank you for being a beacon of light in a darkening world. You were my hero and my role model. And even then, you managed to exceed my expectations when you became my friend.”

“See you then, Captain. Until we meet again.”

Rosanne Cash, singer and daughter of legend Johnny Cash, said: “There was a man here. A man I have known most of my life. A piece of my heart and my family history. I expected him to leave the planet fairly soon, but that doesn't change the magnitude of the loss.”

Cash's words carry even more weight considering that one of Kristofferson's last public appearances was with her. At Willie Nelson's 90th birthday party in April 2023, the two performed a heartfelt duet of “Lovin' You Was Easier.”

She continued: “And yet we will always have him – his enormous legacy, his resonant spirit, the enduring power of his authenticity, his breathtaking talents as a poet – in words, on screen, in his being.” In recent decades there have been There is no Kris without Lisa and her beauty and fortitude is a constant inspiration. Sending you love, Lisa.”

“Travel safely, dear brother. I will always love you.”

Barbra Streisand, who starred with Kristofferson in the 1976 version of A star is bornShe also previously paid tribute to him, recalling the first time she saw him perform at the Troubadour in LA. Their chemistry on screen is great A star is born helped cement both actors' status in Hollywood, and the film's soundtrack – featuring their duet “Evergreen” – became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard 200.

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