Barbra Streisand Pays Tribute to Kris Kristofferson: ‘I Knew He Was Something Special’

The musicians famously co-starred in Oscar-winning film A Star Is Born

Barbra Streisand has remembered her A Star Is Born co-star”https://www.rollingstone.com/t/kris-kristofferson/” id=”auto-tag_kris-kristofferson” data tag=”kris-kristofferson”>Kris Kristofferson following his death. In a post on social media, the singer and actress recalled casting him in the film after seeing him perform live.

“The first time I saw Kris performing at the Troubadour club in L.A.,” Streisand wrote. “I knew he was something special. Barefoot and strumming his guitar, he seemed like the perfect choice for a script I was developing, which eventually became A Star Is Born. In the movie, Kris and I sang the song I’d written for the film’s main love theme, ‘Evergreen.’”

She continued, “For my latest concert in 2019 at London’s Hyde Park, I asked Kris to join me on-stage to sing our other A Star Is Born duet, ‘Lost Inside Of You.’ He was as charming as ever, and the audience showered him with applause. It was a joy seeing him receive the recognition and love he so richly deserved. My thoughts go to Kris’ wife, Lisa who I know supported him in every way possible.”

A Star Is Borndirected by Frank Pierson, premiered in 1976. It starred Streisand as an unknown singer who falls in love with a rock star, played by Kristofferson, whose career begins to decline as she finds success. “Evergreen” won the Oscar for Best Original Song, while Kristofferson and Streisand both earned Golden Globe Awards for their performances.

In 2019, when Streisand headlined British Summer Time in London’s Hyde Park, she took the opportunity to bring Kristofferson out onto the stage to perform a duet of “Lost Inside of You.” After performing “Evergreen,” which also appeared in the movie, Streisand introduced Kristofferson, calling him “one of my favorite leading men.” “Here’s a song that we sang together in the movie, right?” she told the audience. “I love this song.”

Kristofferson died on Saturday at the age of 88. A spokesperson for Kristofferson, Ebie McFarland, confirmed the musician’s death, adding that the “artist, singer, songwriter, actor and activist… passed away peacefully in his home in Maui, Hawaii… surrounded by family.” A cause of death was not immediately available.