The Real Reason Kris Kristofferson Was Disowned By His Family

Kris Kristofferson has had a remarkable career and a colorful life. As a singer and songwriter, he's created certified gold records and chart-topping collaborations. As an actor, he's won a Golden Globe, been nominated for two Golden Raspberries, and with a sturdy hand and gruff paternal affection, taught Wesley Snipes how to more effectively chop vampires in half. The shame of it is, he has trouble remembering a lot of it these days thanks to a cocktail of age, undiagnosed Lyme disease, and a gentleman's appreciation for life's finer marijuana.

In a Rolling Stone interview from 2016, then-80 year old Kristofferson described the troubles he'd been experiencing with his memory in recent years. One point in his history that he recalled pretty vividly was 1965, when he left the Army to pursue a career in music. It was a decision which inspired his mother to disown him in a harshly worded correspondence.

Kristofferson came from a military family. Both of his grandfathers were military men, his dad was a general in the Air Force, and his brother was in the Navy. Kris himself had made a name for himself in the armed forces, achieving the rank of captain and being offered a teaching position at West Point. Instead, he moved to Nashville, and made his way working odd jobs to support his disabled son while trying to break into the music business.

His mom was less than thrilled. "She said that I was an embarrassment to the family," Kristofferson recalled to Rolling Stone. "I've given them moments of pride, when I got my Rhodes scholarship, but she said, 'They'll never measure up to the tremendous disappointment you've always been.'"

It's unclear whether the two ever made amends. What's equally unclear is how anyone could be disappointed in a son who grows up to work with Shel Silverstein and develop a treatment for half-vampirism, but to each their own.