Kris Kristofferson has officially called it quits on his illustrious music career. The 84-year-old singer took a permanent break from music because of health complications.
Kristofferson first announced he was suffering from dementia in 2013, at the time he tied the memory loss to concussions and hits to the head he suffered during his athletic career.
In 2016, the legendary singer however came clean revealing that the cause of his memory loss was Lyme disease – an infectious disease caused by bacteria which is transmitted to humans by a bite from an infected black-legged or deer tick. The tick becomes infected after feeding on infected deer, birds, or mice.
Although most cases of Lyme disease can be cured with a 2 to 4 week course of oral antibiotics, patients can sometimes have symptoms of pain, fatigue, or difficulty thinking after they finish treatment.
People who live or spend time in wooded areas known for transmission of the disease are more likely to get this illness. People with domesticated animals that visit wooded areas also have a higher risk of getting Lyme disease.
Kristofferson said he likely picked up Lyme disease on a movie set sometimes in 2006, and had gone undiagnosed for about a decade.
“He was taking all these medications for things he doesn’t have, and they all have side effects. He went through three weeks of treatment for Lyme disease and stopped taking medication for Alzheimer’s and depression, and all of a sudden he was back,” Kristofferson’s wife Lisa shared at the time.
Kristofferson officially retired from music due to increasing health complications, according to a new report released regarding his estate.
On January 27th 2021, Music Row announced that Kristofferson’s estate was now being represented from a management standpoint by Morris Higham Management.
The announcement also indicated that Kristoffersons’ family businesses was being run by his son John Kristofferson. The family businesses include; KK Records, Kristofferson’s indie record label. Kristoffersons’ longtime friend and colleague is now in leading the octogenarian’s public relations team.
The announcement about new estate management representation marks the first time the general public is hearing the news about Kristofferson’s retirement from music.
The music maestro boasts of 17 solo albums during his music career. He also made an impact in Hollywood having starred in 1976 iteration of “A Star Is Born”, for which he won a Best Actor at the Golden Globe Award.
“It’s been amazing to dig in to my dad’s catalog and history with this seasoned group of professionals. MHM and Tamara are experts on everything from old Nashville to the up-and-comers, and I can’t imagine a better partnership to bring the full depth of his songwriting to a new generation. The name has always been synonymous with songwriting as an art, and we’re excited to reintroduce his work to new and old fans alike. We have many exciting projects in the works, and I look forward to getting them out into the world,” Kristoffersons’ son John said.