When Kris Kristofferson married wife Lisa Meyers in 1983, he was saying “I do” for the third time.

Over 41 years they’d raise five children and fight off Alzheimer’s disease in a way no one thought possible.

She arrived in the songwriter’s life during a moment of contentment and helped guide him through storms to come. Appropriately, she was there when the songwriting legend died on Sept. 28 at age 88.

• Kristofferson was at home in Maui when he died.
• The Country Music Hall of Famer is best known for writing songs like “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Sunday Morning Coming Down.”
• Tributes have come from stars like Reba McEntire, Eric Church, Dolly Parton and Miranda Lambert.

Related: Country Stars React to Kris Kristofferson’s Death

Prior to marrying Meyers, Kristofferson had a reputation for womanizing. Two prior marriages ended in divorce, and he was rumored to have dated several movie co-stars, plus a rocker who died of a heroine overdose.

Here is everything you need to know about his three marriages and eight kids, including who became famous on stages their dad never touched.

Kris Kristofferson Relationship History

Kristofferson’s first wife was Fran Beer, his high school sweetheart. She moved with him to Nashville and they welcomed two children before divorcing in 1969.

Daughter Tracy Kristofferson arrived on Jan. 9, 1962 and later attended Stanford University before dabbling in acting. Now 62 years old, she has one child with an ex-husband.

Kris Kristofferson, Jr. was born on Jan. 20, 1968. Very little is known about him, as he has chosen to live a private life.

Kris Kristofferson’s Rocky Second Marriage

Drinking and rumors of cheating dogged a seven-year marriage between Kristofferson and singer Rita Coolidge. The couple produced several albums together and enjoyed considerable commercial success, but things were often rocky at home.

A Star Is Born co-star Barbra Streisand was just one of the women Kristofferson was thought to have cheated with during this time, but that gossip never earned confirmation.

Daughter Casey Kristofferson was born March 21, 1974, and while she became successful in the entertainment industry, it was on a very different kind of stage. She was a dancer in Asheville, specializing in ballet. The now 50-year-old Casey did form a band and record an album in 2019. This was after giving her dad three grandchildren to spoil.

Kris Kristofferson’s Wife + Their Five Kids

Lisa Meyers met Kristofferson at the gym when he asked to borrow a piece of equipment. Later he’d admit it was a ploy, but it worked. Still, he was not eager to start a longterm romance.

Just six years prior to their 1982 meeting, he’d quit drinking and vowed to be more present in his children’s lives. He didn’t think he had time to be a husband, until he realized he was being foolish and married Meyers in 1983.

In October, son Jesse would arrive, followed by Jody in 1985 and Johnny in 1988. Jesse scored a few acting roles in movies like Planet of the Apes and TV shows like Days of Our Lives.

Johnny is a lawyer who now runs the family business, but Jody branched out furthest: He was a WWE wrestler named Jody Reese. Later he’d go by Garrett Dylan.

In November 1990, Lisa and Kris welcomed a daughter named Kelly, and finally in 1994, brought home a son named Blake. Kelly acts and sings, while Blake lives a more private life. Like brother Johnny and their mom, he studied at Pepperdine University.

Over the last 20 years, Meyers would help Kristofferson lead a remarkable health journey that included a misdiagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease. Years after he began treatment, doctors would find he actually had Lyme disease.

The singer and songwriter’s memory would continue to come and go, and as he aged, Lisa was nearly always at his side for public appearances and interviews.

Who Else Did Kris Kristofferson Date?

One of the reasons that people thought Streisand and Kristofferson hooked up in 1976 was that they did date previously. He told David Letterman that they were a couple in 1970 and fought all through filming A Star Is Born.

Around that time, he also dated Janis Joplin. She was battling a heroin addiction and he was drinking heavily, so it’s difficult to imagine a healthy relationship, but when he first heard her posthumous release of his song “Me and Bobby McGee,” he became very emotional.

Jane Fonda is another actor Kristofferson is thought to have dated, but in some ways, he was always being romantically attached to his cinematic love interests.