Kristofferson’s life story is so improbable that it seems almost impossible: He was both a Rhodes scholar and Golden Gloves boxer who quit a promising career in the military to become in janitor in Nashville, where he hoped to get a shot at making music.

He would become known as a master songwriter and one of the founding figures of the “outlaw country” movement ― and if that weren’t enough, he was a magnetic performer on the big screen, winning a Golden Globe for his role in the 1976 version of “A Star Is Born.”

Kristofferson’s friends, fans, costars and fellow musicians sent their condolences, shared their memories and posted clips of their favorite moments: