How old is Kris Kristofferson? Health update and Alzheimer’s claim explored in wake of the recent heartwarming performance

Retired country singer and songwriter Kris Kristofferson, 87, joined late legendary country crooner Johnny Cash’s eldest daughter Rosanne on stage in late April on account of iconic country singer Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday concert.

The event that happened at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles was aired on December 17 on CBS Specials, nearly eight months after the heartwarming duet performance between Kris Kristofferson and Rosanne Cash.

The duo sang a rendition of Kris’s 1971 iconic song Lovin’ Her Was Easier (than Anything I’ll Ever Do Again) and was later joined by the audience, who were seemingly awestruck by the surprise on-stage collaboration.

While Kris Kristofferson and Rosanne Cash performed to celebrate Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday, it is noteworthy that Kris himself is 87 years old and is quite unwell, suffering from multiple illnesses.

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Kris Kristofferson was misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s

According to Distractify, Kris Kristofferson was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2006 after he began suffering from undetected various health issues. However, it was eventually discovered that he was actually battling the tick-borne illness, Lyme disease.

He first started to feel sick on the sets of the movie Disappearances (in which he starred) while he was filming in the woods of Vermont in 2006. In the wake of this, he was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, as later revealed by his wife Lisa Meyers to the Lyme Times, "which, looking back, should have been the first indication that a test for Lyme was warranted.”

She also added how it was later suspected that he caught Lyme disease between 14 and 30 years old, as evidenced by his chronic muscle spasms. Lisa further mentioned that Kris was diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea and was prescribed to use a bi-level CPAP machine, however, he refused.

The other illnesses Kristofferson was diagnosed with over the years include joint pains (forcing him to take annual knee shots), arrhythmia (for which he got a pacemaker), and anemia (for which he had to take iron supplements instead).

His body aches also forced him to take acupuncture, heat, massage, spinal cortisone shot, and even a low-dose anti-depressant, as per Survivor Net.

Finally, it was in 2016 that he tested positive for Lyme disease, as revealed by him during a 2016 Rolling Stone interview.

Following the diagnosis, he underwent Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) of the frontal lobe. He was also prescribed antibiotic intramuscular injections, doxycycline, and Alinia.

While Kris Kristofferson appeared in April 2023 to celebrate Willie Nelson’s 90th birthday and later was seen posing for a selfie with fellow music icon Garth Brooks in honor of his birthday in June, as per Radar Online’s September 2023 reports, he was “facing his final days,” as informed by an insider source. Fox News also reported that his Lyme disease is leading to memory loss (dementia).

Not only that, but Distractify reported that the For the Good Times crooner also put his property on the market, including his California home, and was making other arrangements to help his family deal with his fortune after his passing. However, he is currently said to be enjoying life with his wife in Hawaii.