Meet Kris Kristofferson’s 3rd Wife Lisa Meyers to Whom He Is Married for 36 Years

Kris Kristofferson, the one-time bad boy of country music who wrote such hits as "Help Me Make It Through the Night," is now a devoted family man. Meet Lisa Meyers, the woman who finally captured the singer and actor’s heart.

Kristofferson was unstoppable in the ‘70s, or so he thought. Alcohol, drugs, a string of sexual escapades, the country music legend did it all. “I thought all serious artists were self-destructive,” he told PEOPLE in 1998.

Kristofferson’s life did a 360 after his third marriage to Meyers, an attorney. According to Earn The Necklace, Meyers was reportedly born on September 29, 1956, but not much is known about her early life.

Kristofferson is now a changed man, and one of his regrets is that he didn’t get to be there for his older kids

Kristofferson met Meyers, then a Pepperdine University law student, in 1982. The musician was at his lowest at the time, having lost his agent and manager. He was also struggling in his career, and his second marriage had unraveled.

Kristofferson told PEOPLE the last thing he wanted was a relationship:

“At the time, I was gun-shy about any relationship heavier than a one-night stand. The road had been my escape, going out and pouring it all into performing.”

Nevertheless, Kristofferson was drawn to Meyers at the Malibu gym, where they met. He approached her, and despite their 20-year age gap, the two were married a year later.

According to UPI, the wedding took place in a small private ceremony in the chapel of Pepperdine University. It was Kristofferson’s third and Meyers’ second marriage.

Kristofferson’s manager back then announced that the couple would be delaying their honeymoon while Meyers studied for her bar exam, and the singer worked on a new album.

His marriage to Meyers was Kristofferson’s saving grace. “As my family started getting bigger, it finally beat its way into my consciousness: ‘Wake up, man. This is what really matters,’” he shared.

Meyers and the “Heaven’s Gate” star soon welcomed their five children – Jesse (born 1983), Jody (born 1985), Johnny (born 1988), Kelly Marie (born 1990), and Blake (born 1994).

Per Earn The Necklace, Kristofferson, and Meyers also adopted three children from El Salvador, although the kids’ identities have reportedly not been made public.

Before Meyers, Kristofferson was married to his high school sweetheart Fran Beer for eight years. The two share daughter Tracy (born 1962) and son Kris (born 1968). His second marriage was to Rita Coolidge, with whom he shares daughter Casey (born 1974).

Kristofferson is now a changed man, and one of his regrets is that he didn’t get to be there for his older kids as he was for his children with Meyers. The singer even relocated his family to Hawaii, where he farms on their massive property.

Meyers, meanwhile, has stood by Kristofferson for 36 years and counting. The attorney was his support from 2004 to 2015 when the Oscar nominee battled Lyme disease.