This article is about the musician. For his debut album, see John Prine (album).
John Prine
Prine at MerleFest 2006
Background information
Birth name
John Edward Prine
Born
(1946-10-10)October 10, 1946 Maywood, Illinois, U.S.
Died
April 7, 2020(2020-04-07) (aged 73) Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Genres
Country-folk
progressive country[1]
Americana
Occupation(s)
Singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)
Vocals
guitar
Years active
1969–2020
Labels
Atlantic
Asylum
Oh Boy
Rhino
Spouse(s)
Fiona Prine (m. 1996)
Website
JohnPrine.com
Musical artist
John Edward Prine[2] (/praɪn/; October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine was known for his signature blend of humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, as well as serious songs about melancholy tales from his life. His songs would often have elements of social commentary and satire. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death.
Born and raised in Maywood, Illinois, Prine learned to play the guitar at age 14. He attended classes at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music.[3] After serving in West Germany with the U.S. Army, he returned to Chicago in the late 1960s, where he worked as a mailman, writing and singing songs first as a hobby and then as a club performer. A member of Chicago's folk revival, a laudatory review by critic Roger Ebert built Prine's popularity. Singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson heard Prine at Steve Goodman's insistence, and Kristofferson invited Prine to be his opening act. Prine released his eponymous debut album with Atlantic Records in 1971, which was widely acclaimed.[4] That album has been hailed as one of the best of all singer-songwriter albums.[5]
The acclaim Prine earned from his first LP led to three more albums for Atlantic. His 1975 record Common Sense was his first to chart on the Billboard U.S. Top 100. He then recorded three albums with Asylum Records. In 1981, he co-founded Oh Boy Records, an independent label which released all of his music up until his death. His final album, 2018's The Tree of Forgiveness, debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, his highest ranking on the charts.
Prine struggled with health issues throughout his life, surviving cancer twice. He died in 2020 from complications caused by COVID-19. Earlier the same year, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
^Carr, Patrick (July 22, 1973). "It's So 'Progressive' in Texas". The New York Times. Retrieved July 22, 2023.
^"John Prine Obituary - Nashville, TN".
^"John Prine OTSFM Registration Card". Old Town School of Folk Music. September 17, 1964. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
^"John Prine Shares the Remarkable 'Cinderella Story' of How His Career Got Started". Billboard.
^"#149 John Prine, 'John Prine' (1971)". Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
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beautiful and then decided to name it after her. She sang four duets with JohnPrine on his 1999 album In Spite of Ourselves, including the title track. She...
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keyboards). Influenced by Pavement, JohnPrine, Neil Young, Ween, Tom Petty, Dinosaur Jr., Bruce Springsteen and John Fahey, Vile began his musical career...
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