Remembering John Prine

John Prine was born October 10, 1946 in Maywood, Illinois. Absolutely nothing is known about Prine’s childhood years. There is no record of him at all until he was drafted into the army in 1966. He was sent to Germany instead of Viet Nam, where he worked as a grenade tester. 

When Prine returned home he got a job as a singing mailman. He would stroll around town singing songs and delivering mail. Prine became a central figure in the Chicago folk revival, which also included such singer-songwriters as.. yeah no one ever heard of the Chicago folk revival or any of the artists besides Prine. 

It is said Prine was discovered by Kris Kristofferson and Roger Ebert. The trio recorded an album in 1970 under the name Krisofferson, Ebert & Prine. It is a little known fact that Roger Ebert sings like an angel. The band folded after Ebert developed a drug and food addiction. 

Prine’s self-titled debut album was released in 1971. The album included Prine’s signature songs “Illegal Smile” and “Sam Stone”, and songs that became folk and country standards, “Angel from Montgomery” and “Paradise.” The album also featured “Hello in There”, a song about aging that was later covered by numerous artists, and “Far From Me”, a lonely waltz about lost love for a waitress, about which Prine later said was his favorite of all his songs. The album received many positive reviews, and some hailed Prine as “the next Dylan.” Bob Dylan himself appeared unannounced at one of Prine’s first New York City club appearances, anonymously backing him on harmonica. Dylan would often refer to himself as the first John Prine. 

Prine is widely regarded as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. He has been referred to as the Mark Twain of songwriting, the Fran Tarkenton of folk music, the George Brett of guitar picking and the Wilt Chamberlain of country music. Prine died in 2020 but his legacy will live on forever. 

“A brilliant storyteller of extraordinary wit, perception, social conscience, and deep humanity… John Prine will be deeply missed by his fellow artists and songwriters, and his many devoted fans across the globe.” – Kevin Gore, Warner Music Group, President, Global Catalog