John Prine
Encyclopedia
John Prine is an American
country
/folk
singer-songwriter
. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.
during the Vietnam War
era, serving in Germany, before beginning his musical career in Chicago
.
In the late 1960s, while Prine was delivering mail in Maywood, Illinois
, he began to sing at open mike
evenings at the Fifth Peg on Armitage Avenue. Prine was initially a spectator, reluctant to perform, but eventually did so in response to a "You think you can do better?" comment made to him by another performer. Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert
heard him there and wrote the first review Prine ever received, calling him a great songwriter. He became a central figure in the Chicago Folk Revival
, which also included such singer-songwriters as Steve Goodman
, Bonnie Koloc
, Jim Post
and Fred Holstein
. Joined by such established musicians as Jethro Burns and Bob Gibson
, Prine performed frequently at such clubs as the Earl of Old Town, the Quiet Knight, Somebody Else's Troubles, The 5th Peg, and the Bulls.
John Prine is currently living in Nashville with his third wife, Fiona Whelan. They have three children, stepson Jody Whelan, Tommy and Jack. Prine has a second residence in Pinellas County, Florida.
was released. He and friend Steve Goodman had each been active in the Chicago
folk scene before being "discovered" by Kris Kristofferson
(Kristofferson remarked that Prine wrote songs so good that "we'll have to break his thumbs"). The album included his signature songs "Illegal Smile," "Sam Stone
," and the folk and country standards "Angel from Montgomery
" and "Paradise
." The album also included "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 that 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.
Prine's second album, Diamonds In The Rough, was a surprise for many after the critical success of his first LP; it was an uncommercial, stripped-down affair that reflected Prine's fondness for bluegrass music and features songs reminiscent of Hank Williams's work as Luke The Drifter. Highlights include the allegorical "The Great Compromise
," which features a recitation and addresses the Vietnam War
, and the touching ballad "Souvenirs," which Prine later recorded with Goodman.
Later albums include Sweet Revenge
(1973), containing such fan favorites as "Dear Abby," "Grandpa Was A Carpenter," and "Christmas In Prison", and Common Sense
(1975), with "Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard". The latter album was Prine's first to be charted in the US Top 100 by Billboard
, reflecting growing commercial success. It was produced by Steve Cropper. Many veteran Prine fans view the release of 1978's Bruised Orange
as a creative highpoint. The Steve Goodman-produced album gave listeners songs such as "The Hobo Song," "Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone," and the title track showing that he could capture the human condition as easily as writing politically inspired anthems.
In 1974, singer David Allan Coe
achieved considerable success on the country charts with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name
", co-written by Prine and Goodman. The song good-naturedly spoofed stereotypical country music lyrics. Prine refused to take a songwriter's credit and the tune went to Goodman, although Goodman bought Prine a jukebox as a gift from his publishing royalties.
The 1979 album Pink Cadillac features two songs produced by legendary Sun Records
founder Sam Phillips
, who by this time rarely did any studio work. The first song, "Saigon," is about a Vietnam vet traumatized by the war ("The static in my attic's gettin' ready to blow"). During the recording, one of the guitar amps blew up (which is evident on the album track). The other song Phillips produced is "How Lucky," about Prine's hometown. "Chinatown," the first song on the record, contains what is Prine's most controversial lyrics, including a reference to "a slant-eyed chicky" and the line "I got a sugar rush that'd make a nigger blush." The song initially appears completely at odds with the liberal-minded songwriter's previous work and baffled many fans and critics. It should be noted, however, that other songwriters of the era, such as Randy Newman
and John Lennon
, also wrote songs using strong, potentially offensive language, and Prine may have been assuming a character in a song whose lyrics did not reflect his own beliefs.
Prine continued writing and recording albums throughout the 1980s and formed his own record label, Oh Boy Records. His songs continued to be covered by other artists; the country supergroup The Highwaymen recorded "The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over," which had been written by Prine and Goodman. Steve Goodman died of leukemia in 1984 and Prine continues to perform many of Goodman's songs in concert to this day, such as "My Old Man."
In 1991, Prine released the Grammy Award
-winning The Missing Years, his first collaboration with producer and Heartbreakers
bassist Howie Epstein
. The title song records Prine's humorous take on what Jesus
did in the unrecorded years between his childhood and ministry
. In 1995, Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings
was released, another collaboration with Epstein. Prine followed in 1999 with In Spite of Ourselves
, which was unusual for him in that it contained only one original song—the rest were covers of classic country songs—and all were duets with well-known female country vocalists, including Lucinda Williams
, Emmylou Harris
, Dolores Keane
, and Iris DeMent
(whom Prine appeared with on the Letterman Show & referred to as his "favorite girl singers".)
In 2001 John co-starred in the Billy Bob Thornton movie Daddy & Them (Alvin Montgomery), and "In Spite of Ourselves" can be heard as the end credits roll .
on the right side of his neck. He had surgery to remove the diseased tissue and was left with a substantial loss of tissue. This was followed by six weeks of radiation therapy. Some of Prine's listeners believe that the surgery has added "gravel" to his voice.
's BBC Radio 2
and that same year was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
. The following year saw his song "Sam Stone" covered by Laura Cantrell
for the Future Soundtrack for America
compilation.
Prine has taken his place as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. In 2009, Bob Dylan
told the Huffington Post that Prine was one of his favourite writers, stating "Prine's stuff is pure Proustian
existentialism
. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. I remember when Kris Kristofferson
first brought him on the scene. All that stuff about "Sam Stone," the soldier junkie daddy, and "Donald and Lydia," where people make love from ten miles away. Nobody but Prine could write like that." In Johnny Cash
's autobiography Cash, he admitted "I don't listen to music much at the farm, unless I'm going into songwriting mode and looking for inspiration. Then I'll put on something by the writers I've admired and used for years (Rodney Crowell
, John Prine, Guy Clark
, and the late Steve Goodman
are my Big Four)..." When asked by Word Magazine in 2008 if he heard Pink Floyd
's influence in newer British bands like Radiohead
, Roger Waters
replied "I don't really listen to Radiohead. I listened to the albums and they just didn't move me in the way, say, John Prine does. His is just extra-ordinarily eloquent music—and he lives on that plane with Neil Young
and Lennon." Prine received the Artist of the Year award at the Americana Music Awards on September 9, 2005. The award was accepted in his name by awards host and long-time friend Billy Bob Thornton
.
's "Old Kentucky Home" in 2004 for the compilation album Beautiful Dreamer
, which won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in 2005.
In 2005, Prine released his first all-new offering since Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings, the album Fair & Square
, which tended toward a more laid-back, acoustic approach than, for example, Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings. The album contains songs such as "Safety Joe," about a man who has never taken any risks in his life, and also "Some Humans Ain't Human," Prine's protest piece on the album, which talks about the ugly side of human nature
and includes a quick shot at President George W. Bush
. Fair & Square won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. The album contains original songs plus two covers: A.P. Carter's "Bear Creek Blues" and Blaze Foley
's "Clay Pigeons."
2010 kicked off with a flurry of Prine activity, as he stopped by The Marty Stuart Show on RFD-TV in January to perform three of his most popular recordings: "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness," "Souvenirs," & "Paradise." Later in May Prine appeared on Late Show With David Letterman, performing "All The Best" with Jim James of the band My Morning Jacket.
On July 3, 2010, Prine appeared at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, broadcast on American Public Media
's A Prairie Home Companion
, playing several of his songs.
On September 30, 2011, Prine played a thirteen song set on the main Banjo Stage at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
festival in San Francisco, California.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
/folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
. He has been active as a recording artist and live performer since the early 1970s.
Biography
Prine is the son of William Prine and Verna Hamm. Prine started playing guitar at age 14, taught by his brother, David. Prine attended Proviso East High School, and was a member on the school's gymnastic team. He was a postman for five years and served in the ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
era, serving in Germany, before beginning his musical career in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
In the late 1960s, while Prine was delivering mail in Maywood, Illinois
Maywood, Illinois
Maywood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It was founded on April 6, 1869 and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 26,987 at the 2000 census.-Overview:...
, he began to sing at open mike
Open mike
An open mike or open mic is a live show where audience members may perform at the microphone. Usually, the performers sign up in advance for a time slot with the host or master of ceremonies. These events can be focused on poetry and the spoken word, music, comedy, and the open format of open...
evenings at the Fifth Peg on Armitage Avenue. Prine was initially a spectator, reluctant to perform, but eventually did so in response to a "You think you can do better?" comment made to him by another performer. Chicago Sun-Times movie critic Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
heard him there and wrote the first review Prine ever received, calling him a great songwriter. He became a central figure in the Chicago Folk Revival
American folk music revival
The American folk music revival was a phenomenon in the United States that began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, and performers like Josh White, Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Richard Dyer-Bennett, Oscar Brand, Jean Ritchie, John Jacob...
, which also included such singer-songwriters as Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
, Bonnie Koloc
Bonnie Koloc
Bonnie Koloc is an American folk music singer-songwriter, actress, and artist who was considered one of the three main Illinois-based folk singers in the 1970s, along with Steve Goodman and John Prine forming the "trinity of the Chicago folk scene."...
, Jim Post
Jim Post
Jim Post is an American folk singer-songwriter, composer, playwright and actor. In 1968 his pop song "Reach out of the Darkness" charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for 14 weeks, peaking at number 10.-History:...
and Fred Holstein
Fred Holstein
Fred Holstein was a folk music singer in Chicago, IL. Holstein was a prominent figure in the Chicago folk music scene in the 1970s. He owned a sequence of clubs in the Old Town and Lincoln Park neighborhoods...
. Joined by such established musicians as Jethro Burns and Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson (musician)
Samuel Robert Gibson was a folk singer who led a folk music revival in the late 1950s and early 1960s. He was known for playing both the banjo and the 12-string guitar. He introduced a then largely unknown Joan Baez at the Newport Folk Festival of 1959. He produced a number of LPs in the decade...
, Prine performed frequently at such clubs as the Earl of Old Town, the Quiet Knight, Somebody Else's Troubles, The 5th Peg, and the Bulls.
John Prine is currently living in Nashville with his third wife, Fiona Whelan. They have three children, stepson Jody Whelan, Tommy and Jack. Prine has a second residence in Pinellas County, Florida.
Recordings
In 1971 Prine's self-titled debut albumJohn Prine (album)
John Prine was the first album by American country/folk singer-songwriter John Prine, issued by Atlantic Records in 1971. In 2003, the album was ranked number 458 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.-Reception:...
was released. He and friend Steve Goodman had each been active in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
folk scene before being "discovered" by Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
(Kristofferson remarked that Prine wrote songs so good that "we'll have to break his thumbs"). The album included his signature songs "Illegal Smile," "Sam Stone
Sam Stone (song)
"Sam Stone" is a song written by John Prine about a drug-addicted veteran with a Purple Heart and his death by overdose.The most familiar refrain in the song is "There's a hole in daddy's arm, where all the money goes"...
," and the folk and country standards "Angel from Montgomery
Angel from Montgomery
"Angel from Montgomery" is a country song written by John Prine, originally appearing on his self-titled 1971 album John Prine.-Background:...
" and "Paradise
Paradise (John Prine song)
"Paradise" is a song written by John Prine for his father, and recorded for his 1971 debut album, John Prine. Prine also re-recorded the song for his 1986 album, German Afternoons. The song is about the impact of coal mining both while in activity and what happens to the area around the Green River...
." The album also included "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 that 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
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
himself appeared unannounced at one of Prine's first New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
club appearances, anonymously backing him on harmonica.
Prine's second album, Diamonds In The Rough, was a surprise for many after the critical success of his first LP; it was an uncommercial, stripped-down affair that reflected Prine's fondness for bluegrass music and features songs reminiscent of Hank Williams's work as Luke The Drifter. Highlights include the allegorical "The Great Compromise
The Great Compromise (song)
The Great Compromise is a song written and performed by John Prine. The song was included on Prine's album Diamonds in the Rough which was released by Atlantic Records in 1972. It is an anti-war song and a protest song. Its theme is the disillusionment of the country during the Vietnam War era...
," which features a recitation and addresses the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, and the touching ballad "Souvenirs," which Prine later recorded with Goodman.
Later albums include Sweet Revenge
Sweet Revenge (John Prine album)
Sweet Revenge is the third album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1973.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic Jim Smith wrote of the album "Sympathy takes a back seat to cynicism here, and while that strips the record of some depth, Prine's irreverence is consistently...
(1973), containing such fan favorites as "Dear Abby," "Grandpa Was A Carpenter," and "Christmas In Prison", and Common Sense
Common Sense (John Prine album)
Common Sense is the fourth album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1975.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic Jim Smith wrote of the album "Unfortunately, the cloying production overpowers the lyrics and relegates them to an almost cursory notion, and it doesn't help...
(1975), with "Come Back to Us Barbara Lewis Hare Krishna Beauregard". The latter album was Prine's first to be charted in the US Top 100 by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, reflecting growing commercial success. It was produced by Steve Cropper. Many veteran Prine fans view the release of 1978's Bruised Orange
Bruised Orange
Bruised Orange is the fifth album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1978.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album "Despite some brilliant songs, Prine's followup albums to his stunning debut were uneven until this.....
as a creative highpoint. The Steve Goodman-produced album gave listeners songs such as "The Hobo Song," "Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone," and the title track showing that he could capture the human condition as easily as writing politically inspired anthems.
In 1974, singer David Allan Coe
David Allan Coe
David Allan Coe is an American outlaw country music singer who achieved popularity in the 1970s and 1980s. He has written and performed over 280 original songs throughout his career...
achieved considerable success on the country charts with "You Never Even Called Me By My Name
You Never Even Called Me by My Name
"You Never Even Called Me by My Name" is the title of a song written by Steve Goodman and John Prine, produced by Ron Bledsoe, and recorded by country music singer David Allan Coe. It was the third single release of his career, included on his album Once Upon a Rhyme...
", co-written by Prine and Goodman. The song good-naturedly spoofed stereotypical country music lyrics. Prine refused to take a songwriter's credit and the tune went to Goodman, although Goodman bought Prine a jukebox as a gift from his publishing royalties.
The 1979 album Pink Cadillac features two songs produced by legendary Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
founder Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
, who by this time rarely did any studio work. The first song, "Saigon," is about a Vietnam vet traumatized by the war ("The static in my attic's gettin' ready to blow"). During the recording, one of the guitar amps blew up (which is evident on the album track). The other song Phillips produced is "How Lucky," about Prine's hometown. "Chinatown," the first song on the record, contains what is Prine's most controversial lyrics, including a reference to "a slant-eyed chicky" and the line "I got a sugar rush that'd make a nigger blush." The song initially appears completely at odds with the liberal-minded songwriter's previous work and baffled many fans and critics. It should be noted, however, that other songwriters of the era, such as Randy Newman
Randy Newman
Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....
and John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, also wrote songs using strong, potentially offensive language, and Prine may have been assuming a character in a song whose lyrics did not reflect his own beliefs.
Prine continued writing and recording albums throughout the 1980s and formed his own record label, Oh Boy Records. His songs continued to be covered by other artists; the country supergroup The Highwaymen recorded "The Twentieth Century Is Almost Over," which had been written by Prine and Goodman. Steve Goodman died of leukemia in 1984 and Prine continues to perform many of Goodman's songs in concert to this day, such as "My Old Man."
In 1991, Prine released the Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning The Missing Years, his first collaboration with producer and Heartbreakers
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers are an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. They were formed in 1976 by Tom Petty , Mike Campbell , Benmont Tench , , Ron Blair and Stan Lynch...
bassist Howie Epstein
Howie Epstein
Howard Norman Epstein , was a musician best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.-Early life:...
. The title song records Prine's humorous take on what Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
did in the unrecorded years between his childhood and ministry
Ministry of Jesus
In the Christian gospels, the Ministry of Jesus begins with his Baptism in the countryside of Judea, near the River Jordan and ends in Jerusalem, following the Last Supper with his disciples. The Gospel of Luke states that Jesus was "about 30 years of age" at the start of his ministry...
. In 1995, Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings
Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings
Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings is an album by American folk singer John Prine, released in 1995.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album "Fans of the early Prine may find that sound over-produced, but the songs never get lost, and with Prine's typically humorous,...
was released, another collaboration with Epstein. Prine followed in 1999 with In Spite of Ourselves
In Spite of Ourselves
In Spite of Ourselves is an album of duets between John Prine and various well-known female folk and alt-country vocalists, released in 1999.The album was Prine’s first release since successfully battling throat cancer...
, which was unusual for him in that it contained only one original song—the rest were covers of classic country songs—and all were duets with well-known female country vocalists, including Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams
Lucinda Williams is an American rock, folk, blues and country music singer and songwriter. She recorded her first albums in 1978 and 1980 in a traditional country and blues style and received very little attention from radio, the media, or the public. In 1988, she released her self-titled album,...
, Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris
Emmylou Harris is an American singer-songwriter and musician. In addition to her work as a solo artist and bandleader, both as an interpreter of other composers' works and as a singer-songwriter, she is a sought-after backing vocalist and duet partner, working with numerous other artists including...
, Dolores Keane
Dolores Keane
Dolores Keane is an Irish folk singer and occasional actress. She was a founding member of the successful group De Dannan, and has since embarked on a very successful solo career, establishing herself as one of the most loved interpreters of Irish song.-Background:Keane was born in a small village...
, and Iris DeMent
Iris DeMent
Iris DeMent is an American singer and songwriter. DeMent's musical style encompasses the genres country and folk music.-Early life:...
(whom Prine appeared with on the Letterman Show & referred to as his "favorite girl singers".)
In 2001 John co-starred in the Billy Bob Thornton movie Daddy & Them (Alvin Montgomery), and "In Spite of Ourselves" can be heard as the end credits roll .
Cancer
In early 1998, Prine was diagnosed with squamous cell cancerSquamous cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma , occasionally rendered as "squamous-cell carcinoma", is a histologically distinct form of cancer. It arises from the uncontrolled multiplication of malignant cells deriving from epithelium, or showing particular cytological or tissue architectural characteristics of...
on the right side of his neck. He had surgery to remove the diseased tissue and was left with a substantial loss of tissue. This was followed by six weeks of radiation therapy. Some of Prine's listeners believe that the surgery has added "gravel" to his voice.
Awards and influence
In 2003, he was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting by the UKUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
and that same year was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established by the Nashville Songwriters Foundation, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. A non-profit organization, its objective is to honor and preserve the songwriting legacy that is uniquely associated with music community in the city of...
. The following year saw his song "Sam Stone" covered by Laura Cantrell
Laura Cantrell
Laura Cantrell is a country singer-songwriter and DJ from Nashville, Tennessee. She used to present a weekly country and old-time music radio show on WFMU in New Jersey called The Radio Thrift Shop...
for the Future Soundtrack for America
Future Soundtrack for America
-External links:**, the companion book from McSweeney's...
compilation.
Prine has taken his place as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation. In 2009, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
told the Huffington Post that Prine was one of his favourite writers, stating "Prine's stuff is pure Proustian
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust was a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu...
existentialism
Existentialism
Existentialism is a term applied to a school of 19th- and 20th-century philosophers who, despite profound doctrinal differences, shared the belief that philosophical thinking begins with the human subject—not merely the thinking subject, but the acting, feeling, living human individual...
. Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs. I remember when Kris Kristofferson
Kris Kristofferson
Kristoffer "Kris" Kristofferson is an American musician, actor, and writer. He is known for hits such as "Me and Bobby McGee", "For the Good Times", "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down", and "Help Me Make It Through the Night"...
first brought him on the scene. All that stuff about "Sam Stone," the soldier junkie daddy, and "Donald and Lydia," where people make love from ten miles away. Nobody but Prine could write like that." In Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
's autobiography Cash, he admitted "I don't listen to music much at the farm, unless I'm going into songwriting mode and looking for inspiration. Then I'll put on something by the writers I've admired and used for years (Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell
Rodney Crowell is a Grammy Award-winning musician, known primarily for his work as a singer and songwriter in country music....
, John Prine, Guy Clark
Guy Clark
Guy Clark is an American Texas Country artist. In his career, he has released more than twenty albums, primarily on major labels. He has also written singles for other artists, including Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner and Rodney Crowell....
, and the late Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman
Steve Goodman was an American folk music singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. The writer of "City of New Orleans", made popular by Arlo Guthrie, Goodman won two Grammy Awards.-Personal life:...
are my Big Four)..." When asked by Word Magazine in 2008 if he heard Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's influence in newer British bands like Radiohead
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their debut single "Creep" in 1992...
, Roger Waters
Roger Waters
George Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
replied "I don't really listen to Radiohead. I listened to the albums and they just didn't move me in the way, say, John Prine does. His is just extra-ordinarily eloquent music—and he lives on that plane with Neil Young
Neil Young
Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
and Lennon." Prine received the Artist of the Year award at the Americana Music Awards on September 9, 2005. The award was accepted in his name by awards host and long-time friend Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground and Tombstone...
.
Recent years
Prine recorded a version of Stephen FosterStephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
's "Old Kentucky Home" in 2004 for the compilation album Beautiful Dreamer
Beautiful Dreamer (album)
Beautiful Dreamer is a compilation album comprising 18 songs originally penned by Stephen Foster. Released in 2004 by American Roots Publishing/Emergent Music Marketing , the collection features many contemporary country music artists placing modern interpretations on Stephen Foster's music...
, which won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album in 2005.
In 2005, Prine released his first all-new offering since Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings, the album Fair & Square
Fair & Square
Fair & Square is an album by American folk singer-songwriter John Prine, released on Oh Boy Records in 2005. Three versions were released: a standard CD, an Extended Play CD with four bonus tracks, and a vinyl version with the same four bonus tracks....
, which tended toward a more laid-back, acoustic approach than, for example, Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings. The album contains songs such as "Safety Joe," about a man who has never taken any risks in his life, and also "Some Humans Ain't Human," Prine's protest piece on the album, which talks about the ugly side of human nature
Human nature
Human nature refers to the distinguishing characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that humans tend to have naturally....
and includes a quick shot at President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. Fair & Square won the 2006 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. The album contains original songs plus two covers: A.P. Carter's "Bear Creek Blues" and Blaze Foley
Blaze Foley
Michael David Fuller , better known under the stage name Blaze Foley, was an American singer-songwriter.-Biography:...
's "Clay Pigeons."
2010 kicked off with a flurry of Prine activity, as he stopped by The Marty Stuart Show on RFD-TV in January to perform three of his most popular recordings: "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness," "Souvenirs," & "Paradise." Later in May Prine appeared on Late Show With David Letterman, performing "All The Best" with Jim James of the band My Morning Jacket.
On July 3, 2010, Prine appeared at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, broadcast on American Public Media
American Public Media
American Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
's A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
, playing several of his songs.
On September 30, 2011, Prine played a thirteen song set on the main Banjo Stage at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, or HSB for short is an annual free music festival held the first weekend of October in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. From its outset, the festival has been subsidized by San Francisco venture capitalist Warren Hellman. The first festival was held in 2001, originally...
festival in San Francisco, California.
Albums
| Year | Album | Peak chart positions | Label | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US Country | US Indie Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
US Rock | US Folk Folk Albums Folk Albums is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks the top selling "current releases by traditional folk artists, as well as appropriate titles by acoustic-based singer-songwriters" in the United States. The chart debuted on the issue dated December 5, 2009... |
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| 1971 | John Prine John Prine (album) John Prine was the first album by American country/folk singer-songwriter John Prine, issued by Atlantic Records in 1971. In 2003, the album was ranked number 458 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.-Reception:... |
154 | Atlantic Atlantic Records Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz... |
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| 1972 | Diamonds in the Rough Diamonds in the Rough (album) Diamonds in the Rough is the second studio album by American country/folk singer-songwriter John Prine, released in 1972.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album "John Prine's second album was a cut below his first, only because the debut was a classic and the... |
148 | |||||
| 1973 | Sweet Revenge Sweet Revenge (John Prine album) Sweet Revenge is the third album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1973.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic Jim Smith wrote of the album "Sympathy takes a back seat to cynicism here, and while that strips the record of some depth, Prine's irreverence is consistently... |
135 | |||||
| 1975 | Common Sense Common Sense (John Prine album) Common Sense is the fourth album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1975.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic Jim Smith wrote of the album "Unfortunately, the cloying production overpowers the lyrics and relegates them to an almost cursory notion, and it doesn't help... |
66 | |||||
| 1976 | Prime Prine: The Best of John Prine Prime Prine: The Best of John Prine Prime Prine is a compilation album by American folk singer John Prine, released in 1976.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album "Atlantic Records' compilation of John Prine's first four albums was good for its time..., but was later superseded by Rhino's Great... |
196 | |||||
| 1978 | Bruised Orange Bruised Orange Bruised Orange is the fifth album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1978.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album "Despite some brilliant songs, Prine's followup albums to his stunning debut were uneven until this..... |
116 | Asylum Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label founded in 1971 by David Geffen, and partner Elliot Roberts, who had previously worked as agents at the William Morris Agency. Founded specifically to provide a record contract for Jackson Browne, the label signed Tom Waits, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell... |
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| 1979 | Pink Cadillac Pink Cadillac (album) Pink Cadillac is the sixth album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1979. It was produced by Knox Phillips and Jerry Phillips; they are the sons of Sam Phillips, who produced two of the album's tracks .... |
152 | |||||
| 1980 | Storm Windows Storm Windows Storm Windows is the seventh album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1980. It was his last release on a major label — he would next join Al Bunetta and Dan Einstein to form Oh Boy Records on which all his subsequent recordings were released.-Reception:Writing for... |
144 | |||||
| 1984 | Aimless Love Aimless Love Aimless Love is the eighth album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1984. It is his first release on his independent record label, Oh Boy Records... |
Oh Boy Oh Boy Records Oh Boy Records is an independent American record label founded in 1984 by singer John Prine, his manager Al Bunetta and their friend Dan Einstein. The label has released more than 40 audio and video recordings by singer-songwriters Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Slick Ballinger, Shawn Camp, Dan Reeder... |
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| 1986 | German Afternoons German Afternoons German Afternoons is the ninth album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1986. It features the progressive bluegrass band, New Grass Revival.-Reception:... |
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| 1988 | John Prine Live John Prine Live John Prine Live is a live album by American folk singer and songwriter John Prine, released in 1988. It was originally released as a double-LP.-Reception:... |
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| 1991 | The Missing Years | ||||||
| 1993 | Great Days: The John Prine Anthology Great Days: The John Prine Anthology Great Days: The John Prine Anthology is a compilation album by American folk singer John Prine, released in 1993.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic Steven Thomas Erlewine called the album an excellent summary of Prine's work and wrote "..... |
Rhino | |||||
| A John Prine Christmas A John Prine Christmas A John Prine Christmas is a Christmas album by American folk singer John Prine, released in 1994."If You Were the Woman and I Was the Man" is a duet with Margo Timmins, lead singer of the Cowboy Junkies.-Reception:... |
Oh Boy Oh Boy Records Oh Boy Records is an independent American record label founded in 1984 by singer John Prine, his manager Al Bunetta and their friend Dan Einstein. The label has released more than 40 audio and video recordings by singer-songwriters Prine, Kris Kristofferson, Slick Ballinger, Shawn Camp, Dan Reeder... |
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| 1995 | Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings is an album by American folk singer John Prine, released in 1995.-Reception:Writing for Allmusic, critic William Ruhlman wrote of the album "Fans of the early Prine may find that sound over-produced, but the songs never get lost, and with Prine's typically humorous,... |
159 | |||||
| 1997 | Live on Tour | ||||||
| 1999 | In Spite of Ourselves In Spite of Ourselves In Spite of Ourselves is an album of duets between John Prine and various well-known female folk and alt-country vocalists, released in 1999.The album was Prine’s first release since successfully battling throat cancer... |
197 | 21 | ||||
| 2000 | Souvenirs Souvenirs (John Prine album) Souvenirs is an album by John Prine released in 2000. Originally intended for German-only release, the album consists of new performances of some of Prine's most popular early songs.-Reception:... |
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| 2005 | Fair & Square Fair & Square Fair & Square is an album by American folk singer-songwriter John Prine, released on Oh Boy Records in 2005. Three versions were released: a standard CD, an Extended Play CD with four bonus tracks, and a vinyl version with the same four bonus tracks.... |
55 | 2 | ||||
| 2007 | Standard Songs For Average People Standard Songs for Average People Standard Songs for Average People is an album by John Prine and Mac Wiseman, released in 2007 . Wiseman was 82 years old at the time of the recording and Prine was 60.-Reception:... (with Mac Wiseman Mac Wiseman Malcolm B. Wiseman , better known as Mac Wiseman, is an American bluegrass singer, nicknamed The Voice with a Heart. The bearded singer is one of the cult figures of bluegrass.... ) |
37 | |||||
| 2010 | In Person & On Stage | 85 | 27 | 1 | |||
| 2011 | Singing Mailman Deilvers | 94 | 20 | 22 | 4 | ||
Guest singles
| Year | Single | Artist | Peak positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Country Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... |
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| 1992 | "Sweet Suzanne" | Buzzin' Cousins | 68 | Falling from Grace soundtrack |