“Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism” – Bob Dylan

It was an announcement that the music world hoped it wouldn’t have to acknowledge, but the sad news came this morning that John Prine, giant of folk and country songwriting, had passed away aged 73 due to Covid-19 complications.

Born on October 10^th 1946 in Illinois, Prine was more of a hobbyist in his earlier years on the Chicago folk circuit before he caught the attention of Kris Kristofferson, who later said of the singer, “My favourite kind of protest songwriter is someone like John Prine – somebody who slips it to you gently.”

His eponymous 1971 debut proved a slow-burning classic, a collection of the protest songs, character studies, and wry social commentary that would typify Prine’s output right up to ‘The Tree of Forgiveness’ in 2018. He was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame the following year, a mark of recognition after six decades and 19 studio albums.

Prine was hospitalised near the end of March, and his wife Fiona posted on social media on April 3^rd that he was on his eighth day on a ventilator with pneumonia in both lungs. For the next few days, everyone prayed silently to whatever power they held in any kind of esteem that Prine would come through the other end. After all, his track record as a fighter preceded him.

Prine battled cancer twice in his career, first in 1998 where he underwent neck surgery that almost threatened to take his voice, and again in 2013 where he had part of his lung removed. We were lucky, here at Goldenplec, to hear that voice in person, its timbre deepened in his later career by the trials it underwent, but no less affecting.

John Prine fought his final battle for 13 days in ICU at Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, Tennessee, before finally succumbing to his illness. His influence and impact will be clear today more so than ever, from the deluge of memories and stories and shared songs that will fill your airwaves and timelines. There’s comfort in that, especially now, but then, Captain Kristofferson knew it all along – “I don’t know where he comes from, but I’ve got a good idea where he’s going. We went away believers, reminded how goddamned good it feels to be turned on by a real Creative Imagination.”