John Prine

Genres:	Comedy • Country & Bluegrass • Folk • Holiday & Seasonal • Music Videos & Concerts • Pop / Rock
Descriptive "tags":	folk • singer-songwriter • country • americana • alt-country
Decades Active:	1970s • 1980s • 1990s • 2000s

Biography

10 October 1946, Maywood, Illinois, USA. His grandfather had played with Merle Travis, and Prine himself started playing guitar at the age of 14. He then spent time in college, worked as a postman for five years, and spent two years in the army. He began his musical career around 1970, singing in clubs in the Chicago area. Prine signed to Atlantic Records in 1971, releasing the powerful John Prine. The album contained the excellent Vietnam veteran song ‘Sam Stone’, featuring the wonderfully evocative line: ‘There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes, and Jesus Christ died for nothing I suppose’. Over the years Prine achieved cult status, his songs being increasingly covered by other artists such as Bonnie Raitt and John Denver. ‘Angel From Montgomery’, ‘Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness’, and ‘Paradise’ are three of his most popular songs, and he co-wrote the hit ‘I Just Want To Dance With...

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