John Prine, the legendary troubadour who writes powerful songs about common, everyday people, has often been compared to Mark Twain.
“It’s the combination of being that tender, wise and astute, mixed with his homespun sense of humor,” longtime friend Bonnie Raitt has said.
Like Twain, Prine is good at delivering a message in such a way that puts even the weightiest statements across with remarkable ease. As a result, his catalog of songs feels like treasured anecdotes shared between trusted friends.
This month, you have the chance to see Prine as he gives a rare central Pennsylvania performance at the Hershey Theatre.
Now 70 years old and a two-time cancer survivor, Prine can look back at a career that has spanned nearly five decades.
Considered to be one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, Prine has won plenty of awards, including a Grammy in 1991 for his album “The Missing Years” and another in 2004 for “Beautiful Dreamer.” In 2003, Prine was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting by the UK’s BBC Radio 2 and was also inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has recorded with some of the biggest names in music, including Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, the Everly Brothers, John Denver, Kris Kristofferson, Carly Simon, Ben Harper and Joan Baez.
Prine and his three brothers grew up in the Chicago suburb of Maywood, Ill., but he always felt rooted to the town of Paradise, Ky., where his parents were raised and he spent summers as a boy.
The town, which later disappeared when the Green River was dammed to allow boats to reach the mines owned by the Peabody Coal Co., became the subject of his popular song “Paradise.” The poignant lyrics of the song’s chorus are:
“Daddy won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County,
along the Green River where Paradise lays.
I’m sorry my son but you’re too late in asking.
Mr. Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away.”
Prine served in the Army during the Vietnam War and was a mailman for five years before beginning his musical career in Chicago. Delivering mail gave him the time to hone his craft and, on rainy days, he has said that he would often crawl inside a postal relay box to eat a ham sandwich and work on a song. In the late 1960s, he began to sing at open mic evenings at the Fifth Peg on Armitage Avenue, where he was eventually offered a steady gig. By chance, the great film critic Roger Ebert, who worked for the Chicago-Sun-Times, saw Prine’s show and wrote in a review that he was a “great songwriter.”
Prine had become a central figure in the Chicago folk revival by the time he got his first big break. His friend, singer-songwriter Steve Goodman, had brought Kris Kristofferson to a club where Prine was playing. Liking what he saw, Kristofferson invited Prine to play with him in New York City. Soon after, Prine was offered a contract with Atlantic Records, recording his debut album. As fans of John Prine know, this album was jam-packed with some of his best songs, including “Sam Stone,” “Paradise,” “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore,” and, perhaps most famously, “Angel from Montgomery.”
The album was an instant success. Prine has gone on to record 22 additional albums and has written numerous songs that have been covered by artists such as Bonnie Raitt, The Highwaymen, My Morning Jacket, The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lambchop and Sara Watkins.
Today, Prine lives in Nashville with his wife Fiona and their three sons. Once asked if writing so many classics early in his career had put pressure on him, Prine responded that it had, but now he’s just glad that his old songs feel as fresh as they do. As his fans agree, John Prine songs have no expiration date. His lyrical storylines about people of humble means, basic desires and imperfect qualities will continue to be relevant for years to come.
John Prine performs March 31 at 8 p.m. at the Hershey Theatre, 15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey. Ticket prices are $62.35 to $102.35. For tickets and information call 1-800-840-9227 or visit www.hersheyentertainment.com/hershey-theatre.
Author: Jess Hayden
