John Prine (October 10, 1946 – April 7, 2020) was an American country and folk singer-songwriter. Prine comes from the Chicago area, in Maywood, IL. He started performing there in the early 1970s.

Prine worked as a mailman for a while, and wrote songs in his head while on his route and in his spare time. He was discovered by Roger Ebert and Kris Kristofferson, and Kristofferson helped him land a deal with Atlantic Records in 1971. In 1984 he co-founded Oh Boy Records.

Prine has suffered several bouts with cancer since 1998, and that changed his voice to a lower register and rougher timbre.

He’s been cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, and he’s known for lyrics about the human condition and social issues. It’s been said that Prine writes funny songs, sad songs, and funny but sad songs. While not completely accurate, it’s a summation that would surely make Prine smile.

John Prine passed away on April 7, 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic in Nashville, Tennessee.