John Prine

Exceptionally talented singer/songwriter John Prine enjoyed a 40 plus year career that encompassed such diverse music genres as folk, rock, country, and rockabilly. With his wry sense of humor, sharp, incisive songwriting, and endearingly offbeat perspective, John distinguished himself as a true original with a well-deserved loyal cult following. Prine was born on October 10, 1946 in Maywood, Illinois, the son of Verna Valentine (Hamm) and William Mason Prine, a tool-and-die maker. He was taught by his brother how to play guitar at age fourteen. John worked as a postman for five years and did a two-year stint in the Army prior to beginning his musical career as part of the folk music scene in Chicago. Prine garnered a lot of accolades from critics for his outstanding self-titled 1971 debut album. The follow-up albums, "Diamonds in the Rough" and "Sweet Revenge", were likewise well-received by critics but, alas, none of these albums were big commercial successes. In the mid '70s, John