TSR 17-24 John Prine

John Prine (born October 10, 1946) is an American country/folk
singer-songwriter. He has been active as a composer, recording
artist, and live performer since the early 1970s.


Born and raised in Maywood, Illinois, Prine learned to play the
guitar at the age of 14. Subsequently, serving in West Germany
with the U.S. armed forces, by the late 1960s he had moved to
Chicago, where he worked as a mailman, writing and singing songs
as a hobby. Becoming a part of the city’s folk revival, he was
discovered by Kris Kristofferson, resulting in the production of
Prine’s self-titled debut album through Atlantic Records in 1971.
After receiving critical acclaim, Prine focused on his musical
career, recording three more albums for Atlantic. He then signed
to Asylum Records, where he recorded an additional three albums.


In 1984 he co-founded Oh Boy Records, an independent record label
with which he would release most of his subsequent albums.


After his battle with squamous cell cancer in 1998, Prine’s
vocals deepened into a gravel-voice, resulting in the
award-winning album Fair & Square (2005).


Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his
generation, Prine is known for humorous lyrics about love, life,
and current events, as well as serious songs with social
commentary, or which recollect melancholy tales from his life.