According to the Source Himself, This Is Why John Prine Was Never a Household Name

To steadfast and staunch John Prine fans, it might seem like the man is one of the most famous songwriters of all time. He is certainly one of the best. But the most famous? Likely not. However, the majesty behind Prine and his work doesn’t revolve around mass notoriety. Rather, it revolves around his authenticity and simplicity. As a matter of fact, Prine never wanted to be a household name; he just wanted to be a traveling salesman of songs, and he accomplished just that.

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John Prine was a simple man, and everyone who loves his music knows just that. He wrote about simple people, he wrote about simple messages, and in essence, he was simple, so he could reach everyone he wanted to reach. That being said, he didn’t bask in the limelight, and in an interview, he revealed exactly why he never did so.

How John Prine Crafted His Career

In 1986, Mike Leonard of the Today Show got an in-depth interview with John Prine. Prine, who didn’t frequently do interviews on this scale, transparently divulged everything about his life, career, and music. Frankly, if you are are John Prine fan, this is a must-see interview, as it shows Prine being Prine on the largest of scales.

Concerning his lack of mass notoriety, Prine told Leonard that “it’s not something I want.”

“I don’t think I’m going out of my way to avoid it, but it certainly isn’t what I’ve ever really wanted,” said Prine.

An answer that is straightforward, simple, and to the point, which is exactly like John Prine. So, there you have it, folks, that is why John Prine never wanted to be a household name. Simple enough, right?

In addition to this interesting fact, Prine also divulged why he makes his musical arrangements so gosh darn simple, and it is a fact that attributed to his simple yet profound acclaim.

“I play [my songs] in three chords, so if they want to learn to play the guitar, they can play a John Prine song in a hurry,” he revealed. “That’s how most of my songs get around, is people starting out playing, hearing me, and they go, ‘If that guy can do it, anybody can.’”

Per his answers, Prine wasn’t one to impress through glitz, glamour, and pageantry. He impressed by connecting with folks on the most essential of levels. It is this very fact that makes John Prine one of the most down-to-earth musicians in the history of the game. The music community misses him dearly, and we will never forget him or his work.

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