On this day (October 10) in 1946, John Prine was born in Maywood, Illinois. He held many positions throughout his life. Before he was one of the world’s most beloved songwriters, he was a Vietnam-era veteran, a mailman, and a student of American folk music. However, in the late 1960s, a performance in a Chicago club kick-started a career that left an indelible mark on country and folk music.
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In an interview with Billboard, Prine recalled learning to play guitar from his older brother. At the time, he was into rock and roll, but his brother was a fan of folk music. As a result, his road to fame began with three chords and a Carter Family record. He soon found that he would forget the words to the songs he learned. So, he began making up his own lyrics to the songs. This led to writing wholly original songs by the time he was 14. He wrote those songs “just to impress girls,” he recalled. “I never really thought I had a future in professional songwriting at all. I come from a western suburb of Chicago, and I didn’t know anyone who made records.”
[RELATED: According to the Source Himself, This Is Why John Prine Was Never a Household Name]
More than a decade later, Prine had spent time in West Germany as a mechanic for the United States Army. He had also studied at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Now, he was a mailman who wrote and sang songs as a hobby. During that time, he sang in folk clubs in the area. With a truckload of talent and a little bit of luck, those folk clubs took him to the big time.
John Prine Gets a Lucky Break with His First Review
John Prine is, without a doubt, one of the most influential and talented songwriters of the 20th century. However, we may not know his name today if he hadn’t had a pair of lucky breaks in the early 1970s. The first came from an incredibly unexpected place.
Legendary movie critic Roger Ebert, writing for the Chicago Sun-Times, gave Prine his first review. One evening in October 1970, Ebert was slated to see a movie to review for the next day’s paper. However, he hated the movie so much that he walked out. Not wanting the night to be a complete bust, he went to a small folk music bar called the Fifth Peg, where Prine often performed. At the time, the critic just wanted to have a beer before heading home. As luck would have it, Prine was on the stage that evening.
“I wasn’t the music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, but I went to the office and wrote an article. That, as fate decreed, was the first review Prine ever received,” Ebert recalled. It was a glowing review. In it, Ebert wrote, “He starts slow. But after a song or two, even the drunks in the room begin to listen to his lyrics. And then he has you.” Anyone who has ever pressed play on a John Prine record knows how true that statement is.
Lucky Break Number 2: Kris Kristofferson Intervenes
John Prine was a close friend of Steve Goodman. They penned the country classic “You Never Even Call Me by My Name” together in the early 1970s. Before that, though, they played the fold scene in Chicago together.
Goodman was opening for Kris Kristofferson at a club called the Quiet Knight in Chicago during a four-night run. Every night, Goodman would hound Kristofferson to go across town to see his friend play. Finally, after he finished his final show at the Quiet Knight, Kristofferson got in a cab and went across town to see what the fuss was about.
“It was a Sunday night, two in the morning, the chairs were on the tables, the waitresses were counting their tips, and I was waiting for my paycheck,” Prine recalled. “Kris came in with two other people. We got four chairs down, and I got on the stage right in front of him and sang about seven songs. Then, he bought me a beer and asked if I could get back up there and sing those seven again and anything else I wrote,” he added. That night, Kristofferson heard Prine play most of the songs that would make up his 1971 self-titled debut album.
About four months later, Prine and Goodman traveled to New York City. When they got there, they learned that Kristofferson was playing at a place called The Bitter End. So, they went directly to the club to catch the show. Kristofferson spotted them and informed the pair, “You guys are going up on stage for three songs apiece.”
Atlantic Records executive Jerry Wexler was in the audience that evening. He reached out to Prine the next morning and offered him a deal with Atlantic, where he would release his first four albums.
You’ve Heard John Prine’s Songs
Even if you’ve never sat down and listened to a John Prine album, you’ve heard his songs. For instance, he co-wrote the David Allan Coe classic “You Never Even Call Me by My Name.” Bonnie Raitt has introduced countless people to Prine’s songwriting with “Angel from Montgomery.” That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Here are just a few of the A-list artists who have covered his songs.
- George Strait – “I Just Want to Dance with You”
- Miranda Lambert–“That’s the Way the World Goes Round”
- Johnny Cash–“Sam Stone”
- Bette Midler–“Hello in There”
- Zac Brown Band–“All the Best”
Prine Had a Goal
Roger Ebert quoted John Prine in his 1970 review. “In my songs, I try to look through someone else’s eyes, and I want to give the audience a feeling more than a message.” Anyone who has ever listened to him sing will agree that he succeeded time and time again.
“If I can make myself laugh about something that I should be crying about, that’s pretty good,” Prine once said. That, in some respect, captures the beauty of his songwriting.
With that said, I’d like to leave you with my favorite John Prine song. Enjoy.
Featured Image by Tom Hill/WireImage)
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