Tribute to John Prine

(Be sure to check out tribute song toward the end of the post)

About an hour ago I saw the news that one of my all-time favorite artists, John Prine, had succumbed to complications caused by the coronavirus.

The New York Times has a nice story about John. Be sure to check it out.

I learned of John Prine from my father John Smith. John was my step-father. He brought amazing music into my life. While he exposed me to all kinds of music, nothing has withstood the test of time and brought as much joy as listening to John Prine.

In some ways, he reminded me of my step-dad John. He was a smart, funny and bit of a smart ass.

I was mesmerized by John Prine’s lyrics and with his delivery. He was clever, insightful, honest, vulnerable and real.

The first song I fell in love with was Dear Abbey, which is why I chose it as my tribute song.

I pray for peace and comfort for John’s family and close friends. And while I am not among that close circle, the tears steaming down my face are a small manifestion of the hurt I feel in my heart. I hurt because I am greedy and want more of his amazing music.

On the other hand, I am grateful and blessed for the way he touched my life, and the lives of my family. All of us loved John. We all had gone many times to see him live.

Those were the best times.

I remember one night when he was playing in Dallas, I was driving around killing time before the show. I saw John on the back stairwell of the venue and he was drinking a beer. I hollered and he waved back. He then sung his heart out that night.

Below is my tribute. I wrote the lyrics and my brother Ric played the guitar and emailed me the track. It may not be perfect, but it is 100% an expression of my love for John.