John Prine was an American singer, songwriter, and musician who had a net worth of $10 million at the time of his death. His styles included country folk, Americana, and progressive bluegrass. He worked as a mailman early in life and actually wrote many of what would later become classics, while delivering mail in the Chicago suburbs. His songwriting skills would eventually earn him admiration from the likes of Bob Dylan and Kris Kristofferson.
After returning from the Vietnam War, he began performing in the Chicago folk scene. One day he was discovered by Chicago film critic Roger Ebert. Sold out shows followed. One day in 1971, Paul Anka and Kris Kristofferson attended one of Prine’s shows. Kris helped John land a $25,000 recording deal with Atlantic Records. Anka signed up to be his manager.
His self-titled debut studio album was released in 1971 and he would release several more albums throughout his career. His album In Spite of Ourselves was released in 1999 and reached #21 on the US Country chart. Prine released the album Souvenirs in 200 and Fair & Square in 2005 which reached #2 on the US Indie chart and #55 on the Billboard 200. He also won several awards throughout his lifetime, including an AMA Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting in 2003 and the AMA Artist of the Year Award in 2005. He was nominated for 11 Grammys, with two wins. He also was awarded the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award Grammy.
Unfortunately, John Prine died on April 7, 2020 from complications due to COVID-19. He was 73 years old.
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