The Newmarket Folk Society is hosting an evening of music honouring legendary singer-songwriter John Prine on Oct. 26 at the Newmarket Legion.
Prine, who passed away on April 7, 2020, was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music. Widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, he was known for his signature blend of humorous lyrics about love, life, and current events, often with elements of social commentary and satire, as well as sweet songs and melancholy ballads. He was active as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor from the early 1970s until his death.
Born and raised in Maywood, Illinois, Prine learned to play the guitar at age 14. He attended classes at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. After serving in West Germany with the U.S. Army, he returned to Chicago in the late 1960s, where he worked as a mailman, writing and singing songs first as a hobby.
Continuing studies at the Old Town School, he performed at a student hang-out, the nearby Fifth Peg. A laudatory review by Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun- Times put Prine on the map. The late Kris Kristofferson saw Prine perform and invited him to be his opening act.
Prine’s self-titled debut album, released in 1971, featured Paradise, Sam Stone and Angel from Montgomery. The album has been hailed as one of the greatest of all time.
He won his first Grammy for the 1991 album, The Missing Years, and he joined the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. The Grammy Hall of Fame inducted his 1971 self-titled debut album in 2014.
Two years later he accepted the PEN New England’s Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Award. At the age of 70, he was named Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association in 2017. Naturally, The Tree of Forgiveness, released in 2018, is rooted in that same observant songwriting that he’s crafted throughout his career.
In 2020, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Prine’s songs will be performed by Katherine Wheatley, Travis and Kim Teed, Patty McLaughlin, David Walsh, Mary Bennet, and John Prince.
The concert starts at 8 p.m. at the Newmarket Legion, 707 Srigley St. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased online (newmarketfolk.com) or by calling 705-431-7182 (leave a message).
