May 2, 2024
On this episode of Tent Show Radio, we pay tribute to the
late John Prine with highlights of some
of his best performances under the Big Top.
One of the most celebrated singer/songwriters of his generation,
John Prine was a master storyteller whose work was often witty and
always heartfelt, frequently offering a sly but sincere reflection
of his Midwestern roots, writing about the lives of ordinary people
in a remarkable and perceptive way. While Prine's songs were most
often rooted in folk and country flavors, he was no stranger to
rock & roll, R&B, and rockabilly, and could readily adapt his
rough but expressive voice to his musical surroundings.
Prine's self-titled debut album, released in 1971, was widely
regarded as an instant classic and featured some his best-known
songs, including "Sam Stone," "Hello in There," "Paradise," and
"Illegal Smile," while 1972's Diamonds in the
Rough was considered nearly as strong.
1978's Bruised Orange was a low-key return to
the tone of his debut, and 1979's Pink
Cadillac was a tribute to his love of rockabilly and
first-generation rock & roll.
In the 1980s, Prine broke away from the major labels to form his
own label, Oh Boy Records, and working at his own
pace and following his own inclinations, he produced a handful of
fine and idiosyncratic albums, including 1991's The
Missing Years, the 1999 duets collection In Spite of
Ourselves, and 2018's graceful finale The Tree
of Forgiveness. The Tree of Forgiveness was
a critical and commercial success, rising to number five on the Top
200 albums chart, peaking at number two on the Country Albums
chart, and going all the way to number one on the Folk albums
chart. The Tree of Forgiveness would prove to be
Prine's last hurrah; he died on April 7, 2020, from complications
of the COVID-19 virus at 73 years old.
EPISODE CREDITS
Michael Perry - Host
Phillip Anich - Announcer
Jaime Hansen - Engineer
Gina Nagro - Marketing Support
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SPECIAL THANKS
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