John Prine Tickets

John Prine News and Information John Prine has mastered the ability to compose songs in so many different genres of music it is difficult to comprehend. He has written rock, acoustic, folk and straight country. This ability has allowed him to work with a number of incredible performers, and perform pretty incredibly himself.

Prine learned to play the guitar by the age of 14 - he was inspired by his grandfather, who had worked with Merle Travis in the past, and was taught by his brother. After spending two years in the armed services, he met Steve Goodman and they began formed a musical relationship. Kris Kristofferson heard some of Prines compositions and helped him to score a recording contract. While none of his first few albums, including "Diamonds in the Rough” in 1972 and "Sweet Revenge” in 1973, were particularly popular, but he was certainly making a name for himself among other folk artists.

Prine made his first sound shift in 1975 with "Common Sense.” His loud drums and harsh vocals were a departure from normal folk music. The album was his only to break the Billboard Top 200 Album chart. In 1979, "Pink Cadillac” was even more rock sounding with an electric twinge.

In 1980 Prine formed Oh Boy Records, and he began to record music rooted in country. In 1988, "The Missing Years” scored a Grammy and featured guests from musical legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt and Tom Petty. His most commercially successful album, it sold almost a quarter of a million copies.

Prine continued on his country path for the remainder his career, and still focuses on the genre. In 1988, while working on an album of country duets, he was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, and underwent surgery and radiation treatment for the cancer, which was on his neck. In 2005, the legendary musician released "Fair and Square,” and embarked on a massive tour to support the studio album. "Fair” was a critical success - it won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album.