“Even when I was coming up in the singer-songwriter ranks during the early '70s, I thought that people who were stylists and stuff shoulda still been up on the pedestal. I mean, it's fine to recognize people who write songs, but it kinda got out of hand, you know?”

American singer-songwriter of country-folk music, early 1970s to 2020

John Prine was an American singer-songwriter of country-folk music, active from the early 1970s until his death. He is known for songs that mix humor, tenderness, and plainspoken observation, and for a style that brought together love, everyday life, current events, social commentary, and satire. He worked as a composer, recording artist, live performer, and occasional actor. His writing often moved between sweet songs and melancholy ballads, and he was widely cited as one of the most influential songwriters of his generation.