It's been three years since the country folk music industry lost one of its most iconic musicians, John Prine. Today is his death anniversary, let's take a look back at the successful life and career of the late singer.
The singer was popularly known for his songs like "In Spite of Ourselves," "When I Get to Heaven," "I Remember Everything," and many more, but not all of his fans knew that despite his success, he had humble beginnings.
Born John Edward Prine on October 10, 1946, the musician spent his early days in Illinois. He was a child of a tool-and-die maker and a housewife. (via Studs Terkel)
He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, but he would often spend time and visit his relatives in Paradise, Kentucky, during the summer season.
His love for music started at the age of 14 when he was taught how to play the guitar by his brother, David. Since then, he continued his passion for music as he studied at the Old Town School of Folk Music.
Even though he began playing the instrument during his teenage years, being a musician was not his first job as he began as a Postal Service mailman for five years.
He was later drafted into the US Army during the Vietnam War era, and his main task at the time was a mechanic for vehicles in West Germany.
John Prine Music Career Explored
After serving for the military, Prine returned to Chicago to work as a mailman again, but this time, he balanced his job with his music passion as he started playing original songs at The Fifth Peg, a folk club in the city. (via New York Post)
At first, the musician was just a part of the audience and would often watch other singers take the stage, but it all changed when someone told him, "you think you can do better?"
The comment then boosted his confidence, making him take the stage during an open mic. After performing for the first time, he was immediately offered to sing at the club regularly.
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His popularity skyrocketed when Roger Ebert, a writer/movie critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, watched one of his gigs and wrote about him in the newspaper.
He later became a successful folk singer and was known throughout Chicago until he released his self-titled debut album in 1971.
Since then, he became a household name not just in the United States but also around the world. He was also credited as an inspiration to other musicians.
John Prine Cause of Death
The musician was hospitalized on March 26, 2020. Two days after spending time at the medical facility, he was placed on a ventilator.
At the time, his family confirmed that he was in the hospital on social media, writing, "This is hard news for us to share. But so many of you have loved and supported John over the years, we wanted to let you know, and give you the chance to send out more of that love and support now. And know that we love you, and John loves you."
Unfortunately, he passed away days later. He was 73 at the time of his death. His cause of death was determined as complications related to Coronavirus.
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