The life-changing moment when John Prine performed for the first time
The late John Prine stood as a quintessential American singer-songwriter. While he emerged amid a wave of legendary artists following in Bob Dylan’s footsteps, Prine distinguished himself by forging his own path and creating a unique space in the music landscape.
Prine honed his craft as a foundational figure in Chicago’s folk revival scene. His breakout was largely catalysed by a glowing endorsement from Roger Ebert, followed shortly thereafter when one of the nation’s most esteemed singer-songwriters, Kris Kristofferson, enlisted Prine as his opening act. Subsequently, Prine debuted his self-titled album in 1971, earning him widespread acclaim.
Ebert, who many claim first discovered Prine, undeniably gave the musician a boost at the beginning of his career after he wrote: “He appears on stage with such modesty he almost seems to be backing into the spotlight. He sings rather quietly, and his guitar work is good, but he doesn’t show off. He starts slow. But after a song or two, even the drunks in the room begin to listen to his lyrics. And then he has you.”
With a life and career that seems eventful and tumultuous enough to fill numerous books, Prine became one of the most defining voices of a generation. During his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant gave a heartfelt tribute, saying, “Your work is extraordinary. It’s a vast enduring treasury, a beacon of light in these ever-weirder times. Sometimes it seems like you’re writing for all of us, which in fact, you probably are. But today, I feel like you wrote this one just for me.”
For Prine, his foray into music seemed a turbulent journey. However, his official passion for performing could be credited to one accidental performance during an open mic night in Chicago. “I wasn’t the type to heckle, but I’d had a few beers and wasn’t really impressed with what I was hearing and said so under my breath. And someone at the next table said, ‘Well if it’s so easy, why don’t you get up and do it?’ So I said,’“Well, maybe I will’,” the singer told Mojo.
Continuing, he added: “I got up and sang Sam Stone and the audience just sat there. They looked at me, looked at each other, looked at me again… seemed like an eternity and, finally, they started applauding. The owner of the club came up afterwards and offered me a job singing there. I couldn’t believe it. The thing I really remember was that I was more comfortable than I’d ever felt. I just felt like that’s where I belonged.”
Shortly after, Prine connected with Kristofferson, who helped him gain a deal from Atlantic Records after putting him on the bill for a performance with an audience of numerous important industry figures. “They were coming to see Kris ‘cause he was the new world wonder,” Prine remembered. “It was full of label people; Jerry Wexler was sitting down front. He came and talked to me after I got off stage. Asked me to show up at his office at Atlantic at 10 the next morning. I showed up and I had a record contract waiting for me. I hadn’t been in New York City 24 hours!”
