Born 80 Years Ago Today in Illinois, the Vietnam War Veteran and Mailman Who Became One of the Most Influential Songwriters of the 20th Century

On this day (October 10) in 1946, John Edward Prine was born in Maywood, Illinois. While never achieving a major hit on his own, Prine is a minor deity among his fellow singer-songwriter. Both Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters have named him among their favorites, with Dylan once referring to his work as “pure Proustian existentialism” and “Midwestern mindtrips to the nth degree.” Artists including Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, George Strait, Bonnie Raitt, and Dwight Yoakum have all covered his songs.

John Prine died at age 73 on April 7, 2020, in Nashville, Tennessee. Today, we honor this songwriting giant on what would have been his 80th birthday.

Although raised in the Chicago suburb of Maywood, John Prine’s upbringing was shaped by the Bluegrass State. His parents were natives of Paradise, Kentucky, and the family spent their summers in Muhlenberg County.

There, Prine immersed himself in bluegrass music and studied the guitar styles of country music heroes Merle Travis and Doc Watson. Back home, he also attended classes at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, where artists like Watson and Pete Seeger also got their start.

John Prine Got His Start in the Chicago Folk Scene

After high school, John Prine spent five years as a mailman for the U.S. Postal Service. This is also where his songwriting career began, jotting down lyrics that became “Sam Stone” and “Hello in There” on his postal route.

He put that job on hold when the U.S. Army drafted him during the Vietnam War. Upon completing a two-year stint as a vehicle mechanic in West Germany, Prine returned to Chicago and immersed himself in the city’s folk scene.

One night, Kris Kristofferson heard him play at a Chicago club called the Earl of Old Town, where he had accompanied fellow singer-songwriter Steve Goodman.

Prine’s songwriting material “was unlike anything I’d heard before,” the “Me and Bobby McGee” singer later said.

A few weeks later, Kristofferson invited Prine onstage at the Bitter End in New York City’s Greenwich Village, where he was performing with Carly Simon.

“No way somebody this young can be writing so heavy,” Kristofferson told the audience. “John Prine is so good, we may have to break his thumbs.”

The next day, record executive Jerry Wexler signed Prine to Atlantic Records.

A Groundbreaking Debut and Iconic Career

In 1971, John Prine recorded his self-titled debut album in Memphis. Although not a massive commercial success, the album introduced timeless favorites like “Sam Stone,” about a drug-addicted war veteran;  “Hello in There,” and “Angel From Montgomery”, later made famous by Bonnie Raitt.

In 1972, Prine received the first of 14 Grammy nominations for Best New Artist. He lost to the rock band America, but won Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1991 for The Missing Years.

Across five decades, Prine released 18 studio albums and collected four Grammy Awards. The first singer-songwriter invited to read and perform at the Library of Congress, he co-founded the independent label Oh Boy Records in 1981.

[RELATED: 3 Incredible Songs John Prine Wrote That Were Covered by Other Artists]

While major commercial success continued to elude him, John Prine remained beloved by fans and peers alike until his death in 2020.

He expertly chronicled the human condition with his trademark offbeat humor, and his influence is reflected today in the works of artists like Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers, and more.

Featured image by Tom Hill/Getty Images

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