VIA PRESS RELEASE | John Prine’s Souvenirs will be available for the first time on vinyl Friday, September 25 on Oh Boy Records. Originally released in 2000, Souvenirs was produced by Prine and his longtime collaborator and friend, Jim Rooney, and includes members from his longtime band, Jason Wilber and Dave Jacques. The fifteen-track album features new performances of some of Prine’s most beloved songs, including “Angel from Montgomery,” “Sam Stone,” and “Hello In There.”
Prine reflected on the album in the original liner notes, writing, “These songs are beautiful. They have been faithful companions throughout the years, never letting me down and constantly making me new friends, even when I was sleeping… This collection of newly recorded versions was originally intended for European release only, as I have always wanted to be popular in Germany. After we mixed, sequenced and listened to the songs, all of us at Oh Boy decided that perhaps we should release this in the U.S., as I would like to be popular there as well.”
Additionally, on October 3, PBS’ Austin City Limits will kick-off Season 46 with “The Very Best of John Prine.” The hour-long episode will feature favorite performances across Prine’s eight visits to the venerable program as well as never-before-seen footage. Prine will also be honored as part of the Recording Academy’s Great Performances: GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends ceremony recognizing the 2020 Special Merit Awards recipients. Airing October 16 on PBS, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, and Amanda Shires will all perform in celebration of Prine and the Lifetime Achievement Award he received this past January at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
Moreover, due to popular demand, Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine, will re-air with additional footage on October 10 in celebration of Prine’s 74th birthday. Hosted on Prine’s YouTube channel, the tribute will begin at 7:00pm CT and will remain available through midnight on Sunday, October 11. Originally viewed over 500,000 times, the tribute has raised over $400,000 for NAMI, Alive, Make the Road New York and MusiCares.
Prine’s last recorded song, “I Remember Everything,” debuted earlier this summer at #1 on Billboard’s Rock Digital Song Sales chart making it the highest-charting single of his career as a performer. Written by Prine and his longtime collaborator Pat McLaughlin, the song was recorded last year in Prine’s living room with Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb and engineer Gena Johnson.
Already a two-time winner in the category, Prine is once again nominated for “Artist of the Year” at the 2020 Americana Honors & Awards.
Next year, to celebrate Prine’s remarkable legacy of stories and songs, Sixthman and Oh Boy Records will once again host All The Best festival. All The Best (originally scheduled for November 16-20, 2020) is a four-day celebration of amazing music and community taking place at the world class Breathless + Now Onyx Resorts in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic now scheduled for May 19-23, 2021. The line-up includes Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, I’m With Her, Prine’s longtime band and sons, Jack and Tommy Prine, among many others.
Regarded as one of the English language’s premier phrase-turners, Prine is a two-time Grammy-winner, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, a six-time Americana Music Award-winner, a PEN New England Lyrics Award recipient and member of both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Since his debut in 1971, Prine released over eighteen albums and has had his songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band and many others, while drawing effusive praise from Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Roger Waters, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and more, who knew him as a smiling, shuffling force for good.
