John Prine Wins 'Artist of the Year' at 2018 Americana Awards
By: Tori Hartshorn Sep. 13, 2018
John Prine won "Artist of the Year" at last night's Americana Music Honors & Awards. This is Prine's third time receiving the prestigious award following previous wins in 2017 and 2005.
The award celebrates a landmark year for Prine, whose critically acclaimed new album, The Tree of Forgiveness, recently debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 chart with over 54,000 equivalent albums sold in its first week-a career high chart position and sales week for the legendary singer, songwriter and performer. The album also debuted at #1 on Billboard's Americana/Folk Albums chart, #2 on Billboard's Country Albums chart and #2 onBillboard's Rock Albums chart. Moreover, Prine received the BMI Troubadour Awardearlier this week, becoming only the second artist ever to receive the honor.
Released on his own independent label, Oh Boy Records, the album is Prine's first album featuring new material in over 13 years and was produced by Grammy Award winning producer Dave Cobb (purchase/stream here).
In celebration of the album, Prine's extensive nationwide tour is currently underway including a newly confirmed New Year's Eve show at Nashville's Opry House withNathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and special guest Iris DeMent. Of his recent sold out show at Radio City Music Hall, Rolling Stone declares, "...a night of joy and love at one of the most biggest shows of the veteran singer-songwriter's career." All 2018 shows are now on-sale. See below for complete details. Every concert ticket sold will include a copyThe Tree of Forgiveness (CD only).
Last month, Prine released the official music video for his song, "Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone)." Watch/share HERE. Created By Neighborhoods Apart Productions, the video was directed and animated by Josh Britt and Neilson Hubbard. The video for "Knockin' On Your Screen Door," also premiered earlier this summer (watch/share HERE). Directed by David McClister, the video was filmed at some of Prine's favorite places throughout Nashville and features special guests Dan Auerbach, Dave Cobb, Elizabeth Cook, David Ferguson, Jason Isbell, Jeremy Ivey, Margo Price, Amanda Shires, Sturgill Simpson and more.
Additionally, earlier this year, Prine performed the album's first single, "Summer's End," on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" with special guests Sturgill Simpson and Brandi Carlile (watch HERE). Rolling Stone also recently premiered a short documentary on Prine and the new album, entitled "John Prine: The Road to The Tree of Forgiveness" (watchHERE). Moreover, Prine's NPR Music "Tiny Desk Concert" can be viewed HERE and his recent interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" with host Terry Gross can be heard HERE.
Recent acclaim for Prine and The Tree of Forgiveness...
"Prine rekindles the straight-ahead, earthbound spirit that made him a songwriting icon in the first place..."-Associated Press
"Across the LP, Prine blends goofball wit and aw-shucks surrealism to conjure
the ordinary and the profound, absurdist whimsy and existential despair, laughter
and tears."-The Guardian
"An American treasure"-GQ Style
"Prine moves effortlessly among songs bursting with humor to others that
resonate deeply and profoundly..."-Los Angeles Times
"America's Greatest Living Songwriter"-Men's Journal
"There's possibly no living figure more influential on the current class of
artists in roots, country and Americana than Prine...what he cooks up reveals truths
about humanity's blessings as well as its curses. He's not passing out spoonfuls of sugar to make the medicine go down. Instead, he's trying to help us tolerate the bitter taste left by bewildering, painful experiences like death and love. It makes everything else seem that much sweeter."-Nashville Scene
"The best John Prine song is probably just the last one you listened to-and now
there are ten more of them."-The New Yorker
"...the kind of song Mr. Prine has been writing since his career began: a handful
of folky chords, a melody that sounds like it's always been around, a grainy and
understated vocal and lyrics that summon complex emotions in a rigorous minimum of syllables."-The New York Times
"In this album, The Tree of Forgiveness, all his roots merge. He may be singing about
going to heaven, but his earthiness keeps his music alive."-NPR Fresh Air
"The master craftsman returns with his first new tunes in 13 years...the age-
appropriate vibe of Prine's vocals only serves to deepen the impact of his lyrics, especially when he employs the kind of deadpan delivery that's always been one of his secret superpowers."-NPR Music
"...showcases the album's beautifully simplistic writing that reads like poetry, relying mostly on end rhyme to tie in the artist's message of longing to return to a place where he can feel at home."-Paste
"The songwriter's first album of new music in 13 years is wise and economical.
At 71, John Prine is a virtuoso at understatement, finding the joy in the mundane, and writing about what it means to be alive."-Pitchfork
"The simple arrangements here hark back to his early albums, allowing
the words and his voice to shine brightly. The songs are short, and his voice is
barely a whisper, but they're pure Prine, with vignettes marked by unforgettable
melodies and sharp, insightful lyrics."-Relix
"...it's as deft and thoughtful as a devoted fan could hope for...a meditative back-porch sort of record, content even with its mild discontent. But casual elegance abounds...Prine is an Illinois native, a god-tier singer-songwriter, and an American legend."-The Ringer
"...it's very good, frequently brilliant, with all the qualities that define Prine's music."
????-Rolling Stone
50 Best Albums of 2018 So Far-Rolling Stone
"The balance of humor, plain language and reality in his music is what makes him
stand out in the genres of folk, country and beyond....his best performing album of his
entire career."-Sound Opinions
"Prine's heart is all human. It beats in every song on The Tree of Forgiveness...
the most personal record of his 47-year recording career."-The Tennessean
"To understand why he has endured for nearly 50 years as one of the most beloved singer-songwriters ever, you have to rely on anecdotal evidence. You must point to actual human beings, rather than numbers, to understand the breadth of his impact."-UPROXX
"It's prime Prine: Accompanied by simple, instantly memorable memories, its lyrics tell of the agonies and absurdities of life that often stand side by side...musically as well as lyrically, The Tree of Forgiveness is a pleasure, one that, though a long time coming, will delight for a period that's longer still...It's a soul-deep treat to be in his company
once again."-The Wall Street Journal
Recorded at Nashville's historic RCA Studio A, the album includes ten new songs written by Prine along with co-writers Pat McLaughlin, Roger Cook, Dan Auerbach, Keith Sykes,David Ferguson and Phil Spector. Along with Prine (lead vocals and acoustic guitar), Cobb (acoustic guitar, mellotron, claps, kazoo) and Prine's longtime band, the album features special guests Brandi Carlile (harmony vocals on tracks 2, 4, 10), Jason Isbell (electric guitar on track 7, slide guitar and background vocals on track 9, 10) and Amanda Shires (fiddle and background vocals on track 9, background vocals on track 10).
A two-time Grammy-winner, Prine is among the English language's premier phrase-turners. Almost 50 years into a remarkable career that has drawn effusive praise from Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Roger Waters, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and others who would know, Prine is a smiling, shuffling force for good. He is a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member and a PEN New England Lyrics Award recipient whose classic debut album, simply titled John Prine, is recognized as part of the Recording Academy's Grammy Hall of Fame and whose songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band and many others.
Following the 2015 death of his friend and business partner Al Bunetta, Prine is now President and sole owner of Oh Boy Records. He lives in Nashville, TN with his wife, Fiona, and enjoys spending time with their three sons, a daughter-in-law and his grandchildren.
THE TREE OF FORGIVENESS TRACK LIST
1. "Knockin' On Your Screen Door" (by John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)
2. "I Have Met My Love Today" ft. Brandi Carlile (by John Prine and Roger Cook)
3. "Egg & Daughter Nite, Lincoln Nebraska, 1967 (Crazy Bone)" (by John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)
4. "Summer's End" (written by John Prine and Pat McLaughlin)
5. "Caravan of Fools" (by John Prine, Dan Auerbach, and Pat McLaughlin)
6. "The Lonesome Friends of Science" (by John Prine)
7. "No Ordinary Blue" (by John Prine and Keith Sykes)
8. "Boundless Love" (by John Prine, Dan Auerbach, and Pat McLaughlin)
9. "God Only Knows" (by John Prine and Phil Spector)
10. "When I Get to Heaven" (by John Prine)
JOHN PRINE 2018 TOUR DATES
September 14-Huntsville, AL-Von Braun Center (with Kelsey Waldon)
September 15-Memphis, TN-Orpheum Theatre (with Kelsey Waldon) SOLD OUT
September 19-Eugene, OR-Hult Center (with Todd Snider)
September 21-Portland, OR-Schnitzer Theatre (with Todd Snider) SOLD OUT
September 22-Seattle, WA-Paramount Theatre (with Todd Snider) SOLD OUT
September 28-Columbus, OH-Ohio Theatre (with Lilly Hiatt)
October 3-Knoxville, TN-Tennessee Theatre (with Kelsey Waldon) SOLD OUT
October 5-Nashville, TN-Ryman Auditorium (with Hiss Golden Messenger) SOLD OUT
October 6-Nashville, TN-Ryman Auditorium (with Shovels and Hope) SOLD OUT
October 19-Los Angeles, CA-Ace Theatre*
October 25-Cleveland, MS-Bologna Performing Arts Center SOLD OUT
October 26-Merridian, MS-MSU Riley Center (with Valerie June)
November 7-Breckenridge, CO-Riverwalk Center (with Nathaniel Rateliff) SOLD OUT
November 8-Grand Junction, CO-Avalon Theatre (with Nathaniel Rateliff) SOLD OUT
November 10-Denver, CO-Buell Center (with Nathaniel Rateliff) SOLD OUT
November 16-Kansas City, MO-Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland (with Conor Oberst)
November 17-Omaha, NE-Orpheum Theatre (with Conor Oberst)
December 7-Toronto, ON-Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
December 8-London, ON-Centennial Hall
December 12-Las Vegas, NV-Westgate Theatre (with John Paul White)
December 14-Phoenix, AZ-Celebrity Theatre (with John Paul White)
December 15-Tucson, AZ-Fox Theatre (with John Paul White)
December 31-Nashville, TN-Opry House (with Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and special guest Iris DeMent) SOLD OUT
*Across the Great Divide: a benefit concert for the Americana Music Association & the Blues Foundation, with Bob Weir, Lucinda Williams, Lee Ann Womack and more
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