John Prine

John Prine is the US born folk/country singer-songwriter and musician who is known for his lyricism, as demonstrated on "Sam Stone" and for his sense of humour as on "Illegal Smile", both fan favourites.

Prine began playing guitar at 14, and after serving in the army he moved to Chicago to pursue his career where he became a feature of the Chicago folk scene where the quality of his writing earned him a strong following. One fan was the established star Kris Kristofferson, who helped Prine get a record contract. He released his debut album, the critically acclaimed John Prine, in 1971. Although it was not a commercial success, it provided fans with "Sam Stone". It was the 1975 release Common Sense which broke the folk mould and provided him with his first, and only - so far, US top 100 chart position.

Although not a huge commercial success, Prine's steady stream of album releases have provided highlights, such as Bruised Orange which is considered a fan favourite, while he has won Grammys for The Missing Years and Fair and Square. Acclaim has also come in the form of induction to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Artist of the Year Award from the Americana Music Awards in 2005