The renowned folk and country singer-songwriter was hospitalised on March 26 due to suffering sudden Covid-19 symptoms, and following time in the ICU succumbed to the disease on April 7.
Tributes from all over the music world have already flooded the internet, with Bruce Springsteen and Sheryl Crow among those honouring the late Grammy winner.
Prine was born October 10, 1946 in Maywood, Illinois and began playing guitar in his early teens. Following a stint in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, he moved to Chicago in the late '60s.
It was there that he was discovered by fellow singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson, which led to him signing with Atlantic Records who released Prine's self-titled debut album in 1971. The record included one of his most well known songs, Hello In There.
Prine continued to release records throughout the '80s, '90s and '00s, his last being 2018's 'The Tree Of Forgiveness', which he was set to support with The Tree Of Forgiveness World Tour in 2021.
Prine's wife, Fiona Whelan Prine shared the below statement via Instagram:
"Our beloved John died yesterday evening at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville TN. We have no words to describe the grief our family is experiencing at this time. John was the love of my life and adored by our sons Jody, Jack and Tommy, daughter in law Fanny, and by our grandchildren.
"John contracted Covid-19 and in spite of the incredible skill and care of his medical team at Vanderbilt he could not overcome the damage this virus inflicted on his body.
"I sat with John - who was deeply sedated- in the hours before he passed and will be forever grateful for that opportunity.
"My dearest wish is that people of all ages take this virus seriously and follow guidelines set by the CDC. We send our condolences and love to the thousands of other American families who are grieving the loss of loved ones at this time - and to so many other families across the world.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of love we have received from family, friends, and fans all over the world. John will be so missed but he will continue to comfort us with his words and music and the gifts of kindness, humor and love he left for all of us to share.
"In lieu of flowers or gifts at this time we would ask that a donation be made to one of the following non profits:
Over here on E Street, we are crushed by the loss of John Prine. John and I were "New Dylans" together in the early 70s and he was never anything but the lovliest guy in the world. A true national treasure and a songwriter for the ages. We send our love and prayers to his family.
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