One day after legendary troubadour John Prine, 73, died on April 7 from complications of COVID-19, his wife of 24 years, Fiona, shared a message via Instagram on April 8.
“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: thistlefarms.org, roomintheinn.org, nashvillerescuemission.org.”
John had been in the hospital since March 26 and using a ventilator since March 28. Fiona, who was also diagnosed with COVID-19, confirmed on April 3 that John had been diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as pneumonia in both lungs.
John was a two-time Grammy winner, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member, PEN New England Lyrics Award recipient, and a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominee. John was a recipient of the Recording Academy’s 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award.
John’s catalog includes iconic songs “Sam Stone,” “Angel From Montgomery,” “Paradise,” “Hello In There,” “Illegal Smile,” “That’s The Way The World Goes ‘Round,” “Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness,” “In Spite of Ourselves,” “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” “I Just Want To Dance With You” and more. John’s songs have been recorded by Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band, David Allan Coe and many others.
