John Prine is a lesser known of the country/folk scene, well if you listen to folk or country I'm sure you have heard of him, but he isn't a household name such as, say, Johnny Cash. He is known for being an influence more than a recognized singer songwriter. You can hear his influence everywhere though; Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash being the biggest, but pretty much every good folk writer has taken a leaf from Prine's book one time or another.
If you do know John Prine it's probably because you were at camp and heard this incredible song called Paradise. Then got home, looked it up, and then asked yourself "who the hell is John Prine?" After that you look up more of his music and fall in love with his now, raspy, voice (it's raspy due to throat cancer that Prine developed in the late 90's.) The trait that is most striking in his music lies in his lyrics; they were made to be listened to next to a campfire, so comforting that you can't help to feel safe. Also the stories he sings are woven from the most random happenings, for example his famous song "Angel From Montgomery" is about a house wife who is unhappy with her life because her husband ignores her, so one day hes off at work and she is sitting on the sofa, sees dust particles in the light fall on a coffee table and they remind her of planes so she sings a song about it.
My Old Kentucky Home - John Prine by JohnBoyTwo
Angel from Montgomery - John Prine w/ Margo Timmins by bluelinez
John Prine - Hello In There by Redeye Distribution
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