Sturgill Simpson Pens Emotional Goodbye To John Prine

Sturgill Simpson and woman on a motorcycle

The news of John Prine’s passing has shook the country music community, and the music world in general. He was unquestionably one of the very best to ever play the game.

But more than that, John transcended music. His soul and his spirit were second to none. I’ve never met himself to tell you that, but just ask anybody that knew him and they’ll agree.

Fans and friends across the spectrum have shared tribute posts, memories, cover songs, and everything in between. John Prine’s influence reaches across the music world to everybody from Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, to Eric Church, Tyler Childers and Kacey Musgraves.

And of course, his friend Sturgill Simpson.

Sturgill took a timeout from his Dick Daddy Survival School (if you don’t know, you don’t deserve to know) to share these heartfelt, emotional words about a man he loved very dearly.

“I’m very sorry it took me so long… I had to go into the woods and let myself “just feel” this for a while. You left on a gorgeous moon.

There are sometimes people in this life that you meet, seldom and few and far between it would seem, whose souls are so good and pure and beautiful that when they leave it seems if only for a brief while that everything else good and pure and beautiful in this world just left along with them. It blows you apart leaving everyone to see you broken. But then you come out of the woods and the funk to see the signs of Spring all around you and remember the joy and love they put into the world by always giving so much of themselves and you suddenly see them everywhere.

There is so much I never said only because I didn’t want to bother you with it. After all you never asked to be “John Prine”. There is so much I’ll never get to say now. You reminded me so much of my Grandfather it hurt sometimes. I never told you that.

I will miss the tours..I will miss our lunches..I will miss you listening to me bitch and complain about all the things you understood all too well and making me feel better sometimes by just sitting there saying nothing. I will miss catching flies in mid-air with my hand just to make you laugh..I will miss showing up to the office and knowing Id just missed you there by finding my drums upside down..I will miss your corny ass jokes. I will miss you. Every day.

So long old man.
You will always be loved.”

A touching tribute to a great, great man.

RIP John, you’re dearly missed.

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Im very sorry it took me so long..I had to go into the woods and let myself “just feel” this for a while. You left on a gorgeous moon. There are sometimes people in this life that you meet, seldom and few and far between it would seem, whose souls are so good and pure and beautiful that when they leave it seems if only for a brief while that everything else good and pure and beautiful in this world just left along with them. It blows you apart leaving everyone to see you broken. But then you come out of the woods and the funk to see the signs of Spring all around you and remember the joy and love they put into the world by always giving so much of themselves and you suddenly see them everywhere. There is so much I never said only because I didn’t want to bother you with it. After all you never asked to be “John Prine”. There is so much I’ll never get to say now. You reminded me so much of my Grandfather it hurt sometimes. I never told you that. I will miss the tours..I will miss our lunches..I will miss you listening to me bitch and complain about all the things you understood all too well and making me feel better sometimes by just sitting there saying nothing. I will miss catching flies in mid-air with my hand just to make you laugh..I will miss showing up to the office and knowing Id just missed you there by finding my drums upside down..I will miss your corny ass jokes. I will miss you. Every day. So long old man. You will always be loved.

A post shared by Sturgill Simpson (@sturgillsimpson) on Apr 9, 2020 at 7:36am PDT

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