Remembering the late, great John Prine.
It’s funny how their presence can still feel so strong even with someone who might no longer be physically on Earth. I think this feeling is not only rare and special, but is very common among some of the great musicians we have lost.
Their music keeps them eternally alive, and after losing a great artist, we dive deep into their catalog, feeling as though we are discovering new music and new sides to their songwriting.
John Prine is one of those artists who feels so present with us, even though we are just a few days shy of the fifth anniversary of his death. His music is timeless and is still beloved by country fans. And one fan who still fondly thinks of Prine and his music is Bill Murray.
Murray recently appeared on the Howard Stern Show, where they performed Prine’s hit “Angel From Montgomery.” After singing a few words to the song, Stern asked Murray if he knew Prine, to which Murray said he did.
“Yes, I did. Yeah, I did. He used to play across the street from the Second City at the Earl of Old Town; his name was on the marquee all the time. And you know, we worked the same hours, so you didn’t really crash into him much, but you’d see him rolling and coming. But I became friendly with him later in life, and had wonderful times with him.
He was a beauty and really admired by songwriters. Bob Dylan thinks that some of John Prine’s stuff is some of the best. And it is.”
It’s no secret that Prine is thought to be one of the best country music songwriters of our generation, and he was highly respected among other singers and songwriters.
While Murray was fortunate enough to form a friendship with him, he still listens to his music and finds ways to reconnect with his old friends through his discography. And Murray shared a time since his passing when Prine’s words helped him out of a slump, and at that moment, it sounds like Murray could feel his presence strongly with him.
“I had like a romance thing that didn’t go great once, and I got kind of a mood, and I wasn’t feeling so good, and I couldn’t get myself out of it. I put on this record of like ‘John Prine’s Greatest Hits,’ and all of a sudden there was this song called ‘Linda Goes To Mars.’
I heard myself go, ‘Huh.’ Like the beginning of a laugh, like the first laugh I’d had in a very long time. And I thought, ‘Okay, thank you, John.'”
After sharing that Stern plays a part of “Hello In There,” a song that Prine released in 1971. During the verse, Stern looks at Murray and asks if he feels chills from this music. Murray, you can tell is deeply in tune with the lyrics and replies that he has more than chills.
“Yes, I do, and tears, too. I miss this guy. He was, I mean, what his music stands for and… the stories he’s telling.
Let’s not forget.”
We will never forget, Bill Murray. These stories are gold, and each time I hear an interview where Prine is mentioned, it gives us a glimpse into how magical his presence was.
God Bless John Prine.
Before you go, fire up the song that pulled Murray out of his slump.
“Linda Goes To Mars”
