John Prine Remembered by Bon Iver, Bruce Springsteen, Margo Price, More

The music world is reacting to the death of John Prine, who died today (April 7) of COVID-19 complications at the age of 73. “A simple majority of who I am as a person, let alone a musician, is because of John Prine,” Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon tweeted. “He is my number 1.” Amber Coffman wrote, “I grew up on John Prine’s music—his was some of the first music I remember hearing as a little kid.” Find more remembrances below.

“John and I were ‘New Dylans’ together in the early 70s and he was never anything but the loveliest guy in the world,” Bruce Springsteen wrote. “A true national treasure and a songwriter for the ages. We send our love and prayers to his family.”

“John’s music hit me hard in my 20s and it just got deeper with age... sort of the way his newer records break your heart a little more every time they come out... in the last several years he was probably my biggest influence...certainly the only legend I’ve met so down to earth (even if i mighta got a little awkward from time to time)... that’s cuz John cut clean thru to the human heart in song and in life,” Kurt Vile wrote. “Everyone from Springsteen to Steven King is paying tribute. But I gotta say I think I was his biggest fan. Yup, he has that effect on people (we all feel this way).”

John Prine was hospitalized with COVID-19 in late March. Following his hospitalization, artists including Adrianne Lenker and Joan Baez paid tribute to Prine with covers of his songs.

Read Pitchfork’s Overtones column “Life, Death, and John Prine.”