'Make Him An Angel': John Prine's Death Is A Punch In The Gut For Music Fans
Music lovers are paying tribute to beloved American singer-songwriter John Prine, who died Tuesday of complications from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Prine, who influenced generations of musicians, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame last year.
In January, he was honored with a lifetime achievement Grammy, with fellow music legend Bonnie Raitt paying tribute to Prine from the stage.
He had penned one of Raitt’s best-known tunes, “Angel From Montgomery.”
Many on social media wrote “make him an angel,” a play on a line from the song:
Others quoted songs such as “When I Get To Heaven”:
But all were sharing the same thought: This one hurts.
From gracing the Opry House stage for those memorable New Year's Eve shows to other special Opry appearances including one alongside the StreelDrivers and Bill Murray, John Prine has touched our hearts with his music. We are thinking of his family and friends tonight. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FV3nIfT1kc
— Grand Ole Opry (@opry) April 8, 2020
Make him an angel https://t.co/fCtnrgdRHZ
— Bill Shapiro (@Bill_Shapiro) April 8, 2020
Heartbroken.
— K A C E Y (@KaceyMusgraves) April 8, 2020
Over here on E Street, we are crushed by the loss of John Prine. John and I were "New Dylans" together in the early 70s and he was never anything but the lovliest guy in the world. A true national treasure and a songwriter for the ages. We send our love and prayers to his family.
— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) April 8, 2020
😢 John Prine.
— lindi ortega (@lindiortega) April 8, 2020
The great John Prine has passed away from the virus. He showed me how to “let it rip” when it comes to songwriting. There’s a huge hole in the music world tonight. John did it best. RIP -T
— Toby Keith (@tobykeith) April 8, 2020
With a heavy heart, but deep love and gratitude for his gift he gave us all- Goodbye, John Prine. https://t.co/kGkNJYl3hI
— Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome) April 8, 2020
RIP John Prine. This sucks.
— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) April 8, 2020
The moon is full for you tonight, Mr. Prine. JP forever.
— Lilly Hiatt (@LillyHiatt1) April 8, 2020
John Prine had dignity, social conscience, humor & a unique sense of tradition. One of America’s earliest folk pioneers & so much more. RIP pic.twitter.com/enSXs6SXAu
— Michael Des Barres (@MDesbarres) April 8, 2020
I am so sad about John Prine. He'd survived so much. His work taught me a great deal about compassionate, thoughtful writing -- writing that understood a love rooted in the critical and curious was the love worth pursuing. I'm thankful we got him for as long as we did. Still sad.
— Hanif Abdurraqib (@NifMuhammad) April 8, 2020
Coronavirus has taken one of the great ones: John Prine, dead at 73. So many memorable songs.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 8, 2020
“Roger Ebert...wrote Mr. Prine’s first review, under the headline ‘Singing Mailman Who Delivers a Powerful Message in a Few Words.’” https://t.co/GR6gybGqOC
— Bryan Curtis (@bryancurtis) April 8, 2020
And then I’m gonna drink a cocktail: vodka and ginger ale Yeah, I’m gonna smoke a cigarette that’s nine miles long I’m gonna kiss a pretty girl on the tilt-a-whirl Cause this old man is going to town”
“WHEN I GET TO HEAVEN” ~ John Prine 💔 🚬 pic.twitter.com/4LtRpowz4J— Brandy Clark (@TheBrandyClark) April 8, 2020
Mr. Dylan, listing his favorite songwriters for The Huffington Post in 2009, put Mr. Prine front and center. “Prine’s stuff is pure Proustian existentialism,” he said. “Midwestern mind trips to the nth degree. And he writes beautiful songs.” https://t.co/qixUwsZhy4
— Peter Lalor (@plalor) April 8, 2020
“That’s the way that the world goes round
You’re up one day
And the next you’re down
It’s a half an inch of water
And you think you’re gonna drown
That’s the the way that the world goes round”
RIP John Prine. This is especially tough pic.twitter.com/zgkgQznf2O— Doug Jones (@DougJones) April 8, 2020
RIP John Prine. The real deal. Great American singer/songwriter that found the heart and humor in even the darkest of human stories through song. Genius. Very heavy loss.
— marc maron (@marcmaron) April 8, 2020
Make me an angel that flies from Montgomery
Make me a poster of an old rodeo
Just give me one thing that I can hold on to
To believe in this living is just a hard way to go pic.twitter.com/9lsrF6HtaM— Jeff Elder (@JeffElder) April 8, 2020
The consummate working songwriter. The singing mailman. What a loss for American music, what a loss for our nation. His music came into my life when I was 16 and it changed my heart forever. Goodbye Mr. Prine. I never met you but I always loved you. pic.twitter.com/hqFZSAgYMq
— Joe Pug (@joepug) April 8, 2020
This one hurts so incredibly hard. When I wrote it I was hoping to not have to use this obituary for a long, long time, but here we are. Forever indebted to him. Please listen to John Prine. https://t.co/5Mbj12SzWb
— Andrew Kirell (@AndrewKirell) April 8, 2020
This shouldn’t have happened. John Prine survived two cancer scares. He earned more years than this.
— Steven Hyden (@Steven_Hyden) April 8, 2020
One of the most beautiful things about music is the fact that it lives forever. Thank you, Mr. Prine for the eternal gift. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/SThNEmDqFY
— GratefulDeadHistory (@GratefulHistory) April 8, 2020
Goodbye, John Prine. Your wit and poetry are with me forever. pic.twitter.com/usTh45bUSv
— Chris Hadfield (@Cmdr_Hadfield) April 8, 2020
I will say it again: Prine Abides.
— Michael McKean (@MJMcKean) April 8, 2020
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.