Kacey Musgraves, Tyler Childers, Bob Weir celebrate John Prine at Ryman tribute show

Two-and-a-half years after his death, John Prine finally got the Nashville celebration he deserved.

A sold-out audience — from those who shared his stages, wrote a song with him or simply spent years singing along — climbed into the Ryman Auditorium's aged pews for a Monday night tribute full of cheering, dancing and, yes, a little bit of crying.

Taking place on what would've been Prine's 76th birthday, the show anchored "You Got Gold" — a weeklong celebration for the late folk hero that includes six sold-out shows throughout Nashville hosted by his family and independent label, Oh Boy Records. Running through Wednesday, the celebration drew an estimated 7,000 fans to Music City for greasy spoon eats, storytelling sessions, happy hour hangs and like-minded singalongs.

A surprise lineup greeted showgoers Monday inside the so-called Mother Church of Country Music, leaving onlookers gasping and jumping as a who's who of Prine friends and collaborators emerged from the Ryman wings.

"Guys, hang on tight," Prine's wife Fiona Whelam Prine said after Brandi Carlile and duo Lucius opened the show with an ovation-earning rendition of his last song, "I Remember Everything."

More:Take a tour of John Prine's Nashville with those who knew him best

From Carlile's opening number to the last notes of closing tune "Paradise," the night featured more than two hours of songs overflowing with unassuming wit, wry humor and profound humanity — a songwriting cocktail Prine mastered during his five-decade career.

Some who stepped on the Ryman stage stayed faithful to Prine's original recordings, like Margo Price's take on rock 'n' rollin' tune "Sweet Revenge," Hiss Golden Messenger's rendition of 1990s staple "Picture Show" or Chris Isaak's cover of the tender-hearted "I Have Met My Love Today."

"We started out together in the early '70s, Becky [Thatcher] and Tom Sawyer and Steve Goodman [singer-songwriter and longtime Prine collaborator] was Huck Finn," Bonnie Raitt said before earning an ovation for "Angel From Mongermy" with Carlile on harmonies. "We tore it up all through the '70s. And we were just about to tear it up in our 70s."

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Others put a one-of-a-kind stamp on songs originally penned by Prine.

Backed by an acoustic guitar, War & Treaty took the audience to church with a show-shopping version of "Knockin' On Your Screen Door." Nathaniel Rateliff delivered "Sam Stone" - a Prine number chronicling turmoil soldiers face after war ends - with a silky, swaying croon. Tyler Childers gave "I Guess They Ought To Name A Drink After You" a classic country spin. And Grateful Dead co-founder Bob Weir brought out his gold-top Les Paul for an extended jam of '90s album cut "Great Rain."

And a few, including Kacey Musgraves and Lucinda Williams, brought originals inspired by Prine. Williams sang a playful tune about the wine-fueled shenanigans her and Prine dug up during "songwriting" sessions (not a lot of actual writing got done, the story goes). Meanwhile, Musgraves debuted a new song — "Walk In Peace" — that she described as being born out of an apparition from Prine's spirit (yes, she knows that sounds crazy).

"It came to me," Musgraves said, adding: "I can only really describe it as in a dream-like state. I had this very cerebral, very real conversation with him. It started off with him giving me a message ... it came at a time when I really needed to hear it. He said, 'Walk in peace.'"

Dwight Yoakam, the show's final surprise, sang his honky-tonk rendition of blowin' up TVs song "Spanish Pipedream" before Prine's son Tommy Prine joined the country singer on stage to lead the audience in a chat of "happy birthday."

The night closed with artists flooding the stage for a rendition of Prine standard "Paradise" — a song about celebrating something you love, even if it may be gone from this world.

"Happy birthday, dad," Tommy Prine said on stage. "I love you."

John Prine 'You Got Gold' birthday tribute setlist

• I Remember Everything - Brandi Carlile with Lucius

• I Have Met My Love Today - Chris Isaak with Nicole Atkins

• Picture Show - Hiss Golden Messenger

• Everything Is Cool - Allison Russell & JT Nero

• Souvenirs - Jason Isbell

• Unwed Fathers - I’m With Her

• Knockin’ On Your Screen Door - War & Treaty

• Sam Stone - Nathaniel Rateliff

• Unreleased song - Shawn Camp

• Summer’s End - Layla McCalla

• Sweet Revenge - Margo Price

• I Guess They Ought To Name A Drink After You - Tyler Childers

• Storm Windows - Milk Carton Kids

• Walk In Peace - Kacey Musgraves

• Unreleased song - Lucinda Williams

• Angel From Montgomery - Bonnie Raitt with Brandi Carlile

• That’s the Way That The World Goes Round - Lyle Lovett

• Great Rain - Bob Weir with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott

• Spanish Pipedream - Dwight Yoakam

• Paradise - Dwight Yoakam and Tommy Prine (with ensemble)

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: John Prine gets an all-star celebration in Nashville