Muhlenberg park to be dedicated to Prine

Sep. 15—In October, Muhlenberg County will become the home of the John Prine Memorial Park at Rochester Dam in tribute to the late Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and country-folk musician John Prine.

The dedication ceremony for the facility will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1 at the Rochester Dam, 100 Boat Ramp Lane in Drakesboro.

The project, which will be part of a revamping of an existing county park, has been in the works since November, according to Karen Harper Lain, spokesperson and committee member for the John Prine Memorial Park.

Prine, whose parents were originally from the county, were frequent visitors of making their back to the commonwealth making summer trips to Paradise — which eventually became one of the song titles on his self-titled debut album, with one of the song's lyrics saying, "Daddy, won't you take me back to Muhlenberg County" while also including, "When I die let my ashes float down the Green River / Let my soul roll on up to the Rochester Dam."

"Everyone around this area has always loved John Prine," she said. "We know that he never forgot his western Kentucky roots and we've never forgotten him and it's clear how much the Rochester Dam meant to him ...."

After Prine died in April 2020 due to complications from COVID-19 at age 73, fans made their way to the dam to leave memorials, while Prine's remains were eventually spread by his family from the Rochester Ferry, which crosses the river from Butler and Ohio counties.

Lain, along with fellow committee member C. Josh Givens and local historian Barry Duvall approached the Muhlenberg County Fiscal Court about the prospect of renaming the park and were "immediately on board."

"It was already a county park that we decided that really needed to be John's park," she said.

Lain grew up in Owensboro and was a fan of Prine's music during her upbringing, and said she was able to identify with his family dynamic personally and his affection for the western part of the state.

Despite the 2021 Western Kentucky tornado touching down in the county in December, progress has been made to the park's infrastructure including a new boat ramp below the dam, expanded parking area, large covered picnic pavilion, updated playground equipment, paving, landscaping improvements, and benches while additional amenities are planned.

Lain said signage will include Prine's namesake integrated into the park's design, with a long term plan of having a overlook over the Green River and installing a monument of the musician.

"Everything that we do will incorporate him or his song lyrics," she said.

Lain said that the park will not officially be completed on the ceremony date but will explain to attendees of what's to come.

"We just want to honor John's memories and tell his family and the world how much we loved him," she said. "We do know that there will be a lot of people (coming) from all over the U.S., and most likely the world, to pay tribute to him at this park. I really need to stress, this is not about us; it's all about John and his memory."

For more information, call 270-993-8542 or 270-338-2520.