Two-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter John Prine, is finally returning to Australia for the first time in 25 years. He will launch the Aussie leg of his 'The Tree Of Forgiveness Tour' at Brisbane's The Tivoli Theatre, then will head his way to Melbourne's Palais Theatre before wrapping up at Sydney's State Theatre. He will also be doing three NZ shows—performing at Auckland's Bruce Mason Centre, Christchurch's Isaac Theatre Royal and Wellington's TSB Arena.
"Prine is the king…one of the greatest songwriters and performers that ever was. His stage show is better than ever and attendance should be considered mandatory." - Dan Auerbach
"Beautiful songs…nobody but prine could write like that." - Bob Dylan
Over 40 years now since the release of his eponymous, ground-breaking debut in 1971, Prine has forged a path through the American musical landscape, with his heartfelt narratives and expressive voice. The list of performers who’ve worked with Prine, or appeared alongside him on his many albums, reads like a who's who of the greats: Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Bonnie Raitt, Iris Dement, Dan Auerbach, Tom Petty, the Everly Brothers, John Denver, Kris Kristofferson, Emmylou Harris, Carly Simon, Ben Harper, Lucinda Williams, Norah Jones, Bette Midler, and more.
In April 2018, the 71-year-old icon released his first new original songs in 13 years: the critically acclaimed 'The Tree Of Forgiveness' (Oh Boy Records/Cooking Vinyl). The album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Folk Albums chart, #2 on Top Country, and #5 on the overall Billboard 200—the highest chart positions of Prine’s career. He was recently named Artist of the Year at the 17th annual Americana Honors & Awards, held at Nashville’s famous Ryman Auditorium, and landed a nomination for USA's prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Born in 1946 in Maywood, Illinois, Prine was raised in the Midwest. His songs are filled with the tales of blue collar suburbs, where country music, the Grand 'Ol Opry, good Southern cooking, and annual visits 'home' to Kentucky were as naturally part of his family's lives as Chicago hot dogs and baseball. Long before the awards and accolades, the concerts and many albums, Prine trudged through snow in the cold Chicago winters, delivering mail across his childhood suburb. "I always likened the mail route to a library with no books," he recalls. 'I passed the time each day making up these little ditties."
Those "ditties" led to countless awards and accolades. Just a few Prine has received in recent times include his 2003 induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, an Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for songwriting, and being honoured at the Library of Congress by US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser. For many, Prine has become not just a well-loved and appreciated songwriter, but a bonafide American treasure.
Having won two cancer battles (he underwent surgeries in 1996 and 2013), John Prine currently lives in Nashville, TN with his wife, Fiona, and enjoys spending time with their three sons, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren.
"At 71, John Prine is a virtuoso…writing about what it means to be alive." - Pitchfork
"Prine and the late-Leonard Cohen are a rare breed of songwriters who can make you cry and laugh in the same song…a complete night of exquisite storytelling." - The Times, Pittsburgh
Joining Prine as special guest at all shows is Kentucky singer-songwriter Tyler Childers, who released his breakout debut 'Purgatory' in 2017 and recently played Chicago's Lollapalooza festival and supported Jack White in Minneapolis. Infused with the sounds of the Appalachian South, Childers' debut is bluegrass-infused, semi-autobiographical tracks co-produced by Grammy winners Sturgill Simpson and David Ferguson. Says Rolling Stone of tracks such as 'Whitehouse Road', Childers' music sounds like, "a raw look at the darker regions of modern-day Appalachia, where bluegrass is in the soul, but cocaine is in the blood."
Grab your tickets and don't miss the legendary John Prine performing live, next year!
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