On Thursday night, dozens of musicians and celebrities gathered to celebrate the life and music of the late John Prine. Put together by Prine’s family, the star-studded livestream “Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine” is available to replay below until Sunday, June 14th.
The two-hour virtual event featured appearances from Prine’s widow, Fiona Whelan Prine, as well as their sons, Jack and Tommy, who played “Paradise”. Members of Prine’s longtime backing band — Kenneth Blevins, David Jacques, Fats Kaplin, Jason Wilber —also participated, performing “Far from Me” with Sara Watkins, “Unwed Fathers” with Kelsey Waldon, and “Illegal Smile” with Todd Snider.
Other performances came from Kacey Musgraves (“Spanish Pipedream” and “Burn One with John Prine”), Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires (“Hello in There” and “Clocks and Spoons”), Margo Price and Jeremy Ivey (“All the Best”), Dan Auerbach (“Caravan of Fools” with Pat McLaughlin and Dave Ferguson), Brandi Carlile (“You Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore”), and Bonnie Raitt (“Angel from Montgomery”). Perhaps the biggest collaboration came when Kurt Vile, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Courtney Marie Andrews, and McLaughlin teamed for “Crazy as a Loon”.
A number of actors and TV personalities also took part, including husband and wife duo Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick, who sang “In Spite of Ourselves”. Billy Bob Thorton and Stephen Colbert paid their respects to the legendary folk artist, while Bill Murray recounted the time he sang “Paradise” with Prine and The Steeldrivers at the Grand Ole Opry. Saying the event felt “just like Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?“, Murray called the moment “one of the greatest nights ever. It was a really great night.”
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“Picture Show” also featured never-before-seen archival footage of Prine performing, talking about songwriting, and discussing his signature cocktail, the “Handsome Johnny.” The full video replay is available below, followed by the setlist (via USA Today). You can also listen to “I Remember Everything”, the final song Prine recorded, which was released during the livestream.
The charity event raised over $200,000 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Further donations went to Make the Road New York, an immigrant-led organization supporting the rights of workers, immigrants, and the LGBTQ+ community; and Alive, which is currently offering counseling sessions to those who’ve lost loved ones to the coronavirus. Prine succumbed to COVD-19 himself back in April.
“Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine” Livestream Setlist:
Hello In There (Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires)
Clocks and Spoons (Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires)
Burn One With John Prine (Kacey Musgraves)
Spanish Pipedream (Kacey Musgraves)
All The Best (Margo Price and Jeremy Ivey)
Caravan of Fools (Dan Auerbach, Pat McLaughlin and Dave Ferguson)
Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore (Brandi Carlile)
Mexican Home (John Dickerson — spoken word)
Grandpa Was A Carpenter (John Prine and family — archived footage)
Far From Me (Prine’s longtime band, Kenneth Blevins, David Jacques, Fats Kaplin and Jason Wilber, featuring Sara Watkins)
Some Things Never Get Old (Vince Gill)
Paradise (Jack Prine and Tommy Prine)
Souvenirs (The Secret Sisters with Ricky Rogers)
Illegal Smile (Todd Snider with members of Prine’s band)
In Spite of Ourselves (Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick)
Summer’s End (Rita Wilson)
Speed of the Sound of Loneliness (Sturgill Simpson)
She Is My Everything (Eric Church)
Crazy As A Loon (Kurt Vile, John Paul White, Jim James, Pat McLaughlin and Courtney Marie Andrews)
Unwed Fathers (Kelsey Waldon with members of Prine’s band)
Angel From Montgomery (Bonnie Raitt)
When I Get To Heaven (John Prine recording)
