RTÉ Radio 1's John Creedon remembers the late, great John Prine, who passed away earlier this week.
Great songwriters are usually great listeners. John Prine was both. An understated gentleman who held his fire until his aim was true. He was always bang on the mark.
Listen: John Creedon celebrates John Prine on The John Creedon Show
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For the most part, John flew under the radar of publicity. I had never heard of him until my Canadian brother in law, Kevin Delaney, sent me a home-made compilation cassette in 1978.
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In there, amongst the dusty blues and gospel recordings was John's raspy delivery of Sam Stone, a song of great beauty set in the grime of hopelessness and addiction. On the other side of the cassette was Hello in There, a glimpse into the reality of old age delivered with compassion so beautiful that it brought a sting to my eye. It was love at first hearing.
Those two songs, written when John was a mere youngster, were just the top-soil of a very deep and fertile talent, fed by a rich wit and warmed by a generous heart. Like so many of my generation, John got me through many hard times and late nights. The sadness may dissipate, but the love can only deepen.
The John Creedon Show, RTÉ Radio 1, weeknights at - listen back here.
