Bonnie Raitt, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson & More Perform John Prine Tribute

John Prine‘s family and record label Oh Boy Records premiered the all-star Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine. Thursday evening’s livestream included performances by Bonnie Raitt, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, Sturgill Simpson and many others.

Along with performances, Picture Show featured never-before-seen footage of Prine, who died in April at the age of 73 due to COVID-19. Prine’s Widow, Fiona Whelan Prine, appeared throughout the tribute as did her son and Oh Boy Records director Jody Whelan. Fiona and John’s sons Jack Prine and Tommy Prine appeared as well, performing “Paradise.”

Isbell and Shires were recorded at an empty Ryman Auditorium, the former singing “Hello In There” and the latter “Clocks & Spoons.” Fellow wife-husband duo, Margo Price and Jeremy Ivey recorded “All The Best” in the empty Nashville record store Grimey’s. Another couple, actors Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, sang “In Spite Of Ourselves.”

Simpson selected “Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness” for his tribute to Prine. Raitt’s performance came near the end of the special and featured her signature rendition of “Angel From Montgomery.”

Kacey Musgraves played her original “Burn One With John Prine” and covered Prine’s “Spanish Pipedream.” Vince Gill offered a rendition of his original that mentions John Prine in the lyrics, “Some Things Never Get Old.” Eric Church recorded “She Is My Everything” inside an empty Country Music Hall Of Fame & Museum.

Brandi Carlile and her band mates, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, covered Prine’s “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore.” The Secret Sisters contributed a performance of “Souvenirs.”

Dan Auerbach was joined by Prine’s longtime collaborators Pat McLaughlin and David Ferguson on the Tree Of Forgiveness track “Caravan Of Fools,” which was co-written by Prine, Auerbach and McLaughlin. Rita Wilson, who recently recovered from COVID-19, sang “Summer’s End.”

Prine’s longtime backing band members Kenneth Blevins, David Jacques, Fats Kaplin and Jason Wilber were joined by Sara Watkins on “Far From Me,” Todd Snider on “Illegal Smile” and Kelsey Waldon on “Unwed Fathers.”

Kurt Vile, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Courtney Marie Andrews, John Paul White and McLaughlin remotely came together for a collaborative take on “Crazy As A Loon.” CBS’s John Dickerson, Stephen Colbert, Bill Murray, Billy Bob Thorton and others also appeared.

Watch Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv05dPfmx40