At ‘Songwriters Salute John Prine’ at Wolf Trap in Virginia, Emmylou Harris, Margo Price, Allison Russell and Others Make the Case for Prine as America’s Poet Laureate

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

Latest

• At ‘Songwriters Salute John Prine’ at Wolf Trap in Virginia, Emmylou Harris, Margo Price, Allison Russell and Others Make the Case for Prine as America’s Poet Laureate 40 minutes ago
• Olivia Rodrigo Trades Pop-Punk for New Wave — and Angst for True Love (for Half an Album) — in the Excellent ‘You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love’: Review 3 days ago
• Bill Cody, Grand Ole Opry Announcer and Revered WSM Country Radio Personality, Dies at 67 5 days ago

When some look toward the U.S. semiquincentennial and consider what examplar might best represent American achievement or the nation’s character, only one thing inevitably comes to mind: wrestling. Fortunately, there were others who put their heads together and came up with an alternative choice: John Prine. The leadership at Wolf Trap, the concert venue/national park in Virginia just outside of D.C., had the idea to have some of the late troubadour’s fellow songwriters salute him in a concert loosely tied in with the country’s 250th birthday. And as Prine’s songs of empathy, careful observation, pathos and droll humor rang out into the warm, Washington-adjacent night, it’s safe to say that not even Lee Greenwood could have ever made an audience feel prouder to be an American, current circumstances notwithstanding.

Related Stories

Argentina's Sebastián De Caro Sets Spin-Off of Joe Begos’ Horror Pic ‘Jimmy and Stiggs,’ Released by Eli Roth's The Horror Section (EXCLUSIVE)