Brandi Carlile is remembering John Prine after his death on Tuesday, April 7, staying up late on Tuesday to record a musical tribute to her friend and hero. Carlile used Instagram to share an IGTV video of herself singing Prine’s “Summer’s End,” sitting in a log cabin and softly strumming a guitar as she sang the wistful song, which was an eerily appropriate choice in the wake of Prine’s death.
“Come on home / Come on home / You don’t have to be alone / Just come on home,” the chorus reads. “Can’t sleep. Praying with this old guitar,” Carlile captioned her video. “I’m gonna miss singin’ this one with you John so tonight I’ll sing it to you. I know you didn’t make it home in the way we all wanted but you made it home. Put in a good word for us. All my love to Fiona. xoyoursingingpartner.”
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“Summer’s End” appeared on Prine’s 2018 album The Tree of Forgiveness and featured harmonies from Carlile. The two musicians performed the moving song together on multiple occasions.
Carlile’s previous Instagram post was also a tribute to Prine. Carlile posted a video of the two sitting together in a recording studio, Prine playing the guitar as they sang Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on the Wire.” “We’re so lucky to have had you,” she wrote. “You were always free. Now that you’re home and free from pain, I’m gonna pray for Fiona and the kids with everything I’ve got. Thank you for every single time I got to stand beside you and sing those once in a lifetime songs. I love you John.” One fan commented that they had seen Carlile and Prine perform together at Radio City Music Hall a few years ago, to which Carlile replied, “I’ll always be so grateful I got to be there for that.”
Prine died on Tuesday at age 73 due to complications from the coronavirus. He was originally hospitalized on March 26 and was in the ICU for 13 days. “We have no words to describe the grief our family is experiencing at this time,” Prine’s wife, Fiona Whelan Prine, wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “John was the love of my life and adored by our sons Jody, Jack and Tommy, daughter in law Fanny, and by our grandchildren.”
“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of love we have received from family, friends, and fans all over the world,” her message concluded. “John will be so missed but he will continue to comfort us with his words and music and the gifts of kindness, humor and love he left for all of us to share.” She also asked fans to forgo flowers or gifts and instead make donations to thistlefarms.org, roomintheinn.org and nashvillerescuemission.org.
Photo Credit: Getty / Erika Goldring
