Christened "You Got Gold" after one of John’s beloved songs, this celebration held across Music City brought together musicians and fans John inspired, eager to pay their respects to the brilliant songwriter whose artistry instilled in them a robust sense of community. Culminating in a centerpiece concert conducted at the Mother Church of Country Music, the Ryman Auditorium, an expansive array of artists from different periods of John’s life gathered to share stories and songs for the Poet Laureate of the Common Man’s 75th birthday. That touchingly intimate evening would be documented in the film You Got Gold: A Celebration of John Prine directed by Michael John Warren.
The most remarkably striking aspect of You Got Gold are the performances. More than just capturing a roster of artists influenced by John’s music, these unique yet faithful renditions extend beyond the words themselves, reaching that ethereal space which reveals the depth of John’s duality within his songwriting where his darkness and humor collided to create a truly humanizing connection in the lyrics. Interspersed with interview clips sharing personal stories involving John and the myriad ways his music has entered the lives of so many, the gorgeous footage presents a showcase of talent that speaks to the breadth of experience of those influenced by him, featuring friends both old and new. Among the performers are John’s contemporaries and other titans of the folk and country community, including Lyle Lovett (“That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round"), Dwight Yoakam (“Spanish Pipedream"), and Bob Weir dueting with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (“Great Rain”), all of whom share stories of their admiration for John and the joy of coming up through music together.
As touching and impressive as the performances by these legends are, there is something truly special within the tributes from the newer and younger artists, the ones who had toured with John as support acts in his final years. The film’s opening song, featuring Brandi Carlile singing “I Remember Everything” and backed by Lucius, was a poignant way to start an evening of commemorating an artist who touched so many lives. I’m With Her’s rendition of “Unwed Fathers” relished in the soft subtlety of John’s songwriting in a way that was entirely transformative, and the War and Treaty’s gospel-tinged cover of “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door” passionately exhibited the breadth of John’s craft.
On a night when many artists came together to celebrate the words of John Prine, there were some who had their own words to share through original songs that exemplified the spirit of the man and their connection to him and his music. Kacey Musgraves debuted an unreleased acoustic song called “Walk In Peace” that she wrote in a dreamlike state to describe a conversation with John who offered comfort by telling her to “walk in peace.” Another live debut, Lucinda Williams prefaced “What Could Go Wrong” by saying it was about John and her attempting to write a song but having too much fun getting drunk on wine instead, with Williams’ tribute a comically musical retelling befitting her friend’s sense of humor.
As these performances are the center-point of the film, You Got Gold eschews a biographical tone for a format better suited for the purpose of letting John’s music and lyrics speak for themselves. While the film shows an occasional archival clip of John such as his 2019 performance at the Songwriters Hall of Fame and an early recording at Austin City Limits in 1978, and additionally features an assortment of intimate photographs from his life and career, the film places its emphasis on the music where it belongs, which is why these tribute performances shine like gold.
Though, all of these things are not independent of each other, as seen with the film’s highlight featuring Bonnie Raitt singing “Angel From Montgomery” backed by Brandi Carlile. A hit for Bonnie in 1974, and which earned John broader recognition, she tearfully reminisces over their enduring friendship, calling each other playmates akin to Becky and Tom Sawyer. Amid her singing “Angel From Montgomery,” an archival performance of John is edited in, bridging the two lifelong friends thus proving the timelessness of the song and the bond that elevated it to something so special that touched so many lives beyond their own. It’s a feeling that lingers with you as the film culminates in a grand finale featuring all of the artists from the evening joining Dwight Yoakam and John’s son Tommy for a familial-inspired performance of “Paradise.”
A richly rewarding experience all on its own, whether you are longtime fan or new to John’s music, the screening of You Got Gold I attended at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theatre also featured a Q&A with John’s widow Fiona Prine conducted by journalist Mark Guarino, whose book chronicles Chicago history as an epicenter for country and folk music including John’s own place within it. Mark and Fiona discussed how the film’s message conveyed what John had stood for, with Fiona saying how it was John’s kindness and generosity that people remembered most through the stories they shared. Fiona also spoke about how important family was to John, recalling her first visit to Chicago and meeting his mother at her home in Melrose Park as well as the camaraderie between John and her own mother whenever they visited her family in Ireland.
These memories added a texture to the story of John’s life, but this commitment to family could also be felt within the fan community and their connections to his songs. Expressing how struck she was by the fans’ admiration for her husband, she admitted feeling a sense of responsibility to them and acknowledging that the fans could say they truly knew John through his lyrics because the lyrics were him. Fiona said this was because the empathy expressed through the characters in his songs was the quality John as a person carried through in his music which drove his connection with fans.
Fiona also spoke about John’s last album, The Tree of Forgiveness released in 2018. Breaking out of writer’s block, or his own laziness as Fiona joked, John stayed in a hotel in Nashville to finish song ideas that Fiona would find scribbled on scraps of paper and notebooks around the house, working in isolation to ultimately create the first truly cohesive album among his entire body of work. Fiona described the sense of mortality she felt throughout the album, and how songs such as “Summer’s End” became difficult experiences for her to listen to because of the impending finality they conveyed, proving to be John’s swan song with his passing just two years later in 2020.
Though death is not the end, and You Got Gold is an embodiment of that ethos. As a fundraiser for the Hello In There Foundation, a non-profit created to honor John’s music and his commitment to community, You Got Gold has continued from its inaugural celebration in 2022 to carry on John’s legacy through the power of his music and its resonance, bringing together artists and fans each year to share that spirit of community John fostered. When asked about the future of You Got Gold, Fiona teased that something special was planned for John’s 80th birthday and Chicago, the city where he formed his craft, would be involved in celebrating its hometown hero.
You Got Gold is more than just a tribute. It is a being given life through the voice of John’s music and those who carry it with them. John’s songs speak to our deepest vulnerabilities, which not only evokes empathy with the stories he tells but also how those words are woven into the complicated fabric of our own lives, giving us clarity to understand ourselves more deeply. Whatever the future may hold, for fans old and new, John’s music will ensure that we will go there together.