A new version of John Prine’s beloved song, “Paradise,” performed by Sturgill Simpson, is out now on Oh Boy Records. The song—whose proceeds benefit UNICEF USA’s Covid-19 Relief Fund—will be featured on the forthcoming Prine tribute record, Broken Hearts and Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine, Vol. 2, out October 8 on Oh Boy Records.
Simpson’s version of “Paradise” is the last song recorded at The Butcher Shoppe—the studio Prine founded with Grammy Award-winning producer and engineer David Ferguson—before the building’s demolition later this year. The studio was a meaningful place to Prine and Simpson, who shared a writing space in the building and recorded there numerous times throughout their respective careers. Reflecting on Prine’s influence, Simpson shares, “For myself along with many others, he was a mentor. He was very giving with his time and wisdom, and we were all grateful to get to know him.”
Regarded as one of the English language’s premier phrase-turners, Prine is a four-time Grammy-winner, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award honoree, a seven-time Americana Music Award-winner, a PEN New England Lyrics Award recipient and member of both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Since his debut in 1971, Prine released over eighteen albums and has had his songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Carly Simon, Bette Midler, Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, George Strait, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band and many others, while drawing effusive praise from Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Bonnie Raitt, Roger Waters, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and more, who knew him as a smiling, shuffling force for good.
