UPDATE 11:27PM Bonnie Raitt writes on Twitter: “Words can’t even come close. I’m crushed by the loss of my dear friend, John. My heart and love go out to Fiona and all the family. For all of us whose hearts are breaking, we will keep singing his songs and holding him near.

Bruce Springsteen: Over here on E Street, we are crushed by the loss of John Prine. John and I were “New Dylans” together in the early 70s and he was never anything but the loveliest guy in the world. A true national treasure and a songwriter for the ages. We send our love and prayers to his family.

EARLIER:

I’m so sad to report that John Prine has succumbed to coronavirus at age 73. He had such a magnificent renaisssance in the last couple of years, this is a cruel way to go out.

Condolences to his wife Fiona, his family, and friends.

For years John laid low and had a cult following, and was not much in the public eye. But his return over the last two years with a great new album, “Tree of Forgiveness,” won him new fans, reactivated old fans, and brought him awards and accolades.

John’s hundreds of songs included two that will stand out forever: “Angel from Montgomery” and “Hello in There.” He won two Grammy Awards and was nominated for 9 more.

Wikipedia notes that during 2005 at the request of U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, John Prine became the first singer/songwriter to read and perform at the Library of Congress.

Most people became aware of John when Bette Midler included “Hello in There” on her debut album that year, “The Divine Miss M.” Here she is:

So many people have recorded “Angel from Montgomery” besides John, but I always think of Bonnie Raitt as the main cover artist. Carly Simon included a great one on her box set. Here’s Bonnie:

And here’s John with Emmylou Harris:

Universal Music chief Lucian Grainge is on the mend, thank goodness. After a harrowing go with COVID-19, he sent a memo today to the Universal employees catching everyone up. It sounds like it’s all good news, Lucian is number 1 with a bullet. But he warns everyone that this was not a walk in the park. Whew!

Here’s the memo:

Dear Colleagues:

I do hope each and every one of you and your loved ones is safe and doing as well as can be in these difficult times.

I apologize for not having written earlier, but I know only too well how difficult these times can be, for you see, I contracted COVID-19 and was one of the 20% whose symptoms were severe.

Today, I am at home and recuperating. Thanks to those on the front line of this crisis—the doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers whose dedication and skill brought me back to health—I am on my way to a full recovery. I will never be able to thank them enough. And the first responders and all the other essential workers putting their lives on the line out there for all of us—they are heroes, justly entitled to our deepest respect and gratitude.

Take it from someone who’s been there: this thing is not just some bad flu. It’s as serious as it gets. As serious for the young and strong as it is for the old and infirm. Wherever you are in the world, take this pandemic as seriously as it deserves to be taken. Listen to and obey the guidance of your public health authorities. You will be doing it not merely for yourself, but for your families and—as we all know by now—for literally everyone in the world.

Let me close by thanking you as well. Without exaggeration, you are the greatest team the music world has ever brought together. Your amazing work—from home nonetheless!—during these past weeks only goes to prove it. I’m so proud of how your support for our artists and songwriters has not faltered, remaining as creative and devoted as it’s ever been, even as you’ve found the energy and time to lend helping hands to our COVID-19 response effort. You are remarkable.

Please take good care. If you need some special help the company might be able to provide, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Human Resources representative.

Remember: One day this will all be behind us. And I hope that day comes soon, because, honestly, I can’t wait until we’re all back in the office together. In the meantime, I’ll see you on Zoom.

Stay safe,

Lucian

Bruce Springsteen is getting Sirius tomorrow morning.

The Boss is deejaying live on his satellite radio channel, spinning discs that he loves. He is not playing or performing, although those were the original, inaccurate reports.

But isn’t this more fun? I hope he’ll talk about his love of soul music, his favorite singers like Garland Jeffreys and Sam Moore, and play their hits. Maybe he’ll play the records that influenced him as a kid. Bruce’s insights about classic music are worth their weight in gold.

The show begins on Sirius XM at 10am on the E Street Channel, number 20. Here’s what they say officially. BTW I corrected the spelling of Sam Cooke’s name from their website: Bruce Springsteen takes over his own channel, E Street Radio, to play songs and share thoughts about the times we are living in. “Hear Bruce select songs from Roy Orbison, Sam Cook, Don Henley, Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, Patti Scialfa, Wyclef Jean, and more!”