Country music stars rip CMAs for not acknowledging John Prine during award show
John Prine was not given a tribute during Wednesday’s CMA Awards, and some country musicians are fed up.
Prine, a Grammy award-winning folk singer and songwriter, died in April from COVID-19 complications, McClatchy News reported. He was 73.
Tribute performances were held during the CMA Awards for other musicians who died this year, including Charlie Daniels and Kenny Rogers — but not Prine, Stereogum reported.
There was not an “In Memoriam” during the award show, according to SavingCountryMusic.com.
“Two seconds. That’s all it would have took,” country musician Sturgill Simpson said in a since-deleted Instagram video. “Two seconds. Literally two syllables: John Prine. That’s it.”
He also said in a profanity-laden post he “just wanted to see if they would say his name, but nope,” according to Stereogum.
Prine was given the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 62nd Grammy Awards ceremony this year, McClatchy News reported. Last year, he was elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Fellow musician Jason Isbell said he and his wife, Amanda Shires, plan on rescinding their membership to the Country Music Association after the omission.
“Due to @countrymusic’s failure to mention John Prine, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Billy Joe Shaver at the CMA’s last night, @amandashires and I have decided to return our membership cards,” Isbell tweeted. “I doubt anybody will care, but we cared a lot about our heroes.”
Asked if it would be better that he keep his membership and try to bring about change, Isbell responded, “I feel my energy is best spent elsewhere.”
Prine’s record label, Oh Boy Records, tweeted Wednesday it was “disappointed” Prine would not be included in the show.
“Country music was both the inspiration and foundation for his songwriting and performing,” the label tweeted. “While there may be a number or artists who have had more commercial success than John, there are very few who achieved more artistically.”
