John Prine’s wife Fiona Whelan Prine issued a statement Wednesday following the death of the legendary singer-songwriter from complications related to COVID-19.
“Our beloved John died yesterday evening at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. We have no words to describe the grief our family is experiencing at this time,” Whelan Prine wrote on social media. “John contracted COVID-19 and in spite of the incredible skill and care of his medical team at Vanderbilt he could not overcome the damage this virus inflicted on his body.”
She continued, “I sat with John — who was deeply sedated — in the hours before he passed and will be forever grateful for that opportunity.”
Prince died Tuesday at the age of 73, just over a week after it was first revealed that the singer tested positive for the novel coronavirus; Whelan Prine also tested positive for COVID-19 but has since recovered.
“My dearest wish is that people of all ages take this virus seriously and follow guidelines set by the CDC. We send our condolences and love to the thousands of other American families who are grieving the loss of loved ones at this time — and to so many other families across the world,” Whelan Prine wrote. “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. 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.”
In lieu of flowers, Whelan Prine is instead asking fans to make donations to the nonprofits Thistle Farms, Room in the Inn and Nashville Rescue Mission.
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In the aftermath of Prine’s death, artists like Bruce Springsteen, Jeff Tweedy and the Dixie Chicks’ Natalie Maines have also paid tribute to the beloved songwriter.
