John Prine to Be Honored at Grammy Eve Tribute Concert in L.A.

By Chris Willman

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Clive Davis’ annual Grammy eve gala in L.A. is getting some pretty hip competition at a club two miles away. The night before the awards telecast, a singer-songwriter legend who’s up for three Grammys this year, John Prine, will be saluted with a tribute concert at the Troubadour, put on by the Americana Music Association.

The organization traditionally produces a tribute show the night before the Grammys, with a lineup usually not being announced in advance, as it hasn’t been in this case. Past Americana Association tributes have been put on in honor of the likes of Loretta Lynn, Emmylou Harris and the late Glenn Frey and Phil Everly.

Tickets for the show go on sale to the general public Friday at 10 a.m. PT at . However, given the capacity of the club, there’s no guarantee that tickets will remain at that point after a presale Thursday for members of the Americana Music Association.

Prine is a four-time winner at the Americana Awards and was voted Artist of the Year in the honors held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium this past September. His 2018 album “The Tree of Forgiveness” is up for Americana album at the Grammys, and two songs from that album, “Knocking on Your Screen Door” and “Summer’s End,” are competing against one another for American roots song.

It’s not hard to come up with a wish list of fellow nominees who could theoretically show up to fete Prine. Six-time nominee Brandi Carlile sang on Prine’s album, and five-time nominee Kacey Musgraves has dueted with him on stage. Both those potential Grammy queens are expected to be in attendance at the simultaneous Clive Davis party, though, which could make an appearance at the Troubadour difficult. Ashley McBryde, who’s up for best country album, has been covering Prine’s “That’s the Way the World Goes ‘Round” in concert recently. Another nominee, Lee Ann Womack, sang on a 2016 Prine album, as did Morgane Stapleton, wife of nominee Chris Stapleton. Even if none of these prospects ultimately appear, the Americana Association won’t have any trouble filling a dance card for the man who’s arguably the most revered living folk-rock singer-songwriter.