October 22, 2025 • 9 mins
Fiona Prine's partner, singer-songwriter John Prine passed away in 2020. Fiona still carries his torch, and she'll be screening the documentary HOW LUCKY CAN ONE MAN GET on Sunday, October 26 at Denver's SIE Film Center. She called Bret to discuss John's life and legacy...
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
John Prine was one of the finest singer songwriters to
ever exist. He just had a way to touch people
with his music. He passed away in twenty twenty, but
his longtime partner, Fiona Prime carries his torch. In fact,
there will be a couple of screenings of the new
documentary How Lucky Can One Man Get at the c
Film Center in Denver on Sunday. It's time to meet
(00:21):
Fiona Prime on the Brett Sonders podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hi, I'm sorry about that. I actually picked up the
call and like, press the red button. I'll show you
for my heads that this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
It's fine, fine, It's delightful to meet you. You probably
hear this more than any other living person, how much
your husband's music, your partner's music, and the aura that
he created meant to them. When I'm sure strangers walk
up to you and probably start crying, Am I off?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
You're not far off? Honestly, you know. It's all done
to John's talent with lyrics. I think lyrics, and of
course melody matters too, But he had a way of encapsulating,
in sometimes as few as six red words, an entire
idea about how one might be feeling that very day.
(01:14):
And I experienced that with him too. I mean before
I even met him, I had heard his music and
there were a couple of those one lighters that was like, Wow,
this guy just nails it on the head.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
When did you know that he was the guy for you?
Because I know that you came from Ireland.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, I met John in Ireland. I met John in
Dublin in the mid eighties, mid late eighties. I was
working in the music industry also, and we met there
and we just had an instant connection through sort of
ore through I guess, through our recognition of how important
(01:51):
family is and and you know, his family were from
rural Kentucky of Mutenberg County, and I was born a
very small rural area of Ireland. And those kinds of
things surfaced to the top very quickly with us, you know,
about who we were as people, who we are as people,
and yeah, we struck an immediate friendship and that sort
(02:15):
of went on. It was a transatlantic situation for several
years until I moved to the States in nineteen ninety three.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
That is so beautiful. When will the movie, the feature
length film, The Story of Your Love be released?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I have just completed a concert documentary that is actually
we'll make its premiere in Nashville this week this Thursday,
and as soon as that finish, its a theatrical run
which we will probably go through, you know, the springtime.
As soon as we get through the theatrical run for
You Got Gold, I'm going to pivot immediately to that
(02:53):
full length documentary. It'll be it'll take a few years, probably,
but I have some of the work. We have a
lot of stuff already in pre production done.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
And we're here to talk about how Lucky Can One
Man Get, which is going to be screened on Sunday,
October twenty sixth at the c Film Center on Colfax,
and it is going to be co hosted by you,
Fiona as well as Chuck Morris, and everybody in Colorado
knows Chuck Morris and Chris ted Sally too, who's a
great man and a great man.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Great great, great man, been good, good friends to me
and my family.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
And proceeds from the event are going to benefit the
Hello in their foundation.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So after John passed, and since you are aware of
John and his career, you will remember that there was
a huge outpouring of love of grief for sure, but
also of love and just which turned into this incredible
support for me and my family and for our business
(03:50):
or Boy Records. And because we were all isolated, all
of us, me, you and everyone, I mean, we were
in the throes of that pandemic, we put together an
online memorial which was hosted on YouTube. Because it seems
like a long time ago now, but that was in
twenty twenty June of twenty twenty, and our community, and
(04:11):
I call them our community, not just our fans, but
our community raised almost half a million dollars for COVID
related causes. There was a lot going on in the
world time at that time, if you remember, and we
needed a vehicle, and John and I had talked about
setting up a foundation, just never had the time, honestly.
So we needed a vehicle to process up money and
(04:33):
to make sure that there was due diligence with granting
folks with our community's money. And so we started the
Hello in Their Foundation and it has gone from strength
to strength. I'm thrilled to say we have given about
two million dollars away so far, just in a few
years that we've been around. So I'm very proud of
(04:54):
that work in John's behalf.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
When people attend one of these screenings, one will be
a mat and a the other one will be in
the evening. This is going to benefit the Hello in
their foundation. And that's right, things that you do. I
have seen some of this film. How lucky can one
man get it? It's very moving. I understand the nuts
and bolts of how it was put together, but like
what it as a whole, what it means to you?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Well, it was shot in twenty ten, and it's filmed
in twenty ten, and so it was John. Well, what
makes it particularly unique are the elements that are involved.
It was shot with John performing all of the songs
that he wrote while growing up in Maywood, Illinois and
as a maleman in Maywood, Illinois on his mail bribe,
(05:39):
many of them. And he was singing these exact songs
to a Chicago, mostly Maywood audience. He was there at
his alma mater, his high school, to raise some funds
for a local nonprofit that we continue to support. Actually,
and so it's just it's one of the kind. John
is beaming with happiness, with pride to stand in front
(06:00):
of this audience, many of them, many of them he
knew you know, because it was a lot of family
there and a lot of friends and neighbors from that area.
John's brothers were there, all of them. We've now lost
three out of those four brothers, and Billy is a
brother sadly. So it the capitulates a history there bread
that's really I think important. But it also captures joy,
(06:23):
the pure joy that John had in in his career.
He loved what he did, he loved writing songs, he
loved mostly most of all, performing in front of an audience,
and nobody better than a hometown Chicago audience. So all
of that is on film.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I can tell you I saw him several times, first
time in Fort Collins, Colorado in nineteen eighty eight, and
it still stands as one of the most elating experiences
I ever had. And that's the great thing to me
about his art is I can't think of any other
singer songwriter who can make me laugh or make me weep.
I mean after and I'm sure this was the case
(07:00):
for you too, Fiona, after he passed. In that song
I remember everything was released, I cry, I mean I
don't cry. I'm a tough guy. I don't cry. And
that that made me cry, and I'm sure this film
is a testament to his ability to sway people intellectually
and emotionally.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yes, And I think I think John's sincerity can't be overlooked.
You know, you know, one knows when you're standing in
front of someone who's real and whose heart is true
and honest. And I think that element in his songwriting
and in his performances is there are a couple of
the things that made him so unique and his you know,
(07:44):
he was a kind man, He was a generous man,
and I think all of that came through in his
lyrics so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Hey, there was one story I wanted you to recount
for me, which was years before when he had cancer
and he had lost capacity in one of his lungs.
I understand that he had to work very hard to
get ready for performing again.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
He did. Now, I should preface it by saying that
John was not known for let's just say, keeping a
gym membership going. You know, we walked, we certainly we
took some walks, but that was about it. But his
determination to get back to do what it was that
he loved most in the world. He had a trainer
(08:26):
come to our home who he built, of course, an
immediate rapport with They were best friends after three months.
And that trainer had John literally run up and down
the big staircase on our home twice and then come
down and pick up a guitar and sing a song.
That's remarkable, and that was a big part of the
training and it really worked, and it'd got those lungs
(08:49):
back in shape to double quick time. But his commitment
to that was I have to say, I was very
impressed and I was proud of him for being willing
to put all of them into his own life.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And I want to remind our listeners one more time,
how lucky can one man get? Is going to screen
at the c Film Center twice three pm and seven
pm on October twenty six, and we have the link
at kbco dot com where you can get the tickets.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
That's fantastic and I will look forward so much to
seeing everyone there and talking and hanging out and just
having a celebration celebration with John.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
You are delightful, Fiona. I'm really happy to meet you
and I will definitely bet will you be there absolutely?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Okay, I look forward to that.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Thank you so much, Thank you so much for listening,
You can always drop me a line Brett at kbco
dot com. I'll see you next time on the Brett
Sonders podcast
John Prine was one of the finest singer songwriters to
ever exist. He just had a way to touch people
with his music. He passed away in twenty twenty, but
his longtime partner, Fiona Prime carries his torch. In fact,
there will be a couple of screenings of the new
documentary How Lucky Can One Man Get at the c
Film Center in Denver on Sunday. It's time to meet
(00:21):
Fiona Prime on the Brett Sonders podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hi, I'm sorry about that. I actually picked up the
call and like, press the red button. I'll show you
for my heads that this morning.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
It's fine, fine, It's delightful to meet you. You probably
hear this more than any other living person, how much
your husband's music, your partner's music, and the aura that
he created meant to them. When I'm sure strangers walk
up to you and probably start crying, Am I off?
Speaker 2 (00:52):
You're not far off? Honestly, you know. It's all done
to John's talent with lyrics. I think lyrics, and of
course melody matters too, But he had a way of encapsulating,
in sometimes as few as six red words, an entire
idea about how one might be feeling that very day.
(01:14):
And I experienced that with him too. I mean before
I even met him, I had heard his music and
there were a couple of those one lighters that was like, Wow,
this guy just nails it on the head.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
When did you know that he was the guy for you?
Because I know that you came from Ireland.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah, I met John in Ireland. I met John in
Dublin in the mid eighties, mid late eighties. I was
working in the music industry also, and we met there
and we just had an instant connection through sort of
ore through I guess, through our recognition of how important
(01:51):
family is and and you know, his family were from
rural Kentucky of Mutenberg County, and I was born a
very small rural area of Ireland. And those kinds of
things surfaced to the top very quickly with us, you know,
about who we were as people, who we are as people,
and yeah, we struck an immediate friendship and that sort
(02:15):
of went on. It was a transatlantic situation for several
years until I moved to the States in nineteen ninety three.
Speaker 1 (02:25):
That is so beautiful. When will the movie, the feature
length film, The Story of Your Love be released?
Speaker 2 (02:31):
I have just completed a concert documentary that is actually
we'll make its premiere in Nashville this week this Thursday,
and as soon as that finish, its a theatrical run
which we will probably go through, you know, the springtime.
As soon as we get through the theatrical run for
You Got Gold, I'm going to pivot immediately to that
(02:53):
full length documentary. It'll be it'll take a few years, probably,
but I have some of the work. We have a
lot of stuff already in pre production done.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
And we're here to talk about how Lucky Can One
Man Get, which is going to be screened on Sunday,
October twenty sixth at the c Film Center on Colfax,
and it is going to be co hosted by you,
Fiona as well as Chuck Morris, and everybody in Colorado
knows Chuck Morris and Chris ted Sally too, who's a
great man and a great man.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Great great, great man, been good, good friends to me
and my family.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
And proceeds from the event are going to benefit the
Hello in their foundation.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
So after John passed, and since you are aware of
John and his career, you will remember that there was
a huge outpouring of love of grief for sure, but
also of love and just which turned into this incredible
support for me and my family and for our business
(03:50):
or Boy Records. And because we were all isolated, all
of us, me, you and everyone, I mean, we were
in the throes of that pandemic, we put together an
online memorial which was hosted on YouTube. Because it seems
like a long time ago now, but that was in
twenty twenty June of twenty twenty, and our community, and
(04:11):
I call them our community, not just our fans, but
our community raised almost half a million dollars for COVID
related causes. There was a lot going on in the
world time at that time, if you remember, and we
needed a vehicle, and John and I had talked about
setting up a foundation, just never had the time, honestly.
So we needed a vehicle to process up money and
(04:33):
to make sure that there was due diligence with granting
folks with our community's money. And so we started the
Hello in Their Foundation and it has gone from strength
to strength. I'm thrilled to say we have given about
two million dollars away so far, just in a few
years that we've been around. So I'm very proud of
(04:54):
that work in John's behalf.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
When people attend one of these screenings, one will be
a mat and a the other one will be in
the evening. This is going to benefit the Hello in
their foundation. And that's right, things that you do. I
have seen some of this film. How lucky can one
man get it? It's very moving. I understand the nuts
and bolts of how it was put together, but like
what it as a whole, what it means to you?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Well, it was shot in twenty ten, and it's filmed
in twenty ten, and so it was John. Well, what
makes it particularly unique are the elements that are involved.
It was shot with John performing all of the songs
that he wrote while growing up in Maywood, Illinois and
as a maleman in Maywood, Illinois on his mail bribe,
(05:39):
many of them. And he was singing these exact songs
to a Chicago, mostly Maywood audience. He was there at
his alma mater, his high school, to raise some funds
for a local nonprofit that we continue to support. Actually,
and so it's just it's one of the kind. John
is beaming with happiness, with pride to stand in front
(06:00):
of this audience, many of them, many of them he
knew you know, because it was a lot of family
there and a lot of friends and neighbors from that area.
John's brothers were there, all of them. We've now lost
three out of those four brothers, and Billy is a
brother sadly. So it the capitulates a history there bread
that's really I think important. But it also captures joy,
(06:23):
the pure joy that John had in in his career.
He loved what he did, he loved writing songs, he
loved mostly most of all, performing in front of an audience,
and nobody better than a hometown Chicago audience. So all
of that is on film.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
I can tell you I saw him several times, first
time in Fort Collins, Colorado in nineteen eighty eight, and
it still stands as one of the most elating experiences
I ever had. And that's the great thing to me
about his art is I can't think of any other
singer songwriter who can make me laugh or make me weep.
I mean after and I'm sure this was the case
(07:00):
for you too, Fiona, after he passed. In that song
I remember everything was released, I cry, I mean I
don't cry. I'm a tough guy. I don't cry. And
that that made me cry, and I'm sure this film
is a testament to his ability to sway people intellectually
and emotionally.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Yes, And I think I think John's sincerity can't be overlooked.
You know, you know, one knows when you're standing in
front of someone who's real and whose heart is true
and honest. And I think that element in his songwriting
and in his performances is there are a couple of
the things that made him so unique and his you know,
(07:44):
he was a kind man, He was a generous man,
and I think all of that came through in his
lyrics so beautiful.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
Hey, there was one story I wanted you to recount
for me, which was years before when he had cancer
and he had lost capacity in one of his lungs.
I understand that he had to work very hard to
get ready for performing again.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
He did. Now, I should preface it by saying that
John was not known for let's just say, keeping a
gym membership going. You know, we walked, we certainly we
took some walks, but that was about it. But his
determination to get back to do what it was that
he loved most in the world. He had a trainer
(08:26):
come to our home who he built, of course, an
immediate rapport with They were best friends after three months.
And that trainer had John literally run up and down
the big staircase on our home twice and then come
down and pick up a guitar and sing a song.
That's remarkable, and that was a big part of the
training and it really worked, and it'd got those lungs
(08:49):
back in shape to double quick time. But his commitment
to that was I have to say, I was very
impressed and I was proud of him for being willing
to put all of them into his own life.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
And I want to remind our listeners one more time,
how lucky can one man get? Is going to screen
at the c Film Center twice three pm and seven
pm on October twenty six, and we have the link
at kbco dot com where you can get the tickets.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
That's fantastic and I will look forward so much to
seeing everyone there and talking and hanging out and just
having a celebration celebration with John.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
You are delightful, Fiona. I'm really happy to meet you
and I will definitely bet will you be there absolutely?
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Okay, I look forward to that.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Thank you so much, Thank you so much for listening,
You can always drop me a line Brett at kbco
dot com. I'll see you next time on the Brett
Sonders podcast
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!