John Prine

The country/folk singer-songwriter was born in Maywood, Illinois, where he began writing songs and playing the guitar at age 14.

Songwriting was a hobby for Prine, who was working as a mailman and only playing gigs to have fun and impress the ladies. But he caught Kris Kristofferson's eye instead. The singer recalls his first impression of Prine at a Chicago performance: "He's 24 years old and he writes like he's 220."

Prine was drafted into the Army and served in Germany for two years during the Vietnam War.