You Got Gold, a new feature documentary celebrating the life, music and influence of John Prine, will begin its national theatrical rollout in New York on 28 November at The Quad, before expanding across North America.
Officially selected for the 2025 Nashville Film Festival, the film captures a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of artists at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium to honour one of the most beloved and influential songwriters in American music.
Directed by Michael John Warren and produced by Fiona Whelan Prine, Dave Sirulnick and Samantha Mustari, You Got Gold features a dream line-up of performers including Brandi Carlile, Kacey Musgraves, Tyler Childers, The War and Treaty, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt, Dwight Yoakam, Jason Isbell, Kurt Vile, Lyle Lovett, Allison Russell & JT Nero, Valerie June, Nathaniel Rateliff, The Milk Carton Kids, Swamp Dogg, I’m With Her and Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead.
Filmed in October 2022, the event at the Ryman brought Prine’s friends, family and fans together to perform his songs and share stories from his remarkable life. Produced by RadicalMedia and Oh Boy Pictures, the documentary is executive produced by Jon Kamen, Meredith Bennett, Jack Prine, Jody Whelan, Eileen Tilson and Robert Meitus.
For half a century, John Prine’s lyrics shaped the emotional landscape of American folk and country. From the mail routes of suburban Chicago to the stages of the world, Prine’s songs mixed humour, heartbreak and humanity in a way that few have ever matched. His 1971 debut album, featuring classics such as Paradise, Sam Stone, Angel from Montgomery and Hello in There, instantly marked him as one of the finest storytellers of his generation.
It was Chicago film critic Roger Ebert who first put Prine on the map with a glowing review, and Kris Kristofferson who opened the door to national audiences. Within months, the former mailman was hailed as a “new Dylan,” though Prine’s voice was unmistakably his own – humble, sharp and deeply empathetic.
Prine went on to record a string of acclaimed albums through the 1970s including Sweet Revenge, Common Sense and Bruised Orange, before co-founding his independent label Oh Boy Records in 1981, a bold move that gave him full creative control decades before it became common practice. His later work, including The Missing Years and The Tree of Forgiveness, proved that age only deepened his gift, while his posthumous single I Remember Everything stands as one of the most poignant farewells in modern music.
You Got Gold shows why generations of artists – from Bonnie Raitt and Lucinda Williams to Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell – hold Prine in near-reverent regard. Raitt’s version of Angel from Montgomery became a touchstone of American roots music, while Carlile’s reverent performance in the film embodies how Prine’s writing continues to inspire today’s songwriters.
The film weaves archival footage, rare interviews and intimate backstage moments with the live performances from the Ryman, creating a portrait that’s as funny, warm and unguarded as Prine himself. His wife and creative partner Fiona Whelan Prine, who co-produced the film, ensures the story remains grounded in family and legacy, a thread that runs through so much of his work.
Prine’s death in April 2020 at age 73 from COVID-19 complications marked the loss of a giant. Yet, as You Got Gold shows, his songs live on in the voices of those he inspired. Bob Dylan once called Prine’s work “pure Proustian existentialism,” and Johnny Cash named him among his favourite songwriters. From Sam Stone to Lake Marie, from In Spite of Ourselves to I Remember Everything, Prine’s songs remain timeless studies of life in all its tragicomic beauty.
You Got Gold – A Celebration of John Prine opens 28 November at The Quad in New York, with more screenings to follow across North America.
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