A Street I Used to Wander: Blue Jay Listening Room Celebrates John Prine on His 80th Birthday

John Prine would have turned 80 on October 10, 2026, and we can't think of a better way to spend that night than playing his songs with friends.

A mail carrier from Maywood, Illinois, Prine started out singing at open mics in Chicago and became one of the most beloved songwriters America has ever had. He wrote about lonely people, small towns, broken hearts and the funny parts of being alive, and he made all of it sound easy.

To mark his birthday, a group of Northeast Florida's finest songwriters and players will take turns with the Prine songbook: Sasha & Jeremiah French, Abigail and Andre Gruber, Patrick Hagerman, Jesse Loose, Joshua Reilly, and Chris Underdal. Expect the classics, a few deep cuts, and the kind of stories and harmonies that only show up when good friends play together.

Bring someone who loves these songs as much as you do. Pour a glass, settle in and sing along softly. John would want it that way.