John Prine, still hospitalized with COVID-19, is now stable, his wife says

John Prine, the esteemed Americana singer-songwriter who has been hospitalized in critical condition since March 26 with COVID-19, is now stable, his wife said Monday on social media.

“I have recovered from Covid-19,” Fiona Whelan Prine tweeted. “We are humbled by the outpouring of love for me and John and our precious family. He is stabile. Please continue to send your amazing Love and prayers. Sing his songs. Stay home and wash hands. John loves you. I love you.”

A few hours later, she tweeted an additional note.

“I need to clarify what I mean by ‘John is stable’. That is not the same as improving. There is no cure for Covid-19. He needs our prayers and love — as do the thousands of others who are critically ill.”

On Sunday she had given more details about her 73-year-old husband, explaining on Instagram that he had been hospitalized after “a sudden onset of COVID-19 symptoms” and was intubated on Saturday. “[H]is situation is critical,” she wrote.

Folk singer Joan Baez dedicated a song to Prine on Sunday night: her rendition of his tune “Hello in There,” from her 1975 release “Diamonds & Rust.”

“I want to sing a song for John Prine — who is a friend and a fellow singer-songwriter — and his wife, Fiona,” Baez said in a video posted on YouTube. “John is in critical condition on a ventilator from COVID-19 and his wife has also been tested positive. John, this song that I’ve sung of yours has been one of the most requested songs in my repertoire for over 40 years. So let me sing it to you and send along my best wishes and prayers.”

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Joan Baez performs “Hello in There” for John Prine

Prine, who was nominated for 11 Grammys and won twice, was honored with an additional lifetime achievement Grammy earlier this year. At the ceremony on Jan. 26, Bonnie Raitt paid tribute by playing Prine’s song “Angel From Montgomery,” which she had a hit with when the cut appeared on her 1974 album, “Streetlights.”