John Prine
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John Prine, the textbook definition of a "songwriter's songwriter," has lung cancer. The musician disclosed the news yesterday (Nov. 22).

“I’ve been diagnosed with non-small cell carcinoma of the lung," he wrote on his website. "Doctors here in Nashville have caught it early, and it is operable. They see no reason why I won’t fully recover. This is a different form of cancer, unrelated to what I had in 1997.”

The news has forced him to postpone four concerts, two of which had been scheduled for earlier this month. Three of the dates have already been rescheduled. His concerts in North Carolina on Dec. 6 and 7, however, will go on as planned.

“For me, there’s nothing like performing”, he said. “I look forward to seeing all my friends and fans in 2014. We have some great cities and venues lined up.”

A native of the Chicago suburbs, Prine, along with Steve Goodman ('City of New Orleans'), came up in the local folk scene in the late-60s and has long been a favorite of legends like Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp. His 1971 self-titled debut on Atlantic featured 'Angel from Montgomery,' which was later covered by Bonnie Raitt. He won a Grammy in 1992 for Best Contemporary Folk Album for 'The Missing Years,' which was produced by the late Howie Epstein, the bassist of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.

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