A ceremony this weekend is honoring a legendary singer-songwriter who helped put Muhlenberg County on the musical map.
John Prine’s parents were from the Western Kentucky county, and Prine often spent childhood summers in the town of Paradise, which he immortalized in the famous song by that name on his debut album.
Muhlenberg County recently renamed its county park the John Prine Memorial Park at Rochester Dam. An official dedication ceremony is being held Saturday.
Prine died in 2020 at the age of 73 following complications from COVID-19.
Karen Lain, a spokesperson for the committee supporting the park, said the Rochester Dam is the perfect location to honor Prine.
“John never forgot his Western Kentucky roots and we’ve never forgotten him. It’s clear how much the Rochester Dam meant to him because of his song about Paradise, and his ashes actually did end up in the Green River, at the dam. And it’s just the appropriate place where we can honor his memory and tell his family and the world how much we loved him.”
The park includes a new pavilion, picnic tables, a playground, and a boat ramp. Lain said other amenities are also in the works.
“The ultimate plan is to have an overlook over the Green River, hopefully a monument for John Prine, and just all kinds of things will happen in the future.”
The dedication ceremony at the park begins Saturday, Oct. 1, at 2 p.m. at the park, 100 Board Ramp Lane, Drakesboro.
Liam Niemeyer is a reporter for the Ohio Valley Resource covering agriculture and infrastructure in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia and also serves Assistant News Director at WKMS. He has reported for public radio stations across the country from Appalachia to Alaska, most recently as a reporter for WOUB Public Media in Athens, Ohio. He is a recent alumnus of Ohio University and enjoys playing tenor saxophone in various jazz groups.
