Musical
Continued from Page 13
his hands and energy to fill it; for the first time in his life, he
picked up a guitar, and along with a few friends and musicians
he’s met over the years, he records and performs as Boo Rits and
The Missing Years.

For Gilbert, Prine’s music — 18 studio albums, five live record-
ings, two compilations and one video album — has served as a
mile marker for his own life. In the spring semester of 1973, he
heard Prine’s self-titled album for the first time, “which includes
some of the best songs ever written,” Gilbert writes in the intro-
duction to his book. As he raised his three daughters, Molly,
Emily and Casey, he instilled in them an appreciation for Prine
and what he sang about, to the extent that a father can. Now that
he’s mostly retired, the inspiration he’s gotten from Prine is what
keeps him hard at work writing and recording new music.

And when Prine died at 73 last spring, felled by COVID-19,
the totality of his output weighed on Gilbert. How could he
express the loss that he felt, the pain that he experienced on April
7, 2020 when news of Prine’s death hit his phone? “It hit me as if
a dear friend had died,” Gilbert recalls. To process Prine’s death
and keep his extended family connected, Gilbert started the
Album Club.

Beginning the next week, Gilbert and his wife began weekly
calls with their daughters, a few nephews and other extended
family members. They would go album by album, song by song,
and everyone would have a chance to talk about what the music
See Musical, Page 18
Bruce Rits Gilbert with his grandson, Jack
Photo by Molly Gilbert Zulauf
At Dunwoody Village, you’re always
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(610) 359-4400 | www.dunwoody.org
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3500 West Chester Pike • Newtown Square, PA 19073-4168
Independent Living • Rehabilitation • Personal Care • Skilled Nursing • Memory Support • Home Care
14 MAY 6, 2021
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777 FERRY ROAD • DOYLESTOWN PA 18901
800.992.8992 • PINERUN.ORG