US President Joe Biden has nominated Donegal native Fiona Whelan Prine to join the National Council of the Arts.
Ms Whelan Prine is originally from Ardara and is President of Oh Boy Records, America’s second-oldest independent record label.
Her late husband was country songwriting legend John Prine, who died last April after contracting the coronavirus.
The couple often visited Donegal over the years before Mr Prine’s death.
Whelan Prine was formerly Business Manager for Dublin’s esteemed Windmill Lane Studios.
She met her husband John while working with renowned Irish artists such as U2 and Van Morrison, and moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1993.
They married in 1996 and had two children together.
Prine received her US citizenship in 2004 and will now use her extensive knowledge and experience in the music industry to guide her in her new role on the National Council of the Arts.
The White House issued a statement on Ms Whelan Prine’s appointment.
It said: “Fiona Whelan Prine brings an expansive viewpoint to the American roots music community as President of Oh Boy Records, the country’s second-oldest independent record label still in operation. In that role, she oversees the multiple Grammy Award-winning recordings and publishing copyrights of her late husband, American songwriter John Prine.
“She also serves as Founder and President of the newly established Hello in There Foundation.
“As one of Nashville’s most prominent and dedicated philanthropists, Whelan Prine has volunteered countless hours on behalf of Thistle Farms, a global nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to helping women survivors recover and heal from poverty, prostitution, trafficking, and addiction.
“Through unique annual fundraising events, often with an appearance by John Prine, her initiatives have helped raise more than $3 million for the organization. In the last year alone, her community involvement has raised more than $1 million for important social causes, including those related to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
