“Blow up your TV, throw away your paper,

Go to the country, build you a home,

Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches,

Try and find Jesus on your own.”

John Prine penned these four lines for his 1971 song “Spanish Pipedream,” words that perhaps capture the pure essence of the late folk singer.

Prine preached that in order to find happiness, one must find middle ground between the simple and the unconventional. (While there is no doubt that Prine was a musical and lyrical genius, please, whatever you do, do not throw away your newspaper.)

On Friday, exactly three years to the day after Prine’s death, a hodgepodge of beloved local singers, songwriters and musicians will gather at the Velvet Elk, 2037 13th St., Boulder, to emulate Prine’s spirit and pay homage to the legendary folk artist.

“Illegal Smile — A Tribute to the Life and Music of John Prine” was organized by Boulder-born musician Derek Dames Ohl.

Ohl, who sings, writes music, plays the guitar and slaps the bass — both as a solo musician and as a part of local band Flash Mountain Flood — grew up listening to Prine and admired his songwriting abilities.

“I learned how to become the guitar player that I am today from learning almost all of his catalog,” Ohl said. “His finger-picking styles, his chord progressions — I get more inspiration from John when it comes to writing than from anyone else.”

Ohl said he and several other members of the Boulder music scene had discussed organizing a concert that celebrated the life of Prine when an April 7 opening slot at the Velvet Elk ‘‘magically” presented itself — a date that marks the three-year anniversary of Prine’s passing.

Prine died on April 7, 2020, at 73, after suffering complications from COVID-19. In his lifetime, not only had he beat cancer twice, but he was the first singer-songwriter to read and perform at the Library of Congress. Prine left behind a musical career spanning five decades and he left behind a big hole in the heart of many musicians.

After his death in 2022, stars like Kacey Musgraves, Tyler Childers, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile and Bob Weir celebrated Prine, one of the most influential songwriters of his generation, with a tribute show in Nashville.

He was idolized before his death, too. In 2010, various artists — from Conor Oberst and Justin Townes Earle to The Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show — collaborated on “Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine,” a tribute album. “Volume 2” was released in 2021.

Ohl says he decided to name the Boulder tribute event “Illegal Smile” after the song that first turned him on to the music of Prine.

“I think ‘Illegal Smile’ in my mind is such a funny song,” Ohl said. “There are so many different theories to what the songs meaning is — some have speculated that it’s about LSD, others think it’s about pot — but there’s a famous interview with John Prine where he literally says that it’s about smiling when you’re not supposed to be.”

Ohl will be joined by several special guests, including Brandy Rae, of Front Range Americana string band Brandywine and the Mighty Fines, vintage Western singer Shawn Hess, based in Laramie, Wyo., along with members of Ohl’s band Flash Mountain Flood, Durango-based folk group Liver Down the River, and more.

Thomas Buswell, the guitarist for Liver Down the River, cites Prine as one of his musical influences, especially when it comes to songwriting.

“He’s taught me the lesson — especially when it comes to songwriting — to write about what’s real and what you know, however humble and small it might seem,” Buswell said. “I think Prine does a really good job of capturing the small moments of American life, and of the common man or woman.”

Buswell said he’s excited to see how Friday’s show shakes out.

“You’ve got all of these musical friends getting together from different genres and playing these John Prine tunes that we all know, and love, and all have in common,” Buswell said. “It’ll be full of surprises, in true John Prine fashion.”

“Illegal Smile: A Tribute to the Life and Music of John Prine” kicks off at 7:30 Friday at the Velvet Elk Lounge. Tickets are $15 and can be found at velvetelklounge.com. A portion of proceeds will benefit The Hello in There Foundation, an initiative started by Prine’s family after his passing.