NEW YORK

Fiona Whelan Prine, the wife of late folk artiste John Prine, has opened up about her husband's death from coronavirus, asking people to take the threat of the disease "seriously".

Prine, whose coronavirus diagnosis was revealed on March 17, died on Tuesday at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He was 73.

Fiona posted a statement on Prine's official Instagram page, saying the whole family is grief-stricken after Prine's demise.

"John contracted COVID-19and in spite of the incredible skill and care of his medical team at Vanderbilt he could not overcome the damage this virus inflicted on his body.

"I sat with John, who was deeply sedated, in the hours before he passed and will be forever grateful for that opportunity," she said.

Fiona then urged to people to follow the guidelines of Centre for Disease Control (CDC) so as to safeguard themselves from the COVID-19 disease, which has claimed over 88,000 lives globally.

"My dearest wish is that people of all ages take this virus seriously and follow guidelines set by the CDC. We send our condolences and love to the thousands of other American families who are grieving the loss of loved ones at this time - and to so many other families across the world.

"Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of love we have received from family, friends, and fans all over the world. John will be so missed but he will continue to comfort us with his words and music and the gifts of kindness, humour and love he left for all of us to share," she added.

In a career spanning over half a century, Prine churned out heartfelt and unforgettable songs like Angel From Montgomery, Sweet Revenge and In Spite of Ourselves.

He was regarded as one of the greatest by many of his peers including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, Bette Midler and many other music legends.