
Joe Henry & Mark Erelli Wanted to Hang Out, So We Let Them, ep. 338
From Basic Folk by The Bluegrass Situation
March 5, 2026 · 1h 25m · Episode 338
About this episode
Joe Henry and Mark Erelli discuss their experiences with chronic illnesses and the power of friendship in a heartfelt conversation.
Joe Henry has released 15 studio albums, apprenticed for legendary producer T Bone Burnett and, in turn, has produced many other musicians' albums on his own, including three GRAMMY Award-winning albums – for Solomon Burke, Carolina Chocolate Drops, and Ramblin' Jack Elliott. He's co-written a few songs as well, including a couple with his sister-in-law, who happens to be the one and only legendary pop icon, Madonna. His latest album is 'Life and Time,' a collaboration with songwriter Mike Reid, who has written many wonderful songs like "I Can't Make You Love Me," one of Bonnie Raitt's most successful and beloved recordings. In recent years, Joe has struck up a friendship with our bestie, Mark Erelli. Mark's been on Basic Folk 10,000 times and in honor of his new record, 'Spring Green,' we invited him to do whatever he wanted on this appearance on the pod. Mark chose to be in conversation with his friend Joe on location in Joe's beautiful studio located north of Portland on the coast of Maine. In 2020, Mark was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (or RP) which is causing him to slowly go blind. Joe was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer in 2018 and was told he only had months…
People in this episode
Guests: Joe Henry, Mark Erelli
Topics covered
- chronic illness
- friendship
- music
- hope
- cancer
- retinitis pigmentosa
Keywords
- Joe Henry
- Mark Erelli
- chronic illness
- cancer
- retinitis pigmentosa
- music
- friendship
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Life and Time, Spring Green
Places: Maine
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