

It was his first career-spanning collection and featured 35 of his biggest hits plus two new songs, one of which, “Walk Tall,” was backed with an award-winning video that condemned discrimination. Words & Music: John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits was released in 2005. He’s a Grammy-winner and the recipient of numerous awards including The Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck Awards, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award and their highest honor the Founders Award, the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting and the Billboard Century Award, amongst a host of other honors. Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Hit singles during that time ranged from "Your Life Is Now" to "I'm Not Running Anymore" to "Peaceful World." John continued to tour throughout 1999, 2001, 2002, 20. Releases included 1998's John Mellencamp, 1999's Rough Harvest, 2001's Cuttin Heads, and 2003's Trouble No More. Healthier and happier, he returned to touring in 1997 and continued to write and record frequently. Happy Go Lucky, which featured the hit "Key West Intermezzo" (I Saw You First). This forced him to take a break from his music career, but he returned strong in 1996 and released Mr. John suffered a mild heart attack while touring in 1994 in support of Dance Naked.

In 1991 John made his film debut, starring in and directing Falling From Grace, a modest box office success that was well received by critics. It became an annual event and has helped make people aware of the issues farmers face and how they affect on the entire nation.īy the early 1990's "Cougar" was finally gone from John's name and a string of successful albums as John Mellencamp-Whenever We Wanted, Human Wheels and Dance Naked (including the number 2 single "Wild Night")-were released. In 1985, John's concern for the plight of the American farmer, which had been voiced in the Scarecrow album, brought him together with Willie Nelson and Neil Young in launching Farm Aid.

Mellencamp took the music on the road with a band that many considered the best in the business, playing approximately 1,000 shows around the globe during the decade. In The U.S.A.," "Paper In Fire," "Check It Out," "Cherry Bomb," "Pop Singer," and "Jackie Brown." Hit singles during this period included "Crumblin Down," "The Authority Song," "Small Town," "Rain On The Scarecrow," "Lonely Ol Night," ""R.O.C.K. John protested but was overruled and eventually, of course, reclaimed his birth name as his public name.Īfter releasing a few albums, he broke out in 1979 with his first hit, "I Need A Lover" In 1982 his fifth album American Fool was the year's best-selling album on the strength of two huge hits, "Hurts So Good," and the number 1 single "Jack & Diane," The albums that followed in the 80's, Uh-Huh, Scarecrow, Lonesome Jubilee, and Big Daddy, were released under the name John Cougar Mellencamp. His manager dubbed him Johnny Cougar out of his belief that nobody would buy a record by anybody named Mellencamp.
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His professional music career began in earnest in 1976 when MCA Records released his first album, The Chestnut Street Incident. His tale is inspirational, prodding all of us to flex our own muscles for righteous causes, without fear or hesitation."īorn Octoin Seymour, Indiana, John Mellencamp fell in love with music at an early age and was gigging in local bars and fronting a soul band by the time he was 14. From a lifetime of searching for clues trying to understand what makes this world tick, it seems his mid-west roots only served to strengthen him for the job. Someone's gotta be the one not to be afraid of anything or anyone. But I had to study fighting most of all." Heck. My father sang, "When I was a little boy, first I had to grow. Their punches are meant to land and fall their opponents Injustice, Racism, and even Capitalism itself. It takes a fighter to achieve all of this, and fighters are often hot headed, impulsive and laser focused on their sense of right and wrong. This book is his unique tale, tracing his journey to become an international rock star, an honored songwriter, a serious painter, and a spokesman for small farmers, civil rights, and a slew of other righteous causes. For John, the power of the punch also transformed into the power of song. Early on, power rested with the strongest punch. My father traveled a similar road in Oklahoma, learning the skills of fist-fightin and later as voice-fighting. Like my father who grew up in Oklahoma, John started out as a son of the mid-west, heir to generations of farmers who passed down ways to fight all kinds of catastrophes, both natural and man-made first with a fist then with a voice. John Mellencamp not only has a mind, but better yet, he's got a mind of his own.
