John Mellencamp
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-->John Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951 in Seymour, Indiana) is an American rock/roots rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist, known for a long and successful recording and performing career highlighted by a series of 1980s hits, including "Jack and Diane", "Pink Houses" and others, and by his role in the Farm Aid charity event.
Early life
Mellencamp, who has a mild form of spina bifida, had a troubled childhood marked by several brushes with the law. He eloped with his pregnant girlfriend at seventeen and began performing with a band the following year.The John Cougar years
At age 24, Mellencamp, determined to break into the music business, moved to New York City and signed on with agent Tony DeFries of MainMan Management (at the time well-known for representing David Bowie). DeFries insisted that Mellencamp's first album, Chestnut Street Incident, a collection of covers and derivative originals, be released under the stage name Johnny Cougar, a move Mellencamp claims was made without his knowledge and against his will.[[Citing sources citation needed]] The album was a failure, and Mellencamp lost his contract with MCA Records.He signed to the tiny Riva Records label and recorded 1978's A Biography, unreleased in the United States, but which yielded a hit in Australia, "I Need a Lover". Now known as John Cougar, Riva added the catchy rocker to the next album, John Cougar (1979) and it become a Top 40 single in November 1979. Female rocker Pat Benatar recorded "I Need a Lover" and released the song as a single from her debut album In the Heat of the Night.
In 1980, Mellencamp returned with Nothin' Matters And What If It Did? -- another scattershot effort that did manage to yield the Top 40 singles "This Time" and "Ain't Even Done With The Night," the latter of which was one of the most distinct songs Mellencamp had written to date. In 1982 Mellencamp released his breakthrough album, American Fool, (see 1982 in music). The hit singles "Hurt So Good" and "Jack and Diane" sent the album to the top of the charts, and a third single, "Hand To Hold Onto," cracked the Top 20 and was a staple in his concerts throughout the 1980s.
The John Cougar Mellencamp Years
With a major hit under his belt, Mellencamp insisted on changing his billing to John Cougar Mellencamp (compromising by keeping the stage name as well as his true last name) for the 1983 follow-up, Uh-Huh, which was another top-10 hit and spawned several hit singles, including the vivid Americana of "Pink Houses," and the rocking "Crumblin' Down." Despite his popular success, Mellencamp fared less well with critics who tended to view him as a derivative heartland rocker in the mold of Bob Seger or as a poor man's Bruce Springsteen.It was during the recording of Uh-Huh that Mellencamp's backing band settled on the lineup it would retain for the next several albums: Kenny Aronoff on drums and percussion, Larry Crane and Mike Wanchic on guitars, Toby Myers on bass and John Cascella on keyboards.
Mellencamp, now beginning to assert his power as a hitmaker, changed his billing for songwriting and production credits to simply John Mellencamp, although his official name on album covers and other releases was still John Cougar Mellencamp. He also made waves by refusing to allow alcohol or tobacco companies to sponsor his tours and was adament in not selling his songs for commercial use, no matter how much money he was offered.
In 1985 Mellencamp released Scarecrow, a rural masterpiece that was dubbed his first "serious" effort. The album's lyrics were socially aware, with several songs focusing on the plight of the American family farmer, and Mellencamp soon helped organize Farm Aid with Willie Nelson. Scarecrow was the epitome of a heartland rock album and improved his critical reputation in some quarters, while "Lonely Ol' Night", "Small Town", and "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A." all became Top 10 hits, while "Rain On The Scarecrow" and "Rumbleseat" garnered considerable play on album-rock stations.
During this time Mellencamp was establishing himself as one of the best live acts in rock 'n roll. His concerts were celebrations of all that was great about rock music, and during the 1985-86 Scarecrow Tour he played not only two blistering sets of his own songs, but also a set of 1960s rock and soul classics such as "Mickey's Monkey," "Proud Mary," "Nobody But Me," "Cold Sweat," and "Mony Mony" among others to close out his high-energy shows. By the end of the Scarecrow Tour he had also added fiddle player Lisa Germano to his band to accent and deepen his overall sound.
Germano played a big role in Mellencamp's next LP, 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee, which was departure from his earlier material as it incorporated country and folk influences. It generated several more hit singles, "Paper in Fire," "Cherry Bomb" and "Check It Out," along with stellar album tracks like "Hard Times For An Honest Man" and "The Real Life" and is considered one of the best and most unique albums of the 1980s. The Lonesome Jubilee Tour played around the world to rave reviews and kept him on the road until July of 1988. By this time Mellencamp's band was universally hailed as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, ensemble in rock.
1989's Big Daddy was an ever quieter, mostly acoustic venture; the "Cougar" cover usage now seemed fully inappropriate, and it was indeed the last album to contain it. Big Daddy stands as one of Mellencamp's finest albums, containing terrific songs like "Jackie Brown," "Big Daddy of Them All" and "Void in My Heart." By this point Mellencamp had established himself as one of the rock's greatest songwriters and most unique talents. He decide not to tour behind the album, instead shifting his focus to a newfound love of painting that helped him through a rough divorce from his second wife Vicky.
Finally just John Mellencamp
1991's Whenever We Wanted was the first album whose cover was billed to just John Mellencamp. It yielded the hit "Get a Leg Up", and marked Larry Crane's departure from the band, replaced by guitarist David Grissom.'By 1993's Human Wheels, Mellencamp's critical reception was solid and Dance Naked (1994) spawned his biggest hit in years, "Wild Night" (a cover of Van Morrison's song, in the form of a duet with Me'Shell NdegeOcello). The album saw Grissom replaced by guitarist Andy York -- still Mellencamp's guitarist to this day -- and contained two of Mellencamp's best protest songs in "L.U.V" and "Another Sunny Day 12/25."
After a mild 1994 heart attack, Mellencamp returned in 1996 with Mr. Happy Go Lucky, which blended heavier dance rhythms with his now signature folk-rock style with the aid of dance producer Junior Vasquez. "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw Your First)" and "Just Another Day" were breezy and infectious and both garnered a good deal of airplay -- the former becoming his last Top 40 single. Because of the use of dance and hip-hop elements in the rhythm of the album's songs, Mr. Happy Go Lucky broke new ground in much the same way The Lonesome Jubilee did nine years earlier.
Mellencamp left Mercury after Mr. Happy Go Lucky. Issued a day before his 47th birthday in 1998, his self-titled debut for Columbia Records included the singles "Your Life is Now" and "I'm Not Running Anymore", along with outstanding album tracks such as "Eden Is Burning," "Miss Missy," "It All Comes True" and "Chance Meeting At The Trantula." Hard-core fans have even enjoyed two unreleased songs Mellencamp wrote for his Columbia debut, the hard-rocking "Here Comes Angie" and one of his most intriguing songs about racism, "March Of The Forgotten Seven." The switch in labels coincided with the talented Dane Clark replacing the legendary Aronoff on drums.
In 1999 Mellencamp covered his own tunes as well as those by Bob Dylan and the Drifters (a wonderful take on "Under The Boardwalk") for his album Rough Harvest, one of two albums he owed Mercury Records to fulfill his contract (the other was The Best That I Could Do, a best-of collection). The orginals Mellencamp cut for Rough Harvest were done in an acoustic folk fashion and cast new light on some of his strongest material.
The early 21st century found Mellencamp teaming up with artists such as Chuck D and India.Arie to deliver a more laid back record with Cuttin' Heads, spawning the radio hit "Peaceful World" -- a duet with India.Arie. Audiences would associate "Peaceful World" with the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, even though Mellencamp had written it two years beforehand. He performed "Peaceful World" at The Concert for New York City and it appeared in a more mournful, live acoustic version on the benefit album God Bless America. Cuttin' Heads garnered excellent reviews and continued Mellencamp's reputation as a serious social commentator who still has the ability to write catchy, light-hearted pop/rock songs. "Deep Blue Heart" is a gorgeous duet with country singer Trish Yearwood, and "Just Like You" is a rocking, percussion-drenched romantic tune that showed Mellencamp's range as a songwriter.
Trouble No More followed in mid-2003 (see 2003 in music), a quickly-recorded but brilliant collection of rootsy folks and blues covers by artists such as Robert Johnson, Son House, and Lucinda Williams. The album was also dedicated to Mellencamp's friend, Billboard editor-in-chief Timothy White, who died from a heart attack in 2002.
A self-proclaimed advocate of American liberalism, Mellencamp participated in the Vote for Change tour in October of 2004 leading up to the 2004 U.S. Presidential election. That same month he released the two-disc career hits retrospective "Words and Music," which contained 35 of his radio singles (including all 22 of his top 40 hits) along with two terrific new tunes, the infectious, socially-conscious, R&B tinged single "Walk Tall" along with "Thank You."
Mellencamp is currently working on his first album of original material since 2001's Cuttin' Heads. The new album is expected to contain quite a few political tunes, and Mellencamp even debuted one of the them, entitled "Our Country," as the opening song on his 2006 spring tour. Titles for songs Mellencamp has written for his new album include, "1600 Pennsylvania Ave.," "Ghost Towns Along The Highway," "Commander-in-Chief," and "Rodeo Clown" in addition to "Our Country." While no release date is set for the new disc, it could hit stores as soon as the fall of 2006 or sometime in 2007.
Note: As of May 4, 2006 Mellencamp has sold 25.7 million albums in the United States. [link].
Movie career
Mellencamp has had a brief career as an actor, appearing in four films: Falling from Grace (which he also directed) (1992), Madison (2001), After Image (2001), and Lone Star State of Mind (2002).Influence
Mellencamp's sound is cited as a major influence by fellow midwesterners Sheryl Crow, Garth Brooks, Joan Osborne, Big and Rich, Kid Rock & Aussie Keith Urban.Personal life
Mellencamp lives in Bloomington, Indiana and married former supermodel Elaine Irwin Mellencamp on September 5, 1992. Mellencamp has five children from three marriages: daughters Michelle (b. 1970), Teddy Jo (1981), and Justice (1985), along with sons Hud (b. 1994) and Speck (1995).Discography
Albums
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 (US) | UK Albums Chart (UK)
| 1976
| Chestnut Street Incident
| -
| -
| 1977
| The Kid Inside
| -
| -
| 1978
| A Biography
| -
| -
| 1979
| John Cougar
| 64
| -
| 1980
| Nothin' Matters and What If It Did
| 37
| -
| 1982
| American Fool
| 1
| 37
| 1983
| Uh-Huh
| 9
| -
| 1985
| Scarecrow
| 2
| -
| 1987
| The Lonesome Jubilee
| 6
| 31
| 1989
| Big Daddy
| 7
| 25
| 1991
| Whenever We Wanted
| 17
| 39
| 1993
| Human Wheels
| 7
| 37
| 1994
| Dance Naked
| 13
| -
| 1996
| Mr. Happy Go Lucky
| 9
| -
| 1997
| The Best That I Could Do
| 33
| 25
| 1998
| John Mellencamp
| 41
| -
| 1999
| Rough Harvest
| 99
| -
| 2001
| Cuttin' Heads
| 15
| -
| 2003
| Trouble No More
| 31
| -
| 2004
| [[Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits]]
| 13
| -
| |
|---|
Singles
| Year | Song | US Hot 100 | UK singles | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "I Need A Lover" | 28 | - | John Cougar |
| 1980 | "Small Paradise" | 87 | - | John Cougar |
| 1980 | "This Time" | 27 | - | Nothin' Matters and What If It Did |
| 1981 | "Ain't Even Done With The Night" | 17 | - | Nothin' Matters and What If It Did |
| 1982 | "Hurts So Good" | 2 | - | American Fool |
| 1982 | "Jack And Diane" | 1 | 25 | American Fool |
| 1982 | "Hand To Hold On To" | 19 | - | American Fool |
| 1983 | "Crumblin' Down" | 9 | - | Uh-Huh |
| 1984 | "Pink Houses" | 8 | - | Uh-Huh |
| 1984 | "Authority Song" | 15 | - | Uh-Huh |
| 1985 | "Lonely Ol' Night" | 6 | - | Scarecrow |
| 1985 | "Small Town" | 6 | - | Scarecrow |
| 1986 | "R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A. (A Salute To 60's Rock)" | 2 | - | Scarecrow |
| 1986 | "Rain On the Scarecrow" | 21 | - | Scarecrow |
| 1986 | "Rumbleseat" | 28 | - | Scarecrow |
| 1987 | "Paper In Fire" | 9 | - | The Lonesome Jubilee |
| 1987 | "Cherry Bomb" | 8 | - | The Lonesome Jubilee |
| 1988 | "Check It Out" | 14 | - | The Lonesome Jubilee |
| 1988 | "Rooty Toot Toot" | 61 | - | The Lonesome Jubilee |
| 1989 | "Pop Singer" | 15 | - | Big Daddy |
| 1989 | "Jackie Brown" | 48 | - | Big Daddy |
| 1991 | "Get a Leg Up" | 14 | - | Whenever We Wanted |
| 1992 | "Again Tonight" | 36 | - | Whenever We Wanted |
| 1993 | "Human Wheels" | 48 | - | Human Wheels |
| 1994 | "Wild Night" (with Me'shell Ndegeocello) | 3 | 34 | Dance Naked |
| 1994 | "Dance Naked" | 41 | - | Dance Naked |
| 1996 | "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" | 14 | - | Mr. Happy Go Lucky |
| 1997 | "Just Another Day" | 46 | - | Mr. Happy Go Lucky |
See also
External links
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