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John Mellencamp

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John Mellencamp is an American rock musicians, songwriter and singer. He is best known for his catchy heartland rock, and is originally from Seymour, Indiana.

John Cougar Mellencamp was born on 7 October 1951 and formed his first band at the early age of 14. Around 1975 he found someone who was receptive to his music from MainMan management named Tony DeFries, who insisted Mellencamp used Johnny Cougar as his stage name in order to be easier to market. Mellencamp recorded an album of cover songs, but it didn’t sell well. Eventually, he parted ways with DeFrieds and signed to Riva Records and paired with Rod Stewart’s manager, Billy Gaff. Mellencamp then briefly moved to London to record and tour for his album “A Biography.” The record, which was not released in the United States did manage to chart in Australia.

Upon returning to the United States, he recorded and released “Nothin’ Matters an What If It Did?” which did have two charting singles; however, Mellencamp was not too happy with the finished product. His breakthrough album finally came in 1982 with the release of his album, “American Fool.” With the commercial success, Mellencamp was allowed to push to use his surname.

The 1985 release of “Scarecrow” was the first album that he recorded in his home studio, and saw it as the start of his alternative country genre. Shortly after, he partook in the first Farm Aid benefit concert with other founders, Willie Nelson and Neil Young, followed by a tour for “Scarecrow.” By the early 90s he dropped Cougar from his name and was billed simply as John Mellencamp.

By the early 21st century, he paired up with other artists for collaborations, and in 2005 set out on tour with John Fogerty and Donovan. He released his eighteenth album, “Life, Death, Love and Freedom” in 2008, and sold over 50,000 copies. Continuing a strong touring schedule and releasing albums, he continues into 2014, most recently with his album “Troubled Man.”

Live reviews

This was my first time seeing John Mellencamp after being a fan since I was a young kid. I grew up listening to his music and watching his videos on MTV and I thoroughly enjoyed the rock with a dash of country violin.

The show at the Chicago theater was probably a lot different than someone who would have seen Mellencamp in the 1980s would expect. Mellencamp is older and maybe/maybe not wiser from the lyrics of his songs. His newer music has a slower tempo, seems more introspective and looks at the world from the viewpoint of a man who has seen a lot of life.

The show started off with new material from his Plain Spoken album (most recent release). "Lawless Times," "Troubled Man," and "Minutes to Memories" were all played at the start of his show to capture the attention of his audience and hopefully focus it on his newer work. As a long time fan, I find it hard to reconcile his new music with the music I grew up loving. I do not mean this in a bad way. It is just that in my brain, John Mellencamp is still under thirty and raising hell in rural Indiana. Hearing his more mature voice in his new work is a pleasant surprise because the songwriting is in the same vein, just from a man who still dances, albeit a bit more slowly.

Mellencamp also played several fan favorites, "Small Town," "Jack and Diane," "Paper in Fire," "Check it Out," "Cherry Bomb," "Crumbin' Down," and "Authority Song." Each of these was a thrill to hear live from the man who defined so much of my youth. "Jack and Diane" was done acoustically which was a nice change to a song well over thirty years old. Mellencamp mentioned a sore throat and an almost cancellation of the show a few songs in but it was hard to tell how much his voice was affected because it sounded like John Mellencamp. Several songs seemed to have minor changes but that could have just been normal recorded-to-live-version differences. If the songs were changed structurally to give them a different feel for an audience that has been hearing them for thirty years or longer then I do not object as they were true enough to the originals to still resonate even if they stood apart from the originals themselves.

Overall, the energy level was pretty intense when you consider that Mellencamp has been performing live for "45 years" in his words. The band was tight and sounded great. Guitar, drums and violin packed the same punch for me as they did on the radio in 1982.

The show was my fiance's first real exposure to Mellencamp (she is from the East Coast originally and was not into him prior to the show). She danced, liked his bluesy renditions of "Catastrophe Called Life" and "Longest Days" and left with a much deeper understanding of why I have been such a long time fan. She commented on the walk back to the car how the songs really capture all of his life, from frustration with the small town life, the craziness of youth and a final acceptance as he gets older.

I wish the sound people at the Chicago Theater would have punched up the violin because being up the balcony, it sounded a little too quiet compared to the rest of the band and especially in his older work, the violin drives the tempo of the music. Also, Theater staff should have done a better job of shutting down or moving out obnoxious fans who did not know when cackling and loud voices were uncalled for when Mellencamp was speaking.

As far as Mellencamp and his band, I hope I get to see them again.

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John Mellencamp - or John Cougar Mellencamp, depending on who you ask - is one of those songwriters who seemed to embody the eighties for all who followed him; like Bruce Springsteen, his trademark style of heartland rock certainly tapped into something undeniably American, but not necessarily in a way that was trite or exploitative of the flag; instead, this was music for the people. A slew of the top ten hits that he had in his homeland during his eighties heyday were very much rooted in that way of thinking; the likes of ‘Pink Houses, ‘Cherry Bomb’ and ‘Small Town’ were all based around Mellencamp’s everyman lyrical style, with his critical attitude towards the Reagan administration prominent throughout. That’s not to say, though, that Mellencamp’s considerable cult fanbase is exclusively politically-minded; instead, many of them buy his records and turn up to his shows for nothing more than good old fashioned rock and roll. He’s more than happy to oblige, too; on his most recent tour of the UK, in the summer of 2011, he performed epic, career-spanning sets to the delight of packed theatres, proving that his appeal is not just limited to the U.S. With his twentieth studio album set for this Autumn, it won’t be too long until he’s back on these shores - news that will thrill his cult following over here.

Seeing John Mellencamp was never a goal of mine, nor was it truly an interest of mine; however, my dad is a huge fan of John Mellencamp, so I was dragged to a live set to keep my dad company. Luckily it turned out to be a pleasant surprise and a great experience to have shared with my dad. As we filled into the venue, the first thing I noticed was how I may or may not have been the youngest person there. Most of the people were around my dad’s age, but there was still that high excitement of anticipation of the coming show. The anticipation and cheers were matched by the high energy from the moment the band started to play. They opened with “Small Town,” and Mellencamp was center stage playing his guitar. The entire venue was filled with people having a good time, both on and off stage. I was surprised to realize that I really knew a good amount of the songs that he performed, even to a point where I was singing along. Despite no longer being at the absolute height of his music career, his vocals were so on point, sound exactly the same as his younger days. Clearly a seasoned performer who knows how to give the audience what they want.

The opening act for the show was actually a 25-minute long documentary it was quite boring most people in the crowd were talking through it. A few of the crowd were being disruptive and security did nothing. One joker kept booing Mellencamp, another lady kept getting out of her seat and moving forwards to record her own video and pictures and blocking the view of us who stayed in our area.

Mellencamp himself was great. He sounded awesome, did all the favorite songs, talked with the audience, told a hilarious joke about the US/Canada proposed wall, and was a fun guy to watch. Some of the loudest sing-along segments I've ever seen too.

It was a 90 minute or so set once the documentary was over, and no encores, however. So not a very long concert.

Still worth going if you like his music. I still enjoyed myself.

Ps - at least at TD place you were only allowed a drink in a cup, no water bottles allowed.

The show started about 5 minutes late with a "movie" showing the background and life of John Mellencamp. It lasted 30 minutes, the sound was horrible and it was difficult to see the pictures. It was dissappointing it was so long as We all paid good money to see a musical concert not to watch a 30 minute movie. Once the band started it was a great show. John didn't talk much except for a small story about his Grandmother and introducing himself which was fine. He played all the big hits except for one and many new and not so common songs. The concert ended in under 90 minutes and though there was lots of shouting and cheering, the lights came up and it was over. I really expected him to come back out for an encore of the song he was known for and hadn't sang during the evening. When playing it was great, though short and the movie was way too long to see while waiting for him to perform.

I saw Mellencamp in 1985 in Chattanooga. I wasn't a fan of his at the time, didn't own any of his albums, but I did know his songs that played on the radio. I got tickets and went only because it was something to do. Wow, that was one of my good choices. He had no opening act and except for a 5-10 minute break he had to take to run to the bathroom, he and his band lit up the arena for nearly 3.5 hours. From that day on, I was a Mellencamp fan. Some 500 concerts later, that show still ranks in my Top 3 of all time. Take some advice and listen to the "Uh, huh" and "Scarecrow" album and hear what a very tight band sounds like. Then catch him live, you won't see great live shows like him very often, especially now with computer generated music and autotune vocals running rampant in music today.

I loved the show! It did start promptly at 8:00pm, with a documentary film, which was nice. It got people in their seats before he actually came on stage. He performed many of his oldie-but-goodie songs and several new songs. John engaged the audience with a few stories, but spent most of the show singing. The acoustics at our venue were fantastic- so everything sounded perfect. I really really enjoyed hearing the songs I grew up listening to. Unfortunately, some of my favorite songs never received much airplay so weren’t included in the show. But the songs he did play, brought down the house. I’d highly recommend seeing the show if you have the chance!

The show began promptly at 8...with a 30 minute documentary about John Mellencamp. It was boring. Every time it faded out the crowd cheered thinking "Now the show will start!" But it kept going! The concert goers were annoyed and bored.

The concert itself lasted about 90 minutes. It was a good show, John took one short break while his keyboardist and violinist played very very well.

He did most of the hits I could think of and a bunch of songs I'd never heard before. A mix of new and old. There was no encore, which was a tad disappointing for the price of the tickets and given length of the actual concert.

Can't say I'd recommend it at the price of entry.

What a wonderful show!! I have been desperate to see John for only the second time for many years and I wasn't disappointed. The show begins with a film showing the long history of this great artist and then the band comes on and what a band. They were brilliant and so enthusiastic with the electric fiddle played bouncing around the stage. They are all talented musicians in their own right but in combination with John's great songs they were phenomenal. John interacted with the audience a little but this was about his music and we got plenty of that. What an incredible show, would love him to bring it to the UK, I would be first in line to see it again!!

This was my first time seeing John Mellencamp in concert. I did not really have the money to go to concerts growing up. But all I can say is I wish u could have, but I'm just glad I got to see him perform. He still sounds amazing even at a ripe 68 years old. The entire auditorium was singing the choruses fo songs for him. It was truly amazing. John Mellencamp was my favorite artist as I was growing up. I remember telling my mom I think Mellencamp deserves the the title of the king more than Elvis. Anyways, if anyone gets the chance to go and experience John in concert, do yourself the favor and go. You won't be let down.

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COLUMN: John Mellencamp performs for sold-out crowd

Indiana native John Mellencamp kicked off his “Live and In-Person Tour” with two back-to-back performances Feb. 5 and 6. at IU Auditorium. Mellencamp played a blend of classic his hits like “Small Town” and “Jack & Diane.”  He also performed new songs from his 2022 album like “Strictly a One-Eyed Jack,” “I Always Lie to Strangers” and “Chasing Rainbows.”  

Mellencamp opened the show with a variety of classic movie clips from Hollywood’s Golden Age, including “Hud” starring Paul Newman, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “On the Waterfront,” “The Misfits” and the James Dean classic, “Giant.” 

Mellencamp jumped in with a solid opener, consisting of several pieces from his new album. In between pieces, Mellencamp spoke to the crowd.  Mellencamp was blunt in his urging that people do not stress the little things in life. 

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“If you’re getting pissed off that the guy in front of you isn’t going the second the light turns green, you’re wasting a fuck there,” Mellencamp said. 

Many fans enjoyed his authentic mixture of nostalgia inducing hits and freshly minted songs. 

“I hoped to hear some of his vintage music that we love, and I’m thrilled that we heard it,” longtime Mellencamp fan and audience member Lisa Grissom said. “I surprisingly liked some of his new stuff. I hadn’t heard it. I liked it. His words speak to us, no matter what age you are.” 

Grissom and her Harley Davidson leather jacket-sporting husband Charlie are both longtime Mellencamp fans who came from southern Indiana. Lisa was born and raised in Seymour and continued residing in the region when Mellencamp emerged. Lisa said she loves Mellencamp's outspokenness. 

“If you listen to some of his new stuff, he addresses a lot of political and social things,” Lisa said. “He’s always been kind of outspoken about political and social issues. He’s not afraid to speak his mind. He’s not afraid to say what he believes in.” 

Kendall Santos, a student manager for IU Auditorium, said it was significant hosting such an icon like Mellencamp. 

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“With concerts, it's definitely a more relaxed and fun vibe,” Santos said. “Our job here is to make sure everyone has a good time and John Mellencamp is the right kind of person to have come here because everyone here loves him.” 

Bruce and Rita Booker of Clyde drove from out of state to see the icon they came of age listening to. Bruce said he appreciates Mellencamp's raw authenticity most of all. 

“We drove five and a half hours to come see him today,” Bruce said. “He’s made it big but he still connects to the small-town people, small town audience. He hasn’t sold himself out to the big market as much as a lot of guys do.” 

Amidst the excitement and bursts of nostalgic energy in the gothic limestone grandeur of IU Auditorium, the crowd was electric. They were ready for a return to a simpler era, where the heartland brimmed with the radical leftist folklore movement. It was as if this era had returned, not only with the nostalgia of iconic classics, but Mellencamp’s ability to smoothly transition into songs. 

The charming familiarity of the style of Mellencamp’s newer pieces, such as “I Always Lie to Strangers” and “Chasing Rainbows” are indistinguishable from “Small Town” and “Jack & Diane” in terms of which era they come from, as Mellencamp has maintained his style while always remaining original — a fine line not easily achieved by many artists.

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Mellencamp to open 2023 tour with pair of shows at IU Auditorium

BLOOMINGTON — Seymour’s native son John Mellencamp announced his Live and In Person 2023 Tour from the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame on Thursday.

The 76-night tour begins with a pair of shows at the Indiana University Auditorium on Feb. 5-6. The tour includes Indiana stops in Ft. Wayne and concludes in South Bend on June 23-24.

Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets for all US dates beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at until 10 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6 through the Citi Entertainment program.

Register now at mellencamp.com for the Mellencamp mailing list presale beginning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5.

Turner Classic Movies newsletter subscribers will have early access to tickets beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 6.

Tickets for the John Mellencamp Live and In Person tour will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 7.

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John Mellencamp extends tour to include 2024 stop at Ball State

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana-grown rocker John Mellencamp is extending his sold-out “Live and In Person 2023” tour to include a stop at Ball State University in 2024.

Mellencamp will bring his “Live and In Person 2024 ” tour to Ball State’s Emens Auditorium on Friday, March 22.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, Nov. 3, at 10 a.m. local time. Tickets range from $49.50 to $149.50 and can be purchased online, at the Emens Auditorium box office, and by phone.

Fans will want to act fast because the Muncie show is the tour’s only stop in Indiana .

Mellencamp’s 2023 tour included several stops in Indiana and a performance during Farm Aid 2023 at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville.

The 72-year-old Seymour native released his first album, “The Chestnut Street Incident,” in 1976. Over the years, he has amassed 22 Top 40 hits in the U.S., including “I Need a Lover,” “Hurts So Good,” and “Jack & Diane.”

His 25th album, “Orpheus Descending,” was released earlier this year. No stranger to political issues, Mellencamp uses the album’s first track , “Hey God,” as a message about gun violence.

Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018.

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Outlaw Music Festival brings Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan and John Mellencamp to ONE Spokane Stadium in August

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MLB notes: Scott Yelle completes emotional…

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MLB notes: Scott Yelle completes emotional ballpark tour in late son’s honor

Eighteen parks and less than three months later, that dream has officially come true.

Last Sunday, Scott Yelle completed his whirlwind ballpark tour in Jackson’s honor, catching the Detroit Tigers’ 10-2 home win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Comerica Park. The last stop came after he’d also seen games in St. Louis and Kansas City the days prior, and in Detroit he was joined by his wife, daughter and several others for the final game.

“It was pretty special,” Yelle said by phone earlier this week. “It was a beautiful day, good to have family and friends around, and the Tigers, as everyone has, continued to make us feel like royalty and treated us really special.”

MLB notes: Cape Cod father determined to finish ballpark journey he and late son started together

A North Eastham resident and a graduate of Nauset Regional High School, Jackson Yelle was a talented and well-regarded ballplayer who went on to play for the club team at Elon University. A 21-year-old junior, Jackson was with his team in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at the time of his accident, and in the weeks that followed his family, friends and college teammates raised money to start what eventually became the Jackson Yelle Family Foundation, a charitable organization they hoped could help support meaningful causes in his memory.

Besides establishing memorial scholarships and supporting Jackson's former baseball programs, the Yelle family also decided to support MLB's Nike RBI Program, which aims to provide baseball opportunities to kids in inner city communities. At every stop along the tour Yelle donated $1,000 to that club's local program, presenting the team with a big check prior to the game.

It wasn't long before word started getting out.

Shortly after his tour began Yelle's story started getting picked up by local and national outlets. He became a frequent guest on MLB Network and after a while fans began recognizing him at the ballpark, often thanks to his Elon baseball hat he wore to every game.

"They'll say, 'Hey are you that guy?' and start a conversation and you get to share the story and they typically want to learn more and offer their condolences and support and inspiration," Yelle said. "It's honestly pretty cool. Part of the sheer benefit and joy of the trip is meeting all these new people and it's part of the therapy for sure."

Along the way Yelle got to meet numerous baseball legends, including Mike Trout in Anaheim, Freddie Freeman in Los Angeles and Ichiro Suzuki in Seattle.

"There's definitely some great memories from the trip that I'll cherish for a long time," he said.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! The Tigers welcomed Scott Yelle and his family to ballpark No. 30, finishing off the #HonoringJackson Tour. The Jackson Yelle Family Foundation presented a $1k check for the Detroit Tigers Foundation #NIKERBI athletes‼️ 🙌 pic.twitter.com/9PT26aunV1 — MLBRBI (@MLBRBI) June 9, 2024

Beyond making it to all 18 ballparks left on his list, Yelle also hoped to raise money to support the foundation's efforts. As of this writing the family has raised approximately $28,000, exceeding their initial goal of $25,000, and if they can top $30,000 they hope to make 12 additional $1,000 donations to the Nike RBI Programs affiliated with the MLB clubs Jackson got to visit prior to his accident.

Yelle has also been invited to attend the Nike RBI World Series in Vero Beach, Fla., in August, and once the dust settles he and the family hope to finalize a number of other initiatives in Jackson's honor.

In the meantime, Yelle is looking forward to what he expects will be a bittersweet but meaningful Father's Day. The pain of losing Jackson will never fully heal, but this year there will also be a sense of pride that they were able to see his journey through to the end.

"It's a bit surreal. It's finally starting to sink in that we accomplished it," Yelle said. "It's crazy. Nine months ago it was just an idea, it wasn't even really formulated, so to be completed, it's obviously great. I think Jackson would be proud and thrilled at our accomplishment and getting the job done."

Anyone interested in supporting the Jackson Yelle Family Foundation can do so by donating at  https://jacksonyelle.com/ .

Special Father's Day

This season hasn't gone the way Garrett Whitlock hoped. The right-hander got off to an outstanding start before missing several weeks due to an oblique injury, and now he'll sit the rest of the season after undergoing elbow surgery following what was meant to be his last rehab start.

That's not ideal, but with his first child due to arrive in about a month, Whitlock still has something to look forward to.

"It's the silver lining for sure knowing I'm going to be there for his birth and I'm going to be around every day, I'm not going to miss any of those moments, that's huge," Whitlock said this week. "It's something I'm really looking forward to in that aspect, obviously it's not a best case scenario but it's pretty darn good all things considering."

Whitlock and his wife Jordan are expecting a baby boy in early July, during a stretch when the Red Sox are scheduled to be in the midst of a week-long, two-city road trip. Many ballplayers who have children during the season face the stressful prospect of rushing home at a moment's call from some far-flung location to make it back in time when the baby comes, so the fact that Whitlock can plan on avoiding that is a blessing he doesn't take for granted.

Beyond that, Whitlock will also have more opportunities to spend time with his growing family once his son arrives. In between his daily rehab work and time spent amongst his teammates, one of his top priorities now will be preparing for the big day.

"Getting excited for sure," Whitlock said. "Just looking forward to it and getting the home as ready as we can and looking forward to welcoming them in here and seeing what it's going to be like."

Whitlock and his family plan to spend the rest of the season in Boston while he rehabs, so Jordan and the baby will never be far away, but that isn't a luxury all ballplayers get to enjoy. Life in the big leagues often requires significant personal sacrifice, but that also makes the time spent together even more special.

Whitlock got a close look at that side of fatherhood, plus a little preview of what he can expect, when he hosted Connor Wong's family — including his one-year-old Chandler — for a week in Fort Myers during spring training.

"It was good to lean on him and watch how he did everything," Whitlock said.

"It was great to see them, at that point (Chandler) was walking so he was walking around the spring training agility field," Wong said. "It wasn't anything crazy really, we're thankful Garrett let us stay with him and let my family come into town."

As far as his recovery from elbow surgery, Whitlock still has a long way to go but is making good progress. The next milestone will be getting out of his heavy brace, which has his right arm immobilized and should come off in about five weeks. After that, the hope is still that Whitlock will be able to return to the mound sometime early next season.

"So far so good," Whitlock said.

Until then, Whitlock hopes to enjoy all the curveballs fatherhood throws his way.

Devers, Houck on All-Star track

Voting is underway for the MLB All-Star Game, and at this stage of the season the Red Sox have a handful of standouts who have emerged as strong contenders to make the American League roster.

Chief among them is Rafael Devers, who should go toe-to-toe with Cleveland's Jose Ramirez for the starting third base spot. As of this writing Devers leads all qualifying AL third basemen with a .937 OPS and 30 walks, and he also ranks near the top of the leaderboards with 13 home runs, 32 RBI, 13 doubles and even three triples.

Though fans won't vote on the pitchers, Tanner Houck has clearly put himself in position to earn a spot on the staff, possibly even as the AL's starter. Houck boasts an 2.08 ERA, ranks second in the AL with 91 innings pitched and has held batters to an exceptional 0.945 walks and hits per innings pitched.

While he probably won't have a chance to start over Aaron Judge, Juan Soto or Kyle Tucker, Jarren Duran has still built a strong case for himself as a reserve outfielder. Duran has played in every game this season and ranks tied for third among AL outfielders behind Judge and Soto with 3.6 wins above replacement. He also leads the AL with 10 triples, has 15 stolen bases and 20 doubles, and according to Statcast, ranks as both the best baserunner in MLB and as an elite fielder.

Phase 1 of MLB's All-Star fan vote will run through June 27, at which point the top two vote-getters at each position (top six for outfielders) will advance as finalists to Phase 2, which will run from June 30 to July 3 and determine the game's starters. Fans can vote at https://www.mlb.com/all-star/ballot .

Keegan, Seymour soar

Two locals are making some noise with the Tampa Bay Rays' Double-A affiliate.

Methuen's Dom Keegan, a former Central Catholic star, came into Friday batting .285 with five home runs, 31 RBI and an .814 OPS for the Montgomery Biscuits. Meanwhile, Ian Seymour, a former Saint John's (Shrewsbury) standout from Westborough, came into the weekend with a 5-2 record, a 2.16 ERA and 77 strikeouts over his first 66.2 innings.

Keegan and Seymour rank as the Rays' No. 5 and 18 prospects, respectively, according to MLB Pipeline.

Some other notable local performers: Rowley's Thomas White, a former Phillips Andover great now in the Miami Marlins system, was recently promoted to High-A. In his first two starts with the Beloit Sky Carp he's struck out 14 batters over 8.1 innings while posting a 2.16 ERA. ... Former Northeastern University aces Cam Schlittler and Sebastian Keane are both off to strong starts with the Yankees' High-A affiliate. Schlittler, a former Walpole star, has a 2.15 ERA through his first 10 starts, and Keane, of North Andover, has a 4.85 ERA through his first 11 starts.

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