22, 1985 in Champaign, IL, the history-making event featured performances from its organizers, as well as legendary acts Bob Dylan, Carole King, and dozens others. The plight of rural America, specifically low-earning farmers and their families, inspired Mellencamp to team up with fellow rockers Willie Nelson and Neil Young, and organize the first Farm Aid benefit concert. (A Salute to '60s Rock)" and "Small Town," both from the 1985 album, Scarecrow. He released more hits during this decade, including "R.O.C.K. The accompanying music videos often featured the denim-clad singer with a guitar in hand, stunning rural landscapes, and patriotic themes. Uh-Huh (1983), his first album as John Cougar Mellencamp, reached the Billboard Top 10 in large thanks to the hit tracks "Pink Houses" and "Crumblin' Down." Mellencamp's music, characterized by its all-American lyrics and down home rock sound, dominated the airwaves throughout the 1980s. His mainstream success allowed the singer to add his real surname to his stage name. American Fool also included the up-tempo rock anthem "Hurts So Good," which spent 16 weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, the longest time for any song released in the 1980s and won a Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. 1 hit, "Jack & Diane." Inspired by the 1961 film "Splendor in the Grass" starring Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty, the song spent four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and was named one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song was also a hit for Pat Benatar, who recorded a cover of the song in 1980.Īfter releasing a few more albums, Mellencamp rolled out his breakout album, American Fool in 1982, which yielded the monster No. He made his Top 40 chart debut in 1979 with "I Need a Lover" from the album A Biography (1978). The album consisted of cover songs, from Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" (1964) to Elvis Presley's "Jailhouse Rock" (1957), as well as a few original Mellencamp compositions. Two years later, Mellencamp released his debut album, The Chestnut Street Incident under the stage name Johnny Cougar, given to him by his manager who thought his real last name was not marketable enough. He experimented with drugs and alcohol while attending Vincennes University in Indiana, but he went clean before graduating college in 1974. At 18, Mellencamp eloped with his girlfriend Priscilla, who gave birth to their child just six months after their high school graduation. The future star fell in love with music at an early age, performing in local bars and fronting the band Crepe Soul by the time he was 14. 7, 1951 in Seymour, IN, with a form of spina bifida that required surgery and lengthy hospitalization. Together with fellow musical icons Willie Nelson and Neil Young, Mellencamp co-founded Farm Aid, a benefit concert and organization in support of America's farmers, which demonstrated his success and influence not only as a recording artist, but also a fervent and vocal humanitarian. A modern day renaissance man, Mellencamp was also an accomplished artist and acclaimed filmmaker who delivered a brilliant debut - as the director and star - in the musical drama feature, "Falling From Grace" (1992). The gruff-voiced, denim-clad hitmaker sang about the nostalgia of youth, the complexities of love and loss, and the American dream, as exemplified by songs such as "Hurts So Good" and "Jack & Diane" from his 1982 breakout album, American Fool. Legendary rocker John Mellencamp earned legions of fans and the admiration of critics for delivering patriotic and soul-stirring messages through his music.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |