Similar to the way that anyone can connect to Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan, seemingly everybody can enjoy or even relate to the people and themes in John Mellencamp's music. That's because Mellencamp is a real guy who's lived a few lifetimes' worth of drama and struggle. Here's a look into the challenging upbringing and often tragic real-life story that shaped and influenced the life and work of John Mellencamp.
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Similar to the way that anyone can connect to Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan, seemingly everybody can enjoy or even relate to the people and themes in John Mellencamp's music. That's because Mellencamp is a real guy who's lived a few lifetimes' worth of drama and struggle. Here's a look into the challenging upbringing and often tragic real-life story that shaped and influenced the life and work of John Mellencamp.
It all started with the purchase of a lakeside cabin in Indiana, which turned out to be haunted, according to musician John Mellencamp. In an interview, the rock star said that he only stayed in the holiday home for two nights but experienced objects being moved and sounds that he couldn't explain. According to Contact Music, he then learned of an incident that happened at the property in the 1930s. Mellencamp quickly sold the property and never told the buyer of his experiences, which he said, "sounds crazy, but it's true."
Boiling down Grammy Award-winning musician John Mellencamp's extensive catalogue to the top-twenty or even top-ten best songs he ever recorded would be near impossible, but to try and find just one song that definitively defines Mellencamp and his long musical career, is impossible. That's because the rock legend has dozens of tunes that were not only big hits, but critically acclaimed as well, something that doesn't always go hand-in-hand. Add to that Mellencamp's marked musical evolution during a career spanning more than 40-plus years (and his name changes), and it's sometimes hard to connect the songs from his early years to those he still writes and performs decades later.
John Mellencamp, or John Cougar Mellencamp, or John Cougar, depending on how old you are, crafted the soundtrack to American life of the '70s and '80s. Born and raised in Indiana, he made music for real people — alternately labeled as Heartland rock, roots rock, or country-influenced rock — which almost always touched on the plight of the working class, but with hard rocking riffs and creative instrumentation that sound best when coming out of an old car radio. Classic rock stations from coast to coast still spin tons of Mellencamp standards, such as "Jack & Diane," "Hurts So Good," "Cherry Bomb," "Paper on Fire," and "Small Town," to name a few.
Whether you know him by his real name or the variations that have the word "cougar" in them, chances are you're aware of the name John Mellencamp. The esteemed singer-songwriter has been around since the 1970s, and has established a back catalog that's at least as impressive as his absurdly thick hair. Mellencamp's story is a tragic one that befits his brand of no-frills rock music well. He has faced a difficult spina bifida spinal deformity that could have killed him when he was a child, endured a heart attack at just 42 years old, faced some devastating losses and difficulties in his personal life, and, of course, had to face a long and difficult road to success.
