“They come from the cities
And they come from the smaller towns
Beat up cars with guitars and drummers
Goin’ crack boom bam…”

John Mellencamp – “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.”

You’ve got to be a fighter to be John Mellencamp and be successful.  Throughout his 30+ year career, he’s fought for respect as an artist, the right to record under his own name, and perhaps as notably as any of that, he’s fought for his friends in the Heartland of America.  He fought back against questionable management choices, he’s fought back against playing the recording game, and though it wasn’t easy, and partly brought on by himself, John Mellencamp has carved out a career filled with many highs by doing it how he wants it done.

Mellencamp fell in love and married young… 17 years old, to be exact.  Had a baby, ended up divorcing his high school sweetheart, went to school and got a 2-year degree, took a job with the phone company and yet, he still had a dream.  By 1975, after packing his bags and heading out to New York City he had a deal with David Bowie’s management group.  His first release was Chestnut Street Incident, an album of original music and cover versions of songs like Roy Orbison’s “Oh, Pretty Woman” and Elvis Presley’s “Jailhouse Rock.”  Mellencamp had no idea they put the name ‘Johnny Cougar’ on the cover of the album until he saw it for himself.  P.O.’d, and with good reason, Mellencamp left the management team to strike it on his own.  He gigged and recorded steadily throughout the end of the decade, eventually finding a hit on second album, A Biography, for a song that sounded a little like Bruce Springsteen – “I Need a Lover.”  The song broke into the Top 30 and picked up a good deal of radio play.  Female rock legend Pat Benatar even covered the hit a few years down the road.  Mellencamp’s first hit remains a classic rock staple today, played on radio stations around the country.

John Cougar, as he was still being called, kept on the road in support of his new hit.  He didn’t shy away from the studio, however, and found hits in with “This Time” and “Ain’t Even Done with the Night.”  1982 proved to be a huge year for Mellencamp with the release of American Fool.  The album went to #1 on the strength of “Hurts So Good,” a guitar-driven rock song supported with a biker-themed music video that caught some rotation on the relatively new MTV.  “Hurts So Good” went to #2, making the name John Cougar a famous one, but it was “Jack and Diane,” an autobiographical tale of young love framed by clapping hands, that would become his first and only #1 hit.  “Hand to Hold On To” went into the Top 10, making it pretty easy to see why American Fool would be such a success.

With his new clout, Mellencamp went by John Cougar Mellencamp for his follow up, Uh-Huh.  Its first single, the jukebox favorite, “Crumblin’ Down” went into the Top 10 along with the album.  It’s video, featuring a dancing Mellencamp, was a MTV favorite, helping the song become the anthemic rocker it’s known as today.  At the start of 1984, he had another hit on his hands with “Pink Houses,” an acoustic number about American dreams, both found and lost along the way.  The charts even made room at #15 for “Authority Song,” as did MTV who played the black and white video that was set in a boxing ring.

1985 was a big year for a lot of people: “Just Say No” was launched, Mikhail Gorbechev became the leader of the Soviet Union, the charity hit, “We Are the World” was made, New Coke and Nintendo NES were both released (only one of which would be successful), and saving the world and having charity concerts for the cause du jour seemed to be the thing to do.  Earlier in the year was the first Live Aid, where popular music artists performed around the world at huge venues, all in the name of famine relief for Ethiopia.  Well, along with Willie Nelson and Neil Young, and the encouraging words of Bob Dylan said during Live Aid, Mellencamp helped to organize the benefit concert, Farm Aid.  The annual concert series brings together rock, blues and country acts to increase awareness of the importance of family farms, as well as local environmental issues.

Also in 1985, Mellencamp released Scarecrow.  The eclectic album boasts a greater social consciousness and has become one of the highest-acclaimed albums of his career.  The memoir on small town life features the hits “Lonely Ol’ Night,” “Small Town” and “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.” all of which broke into the Top 10, the last song peaking out at #2.  "Rain On The Scarecrow" and "Rumbleseat" also fared well on the charts, helping Scarecrow sell millions of albums and securing its place as one of the greatest albums of the decade.

The Lonesome Jubilee, released in 1987, continued Mellencamp’s exploration of his own life, playing into the country twang aspect of his sound.  Two of its singles went into the Top 10, “Paper In Fire” and “Cherry Bomb.” 1989’s Big Daddy was quieter than his earlier works, yet deeply introspective.  It was also the last time any of us would see the name Cougar on any of his albums. He was finally John Mellencamp.  

His 1991 release, Whenever We Wanted, featured hits like “Get a Leg Up,” “Again Tonight” “Love and Happiness” and “Now More Than Ever.”  The following year, Mellencamp entered the film world with his film, Falling from Grace, which he both directed and starred in.  The critically acclaimed Human Wheels came out in 1993 and featured his version of Van Morrison’s “Wild Night,” which was performed as a duet with Me’Shell Ndegeocello.  For a change of pace, Mellencamp teamed up with DJ/record producer Junior Vasquez for 1996’s Mr. Happy Go Lucky.  The pairing led to a hit on the rhythmic “Key West Intermezzo.”  

In 1998, Mellencamp released a retrospective collection of his work between 1978 and 1988.  He also released a self-titled record, as well as a book, Mellencamp: Selected Paintings.  The book featured 75 selections of his artwork.  In 1999, Mellencamp covered his later work, as well as songs by others, like Dylan and the Drifters, for Rough Harvest.  

More recently, John Mellencamp has teamed up with a wide variety of artists from India.Arie, to Public Enemy’s Chuck D, to country music star Trisha Yearwood for his 2001 album, Cuttin’ Heads.  He also took home the Billboard Century Award for creative achievement.  In 2003, he recorded Trouble No More, filled with his renditions of folk and blues classics.  He remains active both in the studio and politically, supporting the causes he believes in most, and most recently recording Freedom’s Road, which was released in 2007.  With new albums in the works, there’s sure to be plenty more coming from one of the Midwest’s finest sons.