![]() ![]() Music career 1976–1982: Performing as Johnny Cougar and John Cougar Īfter 18 months of traveling between Indiana and New York City in 19, Mellencamp met Tony DeFries of MainMan Management, who was receptive to his music and image. During this period, Mellencamp, who had given up drugs and alcohol before graduating from college, decided to pursue a career in music and traveled to New York City in an attempt to land a record contract. ĭuring his college years, Mellencamp played in several local bands, including the glam rock band Trash, which was named for a New York Dolls song, and he later got a job in Seymour installing telephones. During this time, he abused drugs and alcohol. Mellencamp attended Vincennes University, a two-year college in Vincennes, Indiana, starting in 1972. ![]() Mellencamp formed his first band, Crepe Soul, at the age of 14. He was born with spina bifida, for which he had corrective surgery as an infant. Mellencamp was born in Seymour, Indiana, on October 7, 1951. Farm Aid concerts have remained an annual event over the past 37 years, and as of 2023 the organization has raised over $60 million. Mellencamp is also one of the founding members of Farm Aid, an organization that began in 1985 with a concert in Champaign, Illinois, to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Mellencamp has sold over 30 million albums in the US and over 60 million worldwide. His latest album of original songs, Strictly a One-Eyed Jack, was released on January 21, 2022. Mellencamp has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, winning one. In addition, he holds the record for the most tracks by a solo artist to hit number one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, with seven. He has amassed 22 Top 40 hits in the United States. in the U.S.A.", " Paper in Fire", and " Cherry Bomb". Mellencamp rose to fame in the 1980s while "honing an almost startlingly plainspoken writing style" that, starting in 1982, yielded a string of Top 10 singles, including " Hurts So Good", " Jack & Diane", " Crumblin' Down", " Pink Houses", " Lonely Ol' Night", " Small Town", " R.O.C.K. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008, followed by an induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. But even Bjork has some lines that make me squirm.John J. Bottom line, I am able to listen to one but not the other. But she can't help her accent, and I think somehow sells it better for me (maybe because her music and she are both so peculiar that you expect her to pronounce things like a Martian). The closest example to Alanis I can think of is Bjork, who also will torture the rhythm of English, and also sings with an accent. Sting I do like (at least in the context of the Police and his first couple solo albums), and he does do it, but gets away with it because I like the music and the sound of his voice enough to give it a pass, I guess. And FWIW I do like "You Oughta Know"-it's less lyrically objectionable and more musically compelling than her other singles, for me. I do think in Alanis's case, it's exaggerated in impact because of the odd accent she uses when she sings. ![]() I'm no fan of Henley or Mellencamp either, though I don't need to reach as far as their lyrics to tell you why. I heard these specific songs that irritated me hundreds of times. Click to expand.She was much on alternative radio and MTV during my prime listening years for those two things (roughly 1992-1998), is why.
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