| John
Mellencamp has had to fight, whether
it was for the right to record under his
own name or for respect as an artist. Of
course, he never made it easy on
himself. Mellencamp began his career in
the late '70s as a Bruce Springsteen
clone called Johnny Cougar. As his
career progressed, his music became more
distinctive, developing into a Stonesy
blend of hard rock and folk-rock. His
musical development coincided with his
growth in popularity -- by the time
"Hurts So Good" and "Jack and Diane"
became hits in 1982, Mellencamp had
created his own variation of the
heartland rock of Springsteen, Tom
Petty, and Bob Seger. While he had the
record sales, it took several years
before rock critics took him seriously.
For some artists, this would be easy to
ignore, but Mellencamp had the desire to
be a serious social commentator,
chronicling the times and trials of
Midwestern baby boomers. Scarecrow,
released in 1985, fulfilled his wish of
being taken serious, and every record he
released after it was greeted warmly by
critics. Furthermore, he sustained his
popularity into the late '90s, only
occasionally experiencing dips in record
sales.
A prolonged, acclaimed career seemed
an impossibility when Mellencamp
released his first album under the name
Johnny Cougar in 1976. As a child in
Seymour, IN, Mellencamp had suffered a
number of setbacks, including being born
with a neural tube defect called spina
bifida that necessitated a lengthy
hospitalization as a baby. As a
teenager, he was rebellious, often
getting in trouble with the law. He
formed his first band at the age of 14,
and continued to play throughout his
teens. When he was 17, he eloped with
Pricilla Esterline, his pregnant
girlfriend, and proceeded to try to
support his family by working a series
of blue-collar jobs. By the time he was
24, he had decided to move to New York
City to attempt to break into the music
industry.
In New York, Mellencamp became a
client of David Bowie's manager, Tony
DeFries, who signed him to a lucrative
deal with Mainman/MCA. Mellencamp
recorded an album of covers called
Chestnut Street Incident. Upon receiving
the finished album in 1976, he was
infuriated to learn that DeFries had
billed the singer as Johnny Cougar.
Chestnut Street Incident was a bomb and
MCA immediately dropped the singer. The
fiasco of his first album was enough to
sour Mellencamp toward the industry for
the remainder of his career. Two years
later, he signed with Riva Records,
releasing A Biography (1978) to little
attention. However, Johnny Cougar (1979)
spawned the Top 40 hit "I Need a Lover,"
which also became an AOR hit for Pat
Benatar a few years later. Steve Cropper
produced 1980's Nothin' Matters and What
If It Did, which contained the Top 30
hits "This Time" and "Ain't Even Done
With the Night."
Mellencamp's next album, 1982's
American Fool, became his breakthrough,
both commercially and musically. More
focused than his earlier records,
American Fool rocketed to number one on
the strength of the number two hit
"Hurts So Good" and the number one
single "Jack & Diane," both of which
were supported by videos that became MTV
favorites. The success of American Fool
meant that he could add "Mellencamp" to
his stage name, and 1983's Uh-Huh became
the first album credited to John Cougar
Mellencamp. Uh-Huh was released while
American Fool was still high on the
charts, and it became a hit, peaking at
number nine and generating the Top Ten
hits "Crumblin' Down" and "Pink Houses,"
as well as the Top 15 "Authority Song."
He supported the album with his first
headlining tour.
While he had commercial success,
Mellencamp made his bid for critical
acclaim with his next album, 1985's
Scarecrow. Scarecrow displayed a greater
social conscious and musical
eclecticism, resulting in his
best-reviewed -- as well as his biggest
-- album to date. Peaking at number two,
Scarecrow generated the Top Ten singles
"Lonely Ol' Night," "Small Town," and "R.O.C.K.
in the U.S.A." Following the release of
the of Scarecrow, Mellencamp became an
outspoken advocate of the American
farmer, organizing Farm Aid with Willie
Nelson and Neil Young. He also became
known for his anticorporate stance,
refusing to accept tour sponsorship
offers from beer and tobacco companies.
Mellencamp continued to explore
social commentary and new musical
avenues with 1987's The Lonesome
Jubilee. Featuring a distinct
Appalachian folk and country influence,
The Lonesome Jubilee was a melancholy
elegy for the forgotten middle America,
and while it was more adventurous than
its predecessors, it was another hit,
peaking at number six and generating the
hits "Paper in Fire," "Cherry Bomb," and
"Check It Out." Mellencamp continued to
explore American roots music on Big
Daddy (1989). While the album received
generally good reviews and peaked at
number seven, it failed to produce a big
single. Two years later, he returned
with Whenever We Wanted, which was
another moderate hit, peaking at number
17. Human Wheels (1993) received some of
Mellencamp's strongest reviews, yet the
record didn't generate a hit single and
quickly fell down the charts after
debuting at number seven.
Mellencamp bounced back into the Top
Ten in 1994, when his duet with Me'Shell
NdegéOcello on Van Morrison's "Wild
Night" peaked at number three. Its
accompanying album, Dance Naked, became
his biggest album since Big Daddy, going
gold months after its release.
Mellencamp planned to support the album
with an extensive tour, but he suffered
a major heart attack in late 1994 that
necessitated its cancellation.
Mellencamp spent 1995 recuperating,
re-emerging in 1996 with Mr. Happy Go
Lucky. Produced by Junior Vasquez and
demonstrating a slight dance influence,
Mr. Happy Go Lucky was greeted with
positive reviews and featured the minor
hit single "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw
You First)," which helped the album go
gold. The album was his last for
longtime label Mercury, and he moved to
Columbia for 1998's John Mellencamp.
Rough Harvest, a collection of
unreleased material, appeared a year
later.
Cuttin' Heads, his second album for
Columbia and 20th overall, followed in
2001 and spawned a radio hit with
"Peaceful World," featuring neo-soul
singer India.Arie on backing vocals.
Also in 2001, he won the Billboard
Century Award for creative achievement.
Inspired by his performance of Robert
Johnson's "Stones in My Passway" at an
October 2002 tribute concert for the
late music journalist Timothy White,
Mellencamp recorded a covers album,
Trouble No More, in 2003. It was
released that summer and topped the
Billboard Blues chart. |
