John Mellencamp

http://www.mellencamp.com

John Mellencamp has never been satisfied with what is. He has always been more than an image, his music always more than Top 40 hits or latter day roots rock, his goal always more than the considerable commercial success he's achieved... In his career and in life, he has always wanted more and he has always given more in return.

Bringing together rock, folk, country, blues and R&B, he has sold more than 40 million albums and received 11 Grammy nominations and was, earlier this year, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He received the 2003 Woody Guthrie Award (for exemplifying the ideals of the legendary folksinger) and, in 2001, was honored with Billboard's highest accolade, the Century Award for distinguished creative achievement. Last year, he was awarded ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, in recognition of his outstanding use of music in the service of humanity. Along these lines, Mellencamp journeyed to Washington, DC last year and performed a concert at Walter Reed Hospital for wounded service people which was broadcast live.

The canon of hit songs, including "Pink Houses," "Hurts So Good," "Rain On The Scarecrow," "Authority Song," "Jack & Diane," "Small Town," "Cherry Bomb," "R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.," "Peaceful World," "Crumblin' Down," "Human Wheels," "Lonely Ol' Night," "Check It Out," ""Human Wheels," "Paper In Fire," "Your Life Is Now," and many others - have touched our lives as the artist continues to make his way. “Life Death Love and Freedom,” produced by T Bone Burnett, was released earlier this summer and garnered the most enthusiastic reviews of any record he’s released over the course of his four-decade long career. The New York Times called it “a brave album in the way it sets aside all his old consolations;” Time Magazine called it “his best in a decade;” Rolling Stone saluted the record as “one of the most compelling albums of [his] career” while USA called it “one of [his] finest efforts to date.”

His artistic output also includes his continuing collaboration with Stephen King on a play with music, entitled "Ghost Brothers of Darkland County." He continues to paint and remains as passionate, outspoken, restless and committed - now, more than ever.

Mellencamp still lives and records in Bloomington, Indiana, near where he grew up. He is still, very much, an artist from and of the American heartland.