John Cougar Mellencamp: The Heartland Rocker's Unforgettable Journey

Never quite the glitzy and glamorous ideal of a rock star, John Mellencamp is irascible, says what's on his mind, and occasionally gets grumpy. (He knowingly gave himself his own unflattering nickname: "Little Bast***.") In. One such track is John Cougar Mellencamp’s unforgettable hit, “Hurts So Good.” Released in 1982, this infectious rock anthem continues to captivate audiences today with its. A Legendary Roots Rocker. With his brand of heartland rock, John Mellencamp had a string of hits in the ’80s that propelled him to stardom. His fellow rockers have nothing but. In May of 1983 I did my first interview with John Mellencamp, or at least that’s who he wanted to be. Back then the heartland rocker was still known as John Cougar, and was riding high on the breakthrough success of his latest. Yep, you guessed it: It's John Mellencamp against Heart. Both acts got their start in the '70s, although Heart had a bit of a head start, issuing its debut album 'Dreamboat Annie' to.

John Mellencamp began his musical career in the mid-1970s as Johnny Cougar. A pop sensation in the 1980s, Mellencamp has evolved into one of rock’s most enduring acts. He often gave a voice to... Formerly known as John Cougar Mellencamp and earlier as John Cougar, John Mellencamp stands out as a unique American artist. His rock and roll, characterized by. The idea of a young heartland rocker on the MTV airwaves might seem like an unlikely prospect today, but the nascent video network welcomed Mellencamp with open arms in the early '80s. A Legendary Roots Rocker. With his brand of heartland rock, John Mellencamp had a string of hits in the ’80s that propelled him to stardom. His fellow rockers have nothing but. Yep, you guessed it: It's John Mellencamp against Heart. Both acts got their start in the '70s, although Heart had a bit of a head start, issuing its debut album 'Dreamboat Annie' to. For ‘C’ we are looking at, and appreciating, the transformation of John Cougar Mellencamp from AOR-radio-friendly hit seeking pop-rocker, to gritty roots activist. Somewhere in the early to mid-1980s John Cougar seemed to. Mellencamp’s uncompromising stance against corporate sponsorship has made him feel anomalous in an age when even esteemed figures like Lou Reed, Steve Winwood, Robert Plant and Eric Clapton... Heartland rock hit full stride in the ’80s as Bruce Springsteen was filling up stadiums with his anthemic hits and John Cougar Mellencamp’s roots music was pumping out.

Yep, you guessed it: It's John Mellencamp against Heart. Both acts got their start in the '70s, although Heart had a bit of a head start, issuing its debut album 'Dreamboat Annie' to. The idea of a young heartland rocker on the MTV airwaves might seem like an unlikely prospect today, but the nascent video network welcomed Mellencamp with open arms in the early '80s. In the early morning of July 16, 2017, Hud and Speck Mellencamp, the singer's two sons with third wife Elaine Irwin, got into a fight in the parking lot of a Jimmy John's sandwich.