John Mellencamp’s career in music, spanning more than 35 years, is one of the most highly respected singer/ songwriters of a generation. Mellencamp is incredibly acclaimed; he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award and Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and more recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers and a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is also one of the most successful live concert performers in the world. In 1985, Mellencamp, together with Willie Nelson and Neil Young, created Farm Aid. The social activism reflected in his songs helped catalyze Farm Aid, the concert series and organization that has addressed the struggle of American family farmers for more than 25 years.
John has spent most of the past year continuing to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. His style has progressed over the years as evidenced by several gallery shows and published portfolios, and in recent years he has increased his output by completing over 150 new works. A self-curated book of Mellencamp’s work, John Mellencamp: Paintings and Assemblages, is out now via Rizzoli New York.
Legends of Rock: John Mellencamp, a permanent exhibition at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, opened in fall 2022. There, Mellencamp confirmed his massive “Live and In Person 2023” which sold out across the U.S. and included four nights at New York City’s Beacon Theater. The tour continued with “Live and In Person 2024,” which recently wrapped and saw John performing for one night only in 27 new cities. A reissue of his seminal album Scarecrow is out now to critical praise, and features a wealth of bonus tracks, rarities and more.
Mellencamp released his 25th full-length studio album Orpheus Descending in spring 2023 via Republic Records. It was recorded at his own Belmont Mall Studio and and produced by Mellencamp. Mellencamp continues his journey as the walking embodiment of rock icon; passionate, plain-spoken, and a self-proclaimed rebel. John Mellencamp continues to live and work in Bloomington, Indiana.
