Read more
John Mellencamp is an American original. Now, for the first time, the authorized story of his life will allow his millions of fans to look behind the curtain.
About the author
Paul Rees is a former award-winning Editor of the fabled British rock weekly
Kerrang! and was Editor-in-Chief of
Q magazine for ten years. His work has also appeared in such publications as the
Sunday Times Culture, the
Observer, the
Sunday Times Magazine, the
Telegraph, the
Sunday Express and
Classic Rock.
He is the author of six previous books, among these the best-selling
Robert Plant: a Life,
The Three Degrees: the Men Who Changed British Football Forever, which was long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year, and
The Gospel According to Luke.
Summary
John Mellencamp is not your typical rock star. Not only has he absorbed into his own work the influence of Faulkner, Steinbeck and other literary giants, he himself could have stepped straight from the pages of any of their great American novels. A complex, colorful and larger than life character, Mellencamp, like Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash before him, walks to the beat of his own drum.
Mellencamp charts the life of one of the most fascinating characters in American music. With Mellencamp's full blessing, Rees will include interviews with his friends, family and colleagues, including Bob Seger, Stephen King, Willie Nelson, Larry McMurtry, Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow and Chuck D, among others. Rees will also include interviews from artists on whom Mellencamp has had a pronounced influence, such as as John Mayer, Keith Urban, and Jason Isbell.
John Mellencamp is an American original. Now, for the first time, the authorized story of his life will allow his millions of fans to look behind the curtain.
Foreword
John Mellencamp is an American original. Now, for the first time, the authorized story of his life will allow his millions of fans to look behind the curtain.
Additional text
His songs have been compared to Springsteen's and his paintings displayed with Rauschenberg's. That's John Mellencamp. Mellencamp has gone from stone-broke in Seymour to the footholds of Guthrie and Steinbeck. In this colorful biography, Paul Rees lets Mellencamp and his companions tell how the American maverick got there
