Ten years ago, John Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A few days ago, he was bestowed another great honor, getting inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York. Woodie Guthrie’s daughter introduced Mellencamp to the gathering last Thursday night.

The Midwest rocker has come a long way from his Seymour, Indiana, early days, when he just wanted to be the lead singer of a band. When he got his first record deal, they company named him Johnny Cougar and told him to start writing songs, which he’d never done. Being marketed as a teen heart throb early on didn’t sit well with him, either.

Fortunately, he did take their advice and started writing songs. It was also good that he fought against the Johnny Cougar, eventually evolving to John Cougar , then John Cougar Mellencamp, then to his real name, John Mellencamp. He would go on to write hundreds of great rock songs and win a Grammy Award. He also helped found the annual Farm Aid fundraising concert event.

Click HERE to read the Heartland, roots rocker’s website review of his recent big night after entering an even more exclusive hall of fame.

Doc Watson