Critically Acclaimed Album Sad Clowns & Hillbillies Out Now
Penning some of the most recognizable, influential, and enduring anthems in the American Songbook, John Mellencamp has just received a 2018 nomination for the Songwriters Hall of Fame in the “performing songwriters” category.
Eligible members may vote for three “non-performing songwriters” and three “performing songwriters” through December 17th. Upon tally of the votes, six songwriters will be inducted during the New York City Gala on June 18, 2018.
This adds to an impressive history of accolades and honors for Mellencamp. His signature plain spoken writing style and unmistakable delivery launched countless classics singles into the Top 10 such as “Pink Houses,” “Jack and Diane,” and “Small Town.”
To date, he has landed a total of 22 Top 40 hits in addition to earning the record for the “most No. 1 tracks by a solo artist on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks” chart. Among 13 GRAMMY nominations, he garnered the award for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” in 1982. He would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during 2008. Notably, he co-founded Farm Aid in 1985, and it went on to raise over $50 million to support family farms nationwide by 2017. One of the most successful live concert performers in the world, Mellencamp is also 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.
Earlier this year, his critically acclaimed 23rd full-length album Sad Clowns & Hillbillies featuring Carlene Carter—the daughter of June Carter Cash and stepdaughter of Johnny Cash—bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard Top American Albums Chart, No. 3 on the Top Rock Albums Chart (his best entry in a decade), and No. 5 on the Top Albums Chart. In addition, it became his fifth consecutive Top 20 album.
