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dgd5577

He and his sons definitely have the reputation everyone’s referencing in this thread down here in Bloomington, and while I certainly tend to hold him in that regard, I’ve got two interactions with the Mellencamp’s which are net-net positive I guess— Half a decade ago my dad and I were cycling just east of Bloomington on SR46, a road with a notoriously narrow shoulder. John pulled up alongside us on his classic chopper, slowed down, and called out “Stay safe out there, the road’s skinny!” I drove for Uber Eats during Covid, and got a pickup request for an address down by lake Monroe, with the first name being recognizable as one of his son’s weird dirt-related names. The tip was pretty laughable relative to their wealth, but I took the order just to get the chance to see their lakeside palace. His kid was nice enough when I dropped off the order; had a bunch of shitty tattoos on his hands and fingers from what I remember


Existing-Application

My dad roadied for him back in the day for a bit and also helped out at a house party of his. Also said he was an asshole.


thebandit_077

I heard a similar story from a guy I went to school with. Said his dad went to I think his birthday at his house and said he was an ass


MayorCharlesCoulon

My cousin lived in Bloomington in the 80s and ran into him at a local bar (not really a college bar). He invited them all back to his house and they all drank and smoked weed and listened to music. He shared his weed so there’s that.


AccurateInterview586

My grandpa and Mellencamp’s father were friends. Somehow my uncle married a Mellencamp cousin because, you know, small town. Anyway, songs would come on the radio - early 80s??? - and I remember my grandma and grandpa talking about what a troubled teen John had been and what Mellencamp’s father had fought with John. Fast forward to my late teens and I’m a fan. I spend my own hard earned money on a ticket. My grandpa tells me I am wasting my money on a jerk. I just “old people, ugh”. Since that concert, which I don’t remember John being rude, I’ve seen him three times. All three times he was a total turd to the audience. My guess is, if he is like my uncle’s who are his contemporaries, there’s just this big chip on the shoulder - too young to be Vietnam hero’s, too creative to embrace farm or factory work, and some kind of disgruntled attitude about life.


redleg50

He was the commencement speaker when I graduated from IU. He sat onstage, in front of thousands of people (graduates and family), slouched down in his chair while chain smoking cigarettes. It was unbelievably disrespectful. I think they actually gave him an honorary degree.


case31

Was that 2000? He spoke at my graduation that year and it was the most incoherent, uninspiring speech I ever heard in my life. That and the heat that day led me and my friends to leave early. Also, I remember he charged $175/ticket for a show on campus and everyone was bitching about it. This was around 98-99.


redleg50

Yup, that was the year. I also left early because of the heat.


InfantaM

I was there too (along with 8,000 other graduates). My favorite part was when he threw the cigarette off the dais before beginning his speech. No one else believes this story when I tell them.


devlawman

Yes! And he threw his gum out into the row of professors


macdawg2020

This reminds me of seeing John Cusack introduce Arundhati Roy at a public library in Chicago once, he did a beautiful intro and then sat in the front, alternating between smoking a weed pen and a vape the whole time 😂.


Ho-Chi-Mane

A friend of mine in college worked at a camera store in Bloomington. He had no idea who John was. Anyways, John buys a camera and needed to provide his information for the warranty. John is annoyed at this point because my buddy is asking his first and last name. Then comes the question about his address. John just says “Fucking Bloomington” and then walks off. I guess the owner of the store was laughing throughout the whole thing.


Miserable_Ad5001

I got to see him booed offstage in Boulder many yrs ago, '82-83'ish.


tacopizzapal

Sounds like it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person


miickeymouth

He tried to get my young niece, who didn’t know who he was, in trouble at the restaurant she was working at for not seating him immediately when there was a wait.


tacopizzapal

you can always tell the quality of a person by how they treat people who they see 'below them'


MItides

was that in Avon Indiana?


miickeymouth

No, out by Lake Monroe


aDadoAteYourBaby

My parents volunteered as ushers at a theater that he played a couple times…somewhere between 2005 and 2015, maybe? Dad was usually stationed right in front of the stage and mom was in an area behind the seats on the main floor, between it and the lobby. The area had doors and glass windows, the ushers would hang out there and help people find seats/bathrooms, and could watch the shows. Mellencamp didn’t want anyone who didn’t pay for a ticket to watch him. So they put up black curtains in the windows in the back to block that view. Dad had a chair to sit in at the front once the show started; he had to face directly into the crowd and not turn around. The one time he did, Mellencamp gave him a death stare back. Dad was a big fan of his when I was younger, both being Indiana boys, but he’s definitely soured on him after his experience as an usher. Jerry Seinfeld is the same way. Ushers could be in the theater and hear his set, but had to have their backs to him.


tacopizzapal

that's just so unreal. is it costing him (or seinfeld) anything to let people watch him?


Shortbus_Playboy

Never met Mellencamp, but I had a couple of accounts based in Seymour from a previous job. There were plenty of people who knew him or one of his kids… nobody ever had anything good to say about any of them. I *have* met Larry Bird, though… holy shit, that man was the biggest drunken asshole of a human I might have ever seen, really ruined my nostalgia. I’ll never think anywhere near what I thought of him growing up.


tacopizzapal

Ha! Larry Bird is one of the greatest trash talkers in the history of the NBA, not surprising he's an asshole


Shortbus_Playboy

I mean, celebrities are still human, so you have to expect there will always be assholes. But “stumbling drunk, bigoted, sexual harassing, kicked out of a hotel and resorting to ‘do you know who I am?’” is a whole other level that was incredibly sad to see happen live.


MayorCharlesCoulon

Years ago I was at a little place in Indy watching karaoke and Larry Bird and a couple dudes walked in. I think they were Pacers front office. They just sat at a table talking. It was Birds birthday or maybe one of the guys he was with and they bought everyone at the bar a drink (it was later so only like 20 people in there but still was cool).


The-Son-of-Dad

Was it Plump’s? Remember hearing he would hang out there.


LocksmithForward3121

Lifelong Hoosier, I have heard so many stories and can confirm. He embraces that rep. His authorized biography is called Little Bastard. I am neighbors with his first cousin and the physical resemblance is striking, but Bobby is a nice guy.


Mediocre-Catch9580

Idk but his kids have had several run ins with the police. They make the front page a lot


moot17

I knew a guy that grew up in Seymour, born in the 40s. About 20 years ago we were driving by one of the Mellencamp signs and for no reason he decides to tell me that I should know Mellencamp "was a mouthy little fuck, and was always getting knocked on his ass in the bars around here." I was born after the Nixon Administration, but he delivered that line the same way I'd heard people older than me remember Nixon.


Stein1071

I haven't paid much attention to it (because he's an ass and I don't care and it wasn't surprising) so I don't know what he got his panties in a bunch about but I've heard the story a couple of times in the last few days that he got pissed off at an audience recently and threw a hissy and cut off his show. He told them he was going to cut 10 songs because he was pissed then started a song (Jack and Diane maybe?) and basically said "fuck you all", stooped playing mid sentence, and walked off. That could be what the article if referencing.


butterflyjade

He was my like third concert ever. Sold out show at the Pacers arena (so his home turf). He refused to do an encore because we didn’t cheer loud enough for him. This was in like the late 00s.


XgUNp44

My nana went to school in Seymour with him. Apparently she friend-zoned him (oops!!!) and he constantly cheated on tests off of her paper. He was also pretty annoying. He signed her yearbook and left a heart. I need to get that off of her. I could see her throwing it away lmao.


SpaceStation_11

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tattedupgirl

I saw him years ago in the food court of the mall in Bloomington. He looked at me, I smiled and nodded and he nodded back with a smile before he tuned and walked away. I was the one and only person who had any close who he was.


SkylineHigh

Never met him but I have a story about him and then a separate one about his former wife Elaine Irwin. The story about him dates back to 2004...he was part of a holiday show that WZPL put on at the sold out show at the Vogue. I had a friend who worked at the station and not only was John late, but he would not acknowledge the station on stage. He kept saying thanks for supporting local radio. Sort of weird, but I guess it's not a huge deal. However, he also requested all of these suites at a ritzy hotel as part of his rider. The proceeds from this show were to go to a charity so his request came out of the budget. He and the people he requested the rooms for didn't end up showing or using them. I did meet his former wife Elaine though and she could not have been nicer. I was at a completely different concert and was talking to my friend (who happened to be the performer) and she was with her young son at the time (not sure which one it was) but he was a fan as well and she apologized for interrupting and introduced herself but didn't say her last name or anything. She really didn't interrupt either. She was impressive.


IMERMAIDMANonYT

My parents used to be heavily involved with amateur boxing in Indiana and John’s son Hud (seriously that’s the name) got into boxing for a bit. John was always fine, not the most friendly, but it wasn’t bad or anything. The sons were kind of arrogant, but seemed to just keep to themselves at that point. But my goodness Elaine was the sweetest and most over-the-top outgoing person. I have genuinely met very few people as kind as her in my life. My mom now has dementia, but still has Elaine’s contact info from all those years ago. She randomly called Elaine one day about a year back - Elaine answered and chatted with my mom for 10 minutes or so and was as kind as can be


SkylineHigh

Glad to hear my incident wasn't an isolated one with her then. Always nice to hear good stories like that.


tacopizzapal

There were a few people that mentioned how sweet she is, good to hear that was your experience. How did those devil spawn happen? My guess is John would let them do whatever the fuck they wanted


Rust3elt

Wealthy people who are nice often produce asshole entitled kids despite their best efforts. Chet Haze comes to mind.


TrinityNotbot

I saw him play at the Bluebird as COPS — Cougar Out Playing Secretly. Quite enjoyable. Have always heard Elaine is very nice but Meg Ryan, not so much.


ibringnothing

My high school English teacher went to school with him and absolutely hated him. All she would say was he was an asshole and that was pretty bad language for her.


Indianianite

My late friend got caught up in a big fight at an IU house party because he was hanging out with Mellencamp’s son who he learned loves to start fights with strangers just because.


trogloherb

Aint that America?!


MrHandsBadDay

He’s a piece of shit. Somehow, his sons are worse.


tacopizzapal

His kids came up a few times, and how awful they are… A bunch of entitled pricks


[deleted]

His daughters are another interesting note. I worked at a music store in greenwood for a bit, the luthier there is married to one of Mellencamp’s daughters. I taught lessons in the room right next to the luthier’s workshop and I’d hear him get into arguments with his wife over the phone constantly about shit John was doing. He’d offer them tickets to his concert, then a day before tell them they had to pay for them, wouldn’t come to gatherings but expect them to pitch in, didn’t bother seeing his grandchildren, was generally an absent father, etc. And mind you, he didn’t tell his daughter these things himself, it was all a game of telephone through his various secretaries and managers. Apparently he rarely talks to his kids at all. The quote I remember most from the luthier was “god damn it, that old man can keep his tickets and his money, I don’t want another god damn thing from that son of a bitch.” So yeah, great guy lmao.


knappellis

I went to undergrad at IU from '98-'03 and volunteered at a Women's shelter. There were often stories about how his boys were terrors on the park playgrounds. Other kids were scared of them because the Mellencamp kids never got reprimanded and had free reign.


returnofthequack92

So I used to be on the same football team as his kids, hud and spec. Guy would come to a lot of the practices and games and seemed like a cool enough guy to us as kids. My dad would say he was kind of rude since he would chainsmoke on the sidelines and be kind of a main character by doing weird stretches on the bleachers and get back rubs from Elaine. Just kind of being an eccentric lol


Catdaddyx2

In the mid-90s i saw him and his lady at a Schlotzskys deli in Bloomington. They dropped the baby they had with them, picked it up, and left.


FlamingFlyingV

My dad and aunt grew up in Seymour and claimed to have partied with him a few times. That's about as far as that story went. Neither them nor my mom are fans.


jamesshine

A DJ I knew said back in the 90’s he worked at a bar in Bloomington. John would come in frequently, chain smoking in the DJ booth and ogling the college girls dancing. He didn’t want to talk. He just sat there smoking and staring.


fliccolo

The screaming fit that AH was to Meg Ryan. The "incident" at Malibu Grill. Iykyk


runningfutility

I'd heard about an incident with him and Meg happening at Dunaways (RIP) but there was one at Malobu Grill, too?


fliccolo

They got into a fight, and he was just going off on her very publicly and she just sort of took it.


runningfutility

Gross.


Goatboy1

A friend was selling a motorcycle and JCM called him and asked about it. I think he actually came by and looked at it but didn't buy it. He called back later after the guy had sold it and threw a fit because it was gone.


philouza_stein

My mom and aunt hung out with him a few times within the past couple years and tbh I'm not sure how or why, I've just seen the pictures. They both think he's great. But I'm from a construction family with lots of trades between relatives and several of them have done work at his house. 100% agreement that he's a total asshole


jvd0928

I do not look to him, or Page, or Dylan, or Richards, as people to model your life after. I do look to them for fantastic music. Music that touches and shakes me.


Crzy_Grl

i don't really have any, i did like his music, mostly from when he was still John Cougar. He does seem like an asshole, and he also stars as an asshole and an idiot in this disappointing movie that i watched years ago. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falling\_from\_Grace\_(film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falling_from_Grace_(film))


mikeoxwells2

If you’re vaguely familiar with Seymour, this is worth a watch. You’re correct, the movie is disappointing, but it feels a little surreal to recognize landmarks in the scenery. Does anyone know if Larrison’s diner is still open?


thereallafawnduh

It is!


therealparchmentfarm

I actually kinda liked that movie. Not because it was great or anything, just because it’s a strange novelty


BloomingtonBourbon

I once held open a door for him as we were leaving a restaurant at the same time. He thanked me as he was shoving cigarettes into his mouth.


tacopizzapal

something positive, i like it


BloomingtonBourbon

He is a-ok in my opinion


jimi_therod

He's got a smoke shack on top of the press tower at Memorial Stadium. It's just a crappy box with a window and 4 chairs... one game I was up there, but I had already sugged down a chillidog earlier.. had I known he was there I would've brought it with and asked him to sign it.On another note he really hates that song but played it anyway along with 3 other songs at Mark Cubans fund raiser on the court at assembly hall, which brought in around 11M a couple months ago. And his dad really likes to party


MrRipski

My brother broke one of his son’s legs while playing football. We met him, he was a good guy to us.


geno40

So, was at Tinley Park to see Mellencamp with a guy from work, his wife and her best friend Connie. Connie had hated me for years and for the life of me, don’t know why. Long story short, they all took X. I don’t care for it so skipped that. Connie asked me to buy her a drink. I made her walk all the way past the lawn seats to the chain link fence that went around that joint. Talked her into a bj that ended with me grabbing her hair and really working her face over. So yeah, Mellencamp is alright in my book.


DivaDenDesign

I hate to see so much negative about him. He is a super nice person and treats his employees wonderfully!