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John Mellencamp will give the commencement address at Indiana University Bloomington during its 171st commencement May 6. The IUB commencement launches the spring round of commencement ceremonies on the eight campuses of IU.
IU will confer an honorary doctor of music degree to the popular rock and
roll artist, who will address graduates and receive his degree at a 10 a.m.
ceremony at IUB's Memorial Stadium, weather permitting. In case of inclement
weather, commencement will move inside and be conducted in two sessions at
Assembly Hall.
The degree will honor Mellencamp's achievement of excellence in his field, his
philanthropic activities and his deep roots in the community.
Mellencamp, a native of Seymour, is a member of the President's Circle, the Hoosier Hundred and the IU Alumni Association. He has donated a portion of the proceeds from two concerts to the IU Student Foundation for scholarships. The Mellencamp Pavilion, a practice facility used by university athletes, is one tangible testament to his affection for the university. Many of his other considerable philanthropic deeds in the community where he resides have gone largely unpublicized.
Throughout a career that has generated 37 gold, platinum and multi-platinum
records, 12 Grammy Award nominations and a charter induction into the Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame, Mellencamp often has used his music effectively to offer
comment on social issues and to pioneer new musical frontiers.
An early Top Ten hit on his 1982 album American Fool, "Pink Houses,"
shed light on the challenges and frustrations facing working people and became
an anthem for them. His follow-up album in 1985, Scarecrow, fused folk sounds
with rock and roll to give voice and dignity to the family farmers of Indiana
and America. That same year, he helped launch Farm Aid, an annual concert event
which raises money for family farms, a cause to which he remains devoted.
Mellencamp's popularity soared with 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee, backed up with what was considered by many critics to be the world's best rock band. Mellencamp and his band launched a "roots rock" revival that prevailed through the late 1980s. He continues to write and record music, including the self-titled John Mellencamp and Rough Harvest.
Mellencamp's creative impulse also finds expression outside of music making. In 1992, he made his big-screen debut, starring in Falling from Grace, for which he co-wrote the screenplay. He gained prominence as a painter throughout the 1990s, and his works have been featured in several major exhibitions and in the 1998 book,
Mellencamp: Paintings and Reflections. All profits from sales of the book go
to the VH1 Save the Music Foundation, which supports school music programs. In
1991, he received the Nordhoff Robbins Silver Clef Award for his involvement
with music therapy for handicapped and autistic children.
IU also will confer seven other honorary degrees during three different campus
ceremonies in early May. Also receiving honorary degrees from IU this year and
the campus on which the degree will be conferred:
