Earlier in his career, John Mellencamp was considered a "Bob Dylan jukebox" as he would perform the legend's songs almost every night with a band. However, there was a time when he finally got in touch with the singer and he called frequently to the point that he had to tell him to stop; what happened?
According to Grunge, the musician started his career by singing songs originally performed by other artists. His first two albums were mostly composed of cover songs, but his career skyrocketed when he started composing and writing his own tracks.
Throughout his career, Mellencamp was able to gain popularity for his classic hits "Hurts So Good" and "Jack & Diane." The former even won a Grammy Award decades ago; in total, the musician has been nominated for 14 awards.
Since he became famous in the 80s, he caught the attention of his idol, Bob Dylan, which led the two of them to talk together and share insights about each other's music projects.
Why John Mellencamp Wanted Bob Dylan to Stop Calling Him
In an interview with Billboard, John Mellencamp told the outlet that his good pal would call him in the middle of the night about the lyrics he had been writing.
The legend would read the words to him that would be included in his future recordings.
However, he finally got the courage to tell him, "Bob would you quit calling me, because I'm not gonna say anything."
There was a deeper reason why he wanted him to stop seeking advice because Mellencamp said he likes everything that Dylan would put out or create.
"'I'm happy to hear this stuff, but I'm not that great of a sounding board,'" he told the singer.
Elsewhere in the interview, the musician gave fans a glimpse of his bond with Dylan, saying he considers him and Bruce Springsteen as good friends because he has a good relationship with both of them.
Speaking of which, both artists have already sold their song catalogs in the past and it appears that Mellencamp is having doubts if he would do the same move.
The singer got offers but he hasn't made up his mind yet. He clarified to the outlet that it doesn't mean he won't be selling his catalog in the future as he thinks it's a good idea.
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