John Mellencamp to Be Recognized With The ASCAP Foundation Champion Award "For Music in the Service of Humanity"
Honor to Be Presented at Manhattan Event on December 12, 2007
| Source: The ASCAP Foundation
NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - October 19, 2007) - Marilyn Bergman, President of The ASCAP
Foundation, today announced that superstar singer-songwriter-recording
artist John Mellencamp will be presented with The ASCAP Foundation Champion
Award for music in the service of humanity on Wednesday, December 12, 2007
in New York. The presentation will highlight the eleventh annual ASCAP
Foundation Awards Reception to be held at The Allen Room, Frederick P. Rose
Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center in Manhattan. The invitation-only
event will honor a wide variety of Scholarship and Award recipients, all of
whom benefit from programs of The ASCAP Foundation.
John Mellencamp has a long and distinguished record as a social activist
and humanitarian. Together with Willie Nelson and Neil Young, he organized
the first Farm Aid concert in 1985 to raise awareness about the loss of
family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. Farm
Aid stages America's longest running annual concert event that unites
farmers, artists, consumers, and concerned citizens to build a powerful
movement for good food from family farms. Farm Aid has raised more than
$30 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of
agriculture.
In addition, Mellencamp has long worked for peace and social justice
through his songs and personal appearances, including his participation in
the 2004 multi-artist "Vote for Change" Tour. Social awareness has been a
hallmark of Mellencamp song lyrics since the 1985 album, "Rain on the
Scarecrow," which featured the hits "Small Town" and the title track. More
recently, Mellencamp's 2007 release, "Freedom's Road," included the songs
"Jim Crow," "Ghost Towns Along the Highway" and "Our Country." This past
April, Mellencamp poignantly demonstrated his support for the men and women
in uniform (in spite of his opposition to the war) by performing a concert
for 200 wounded veterans and their families at Washington's Walter Reed
Hospital. And in October 2007, Mellencamp released the topical song,
"Jena," in response to the racially charged situation in that Louisiana
town. Mellencamp was recognized with the Woody Guthrie Award in 2003 by the
Huntington's Disease Society of America.
Commenting on the award, ASCAP Foundation President Marilyn Bergman said,
"John Mellencamp has always been known as a 'people's artist,' a performer
who touches a common chord across class, age and regional lines. In
helping to establish Farm Aid, he was instrumental in bringing awareness of
the plight of small farmers to wide attention. His fearless advocacy on
issues ranging from peace to racial prejudice is to be applauded. For these
reasons and more, we are proud to present John with the ASCAP Foundation
Champion Award for music in the service of humanity."
Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization
dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their
development through music education and talent development programs.
Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards,
recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects
for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by
contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the
United States. www.ascapfoundation.org