For many musicians who rely on their voice, they protect it at all costs. Use special sprays on their throat, limit the number of interviews they do, all in an effort to keep their vocal chords in tip top shape. Not Mellencamp. He’s been a smoker for decades and it’s finally having an affect on his voice. And he likes it. The Hoosier rocker has always had a certain raspy sound, but he now in a recent interview with Forbes, John said that he’s sounding more like Louis Armstrong. You can absolutely hear it on one of his latest songs, ‘Wasted Days‘ with Bruce Springsteen. Take a listen below. John will be 71 this fall so of course he doesn’t have the same John ‘Cougar’ Mellencamp sound that he did in the 80s. None of the Classic Hits singers do. Elton John, Springsteen, Clapton. All of those voices have changed too. But with Mellencamp, the cigarettes have clearly affected his vocal chords. And even though he likes his new sound you gotta ask what else has been impacted because of the smoking. I know, I’m the ‘Debbie Downer’ for addressing the elephant in the room. I’m quite sure John knows that smoking is bad for you and equally sure that he doesn’t give a damn. It’s not like he’s gonna quit anytime soon. We all have our vices, and in this case, John likes what it’s doing for his new sound. His new album ‘Straight One Eyed Jack’ comes out this Friday.
Read more of John’s interview with Forbes, here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevebaltin/2022/01/16/sunday-conversation-john-mellencamp-on-songwriting-springsteen-and-why-he-is-the-luckiest-man/?sh=12099aeb7a95
