John Mellencamp Hecklers Have A History Of Interrupting His Grandmother Story

The John Mellencamp heckler drama out of Toledo, Ohio on St. Patrick's Day has created a tidal wave of emailers to OutKick who have shared their own experiences at concerts where a testy Coug has had run-ins with fans.  

One emailer, Scott, gave us the heads up that there was reportedly drama at an Albany, NY show years ago where a fan told Coug to shut up and play the hits as he was telling a story about his grandmother, just as he was doing Sunday night in Toledo when a fan yelled the same thing. 

(John Mellencamp performs at Whitney Hall on April 17, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Stephen J. Cohen/Getty Images))

In 2023, well before the Toledo grandmother drama, a fan wrote on Facebook about the Albany, NY stop. 

"When he played the last time at the Palace like 5 years ago someone heckled him about a story he was telling about his grandmother and he said he’d never play here again," Facebook user Nick Madelone wrote in 2023 after Mellencamp abruptly canceled his show at the same theater.

Fans quickly jumped in with their own memories. Remember, this is 2023. 

"I remember this show! He was pissed!" a woman remembered. 

"I can confirm that, he was ornery that night. I thought it was funny," another fan added. 

"He must still be mad from his last show where he yelled at the crowd and left with no encore.....," another Albany concertgoer wrote on Facebook in 2023. 

Here's what happened Sunday in Toledo when Coug tried to tell his grandmother story. A fan told him to shut up and play the hits: 

What's clear is that John Mellencamp, even at 72, remains a lightning rod out on tour across America. 

"Mellencamp loved being called a "little bastard" all the way back to the early days.  It gave him license to say stupid s--t...   (hey...  I told you I was a little bastard)," OutKick emailer Joey B. writes.

"I grew up not far from Seymour, IN and knew a lot of guys like him.  Small town..  jerks..  unlike most of those guys who never did anything with their lives, he caught lightning in a bottle.

"The part about him being a socialist is THE most hypocritical thing about him.  His band through the glory days of the 80s were grossly underpaid.  For a guy who talks about sharing the wealth, he didn't practice what he preached.  At one point (right before drummer arronoff quit) he paid each member a million dollars...  most likely to stop a mass revolt.

"The man is full of s--t..."

Good luck to other cities remaining on Mellencamp's current tour. Stay quiet while he's telling the story of his grandmother or that might be the end of the show. 

Have a Mellencamp story to share? Fire away.

Email: joekinsey@gmail.com