Título: John Mellencamp
Seção: Words and Music and Freedom's Road (2004-2007)
Background: Mellencamp is of German ancestry. He was born with spina bifida, for which he had corrective surgery as an infant. Mellencamp formed his first band, Crepe Soul, at the age of 14 and later played in the local bands Trash, Snakepit Banana Barn and the Mason Brothers. When Mellencamp was 18, he eloped with his pregnant girlfriend Priscilla Esterline.

Conteúdo: Mellencamp participated in the Vote for Change tour in October 2004 leading up to the 2004 U.S. Presidential election. That same month he released the two-disc career hits retrospective Words & Music: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits, which contained 35 of his radio singles (including all 22 of his Top 40 hits) along with two new tunes, "Walk Tall" and "Thank You" - both produced by Babyface but written by Mellencamp.  In 2005, Mellencamp toured with Donovan and John Fogerty. The first leg of what was called the Words and Music Tour in the spring of 2005 featured Donovan playing in the middle of Mellencamp's set. Mellencamp would play a handful of songs before introducing Donovan and then duetting with him on the 1966 hit "Sunshine Superman". Mellencamp would leave the stage as Donovan played seven or eight of his songs (backed by Mellencamp's band) and then return to finish off his own set after Donovan departed. On the second leg of the tour in the summer of 2005, Fogerty co-headlined with Mellencamp at outdoor amphitheaters across the United States. Fogerty would join Mellencamp for duets on Fogerty's Creedence Clearwater Revival hit "Green River" and Mellencamp's "Rain on the Scarecrow."  Mellencamp released Freedom's Road, his first album of original material in over five years, on January 23, 2007. He intended for Freedom's Road to have a 1960s rock sound while still remaining contemporary, and he feels that goal was achieved. "We wanted to make sure that it had the same

user: How was Words and Music received?

assistant: That same month he released the two-disc career hits retrospective Words & Music:

user: Were there any singles from Words & music?

assistant: John Mellencamp's Greatest Hits, which contained 35 of his radio singles (including all 22 of his Top 40 hits) along with two new tunes, "Walk Tall" and "Thank You" -

user: How was Freedom's Road received?

assistant: He intended for Freedom's Road to have a 1960s rock sound while still remaining contemporary,

user: Did he write all the songs on Freedoms Road?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: What influenced the words and music album?

assistant: in the spring of 2005 featured Donovan playing in the middle of Mellencamp's set.

user: Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?

assistant: Mellencamp would play a handful of songs before introducing Donovan and then duetting with him on the 1966 hit "Sunshine Superman".

user: Who is Donovan?

assistant: In 2005, Mellencamp toured with Donovan and John Fogerty.

user: How long did the tour last?

assistant: On the second leg of the tour in the summer of 2005, Fogerty co-headlined with Mellencamp at outdoor amphitheaters across the United States.

user: Why did the tour end?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: Did anyone collaborate on these two albums with him?

assistant: Little Big Town, was called on to record harmonies on the studio version of "Our Country", as well as seven other songs on Freedom's Road.