Another stellar lineup of artists will perform at Farm Aid 2017 on September 16 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. Learn more about the lineup for this fundraising concert to benefit family farmers in the United States here: https://farmaid.org/lineup
Neil Young
John Mellencamp
Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
Jack White
Jamey Johnson
Sheryl Crow
Blackberry Smoke
Avett Brothers
Insects vs Robots
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real
Valerie June
www.FarmAid.org
Farm Aid’s director Carolyn Mugar and co-founder @johnmellencamp introduced Farm Aid’s film, Homeplace Under Fire, at @dukeuniversity tonight.
www.homeplaceunderfire.org
The Farm Crisis of the 1980s drove hundreds of thousands of family farmers into foreclosure. Yet, out of that crisis arose a legion of farm advocates who refused to stand idly by and watch their way of life be destroyed.
Ordinary Americans taught themselves extraordinary skills. As fellow farmers, farm wives, and rural leaders, they studied laws and regulations, started hotlines, answered farmers’ calls from their kitchen tables, counseled their neighbors, and went toe-to-toe with lenders – giving their all to keep their neighbors on the land.
Homeplace Under Fire celebrates these advocates and their remarkable work. Thousands of farmers are alive and on their land today because of them. As Willie Nelson has said, these advocates are the best of America.
Homeplace Under Fire was directed by Charles D. Thompson, Jr. and produced by Farm Aid in cooperation with the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.
— Farm Aid (@FarmAid) April 7, 2017
Board Members Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp in Nashville, to celebrate life and music of Merle Haggard.
www.RollingStone.com
Merle Haggard will be the focus of a new tribute concert set for April 6th in Nashville. “Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard” marks what would have been the influential singer-songwriter’s 80th birthday as well as the first anniversary of his death: Haggard died on April 6th, 2016.
Willie Nelson, Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert anchor the wildly diverse lineup: Dierks Bentley, Hank Williams Jr., Loretta Lynn and John Mellencamp are all on the bill, along with Kacey Musgraves, the Avett Brothers, Alison Krauss, John Anderson, Connie Smith, Bobby Bare, Ronnie Dunn and Jamey Johnson.
Southern-rock road warriors Lynyrd Skynyrd, Americana pioneer Lucinda Williams and Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes are also set to perform. Haggard’s guitarist son Ben Haggard, Don Was and Buddy Cannon are the concert’s music directors.
Held at the Bridgestone Arena, the show is a production of Blackbird Presents, who staged a similar all-star tribute to Kris Kristofferson last March.
Haggard, one the architects of the Bakersfield Sound and an inductee into the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in 1994, was revered for his way with a lyric. He wrote and recorded such country classics as 1966’s “The Bottle Let Me Down,” 1968’s “Mama Tried” and 1969’s “Okie From Muskogee.”
Tickets for “Sing Me Back Home: The Music of Merle Haggard” went on sale Friday, March 3rd.
John Mellencamp, 64, was honored for his songwriting and his exceptional contributions to music by the organization that represents composers, authors and publishers
www.dailymail.co.uk
by: Rachel McGrath
The 64-year-old began his career as John Cougar, then became John Cougar Mellencamp, adding his real last name to his stage name, and finally just John Mellencamp. His music illuminates the human condition’: Heartland rocker John Mellencamp is honored for his songwriting and creative influence. He’s known for his ‘heartland rock’ and his string of hits over the years also includes R.O.C.K. In The USA, Small Town and Ain’t That America. His most recent album Plain Spoken was released in the fall of 2014.
ASCAP president Paul Williams, pictured left with Mellencamp and TV personality Tavis Smiley, said the rocker had ‘captured the American experience in his songs’
The ASCAP Founders Award goes to pioneering ASCAP songwriters who have made exceptional contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators.
‘For the last four decades, John Mellencamp has captured the American experience in his songs, ASCAP president Paul Williams told Variety last month.
‘His infectious melodies and compassionate lyrics, wrapped in workingman’s rock, crystallize life’s joys and struggles and illuminate the human condition,’ Williams added.
John Mellencamp, Lana Nelson, Willie Nelson
John Mellencamp performs “SONG” at Farm Aid’s 30th anniversary concert at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in downtown Chicago, Illinois, on September 19.
These four are true heroes. They have done so much to help so many, directly and indirectly, through their commitment to Farm Aid. The money raised from the concerts they help organize has raised millions and millions (over $20 Million) that has been used to help family farmers, and create the Farm Aid organization that has grown out from that first fund raising event. Year after year, for thirty years now, every fall, these four dedicated artists have dropped everything, interrupted lucrative tours, left families at home, and flown themselves and their band members in to perform at the annual concert. And they invite their friends and other musicians to do the same thing, for frees.
Millions of dollars have been raised to support family farmers, through Farm Aid. Net works, crisis help lines, crisis assistance, resources, financial support are just a few of the ways Farm Aid has helped the family farmer stay on the land. As well as keeping farmers on the land, networks created help support new farmers obtain land and education about farm. Their work affects all of us — we all benefit from healthy food grown by farmers who really are the caretakers of the land, and not hourly paid worker for a large corporation. So many farms are transitioning now, and farmers age and retire. When there is no family member to continue farming, the productive farmland is sold to a corporations, who goal is not to be a steward of the land, but to make millions from it, with their chemicals and genetically modified seeds.
Thank you Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews
Learn more about Farm Aid, and how you can support them here:
www.FarmAid.org.
Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp were the musical guests, and also sat and talked with Stephen about Farm Aid 30, in Chicago, on Sept. 19, 2015.
It’s that time of year again! Farm Aid Auction 2015 kicks off Wednesday, September 2nd at 10am ET running through the week and ending Wednesday, September 9th at 10 am.
First and foremost a huge thank you goes out to all of the fans, that donate items, and bid on these great items and to John for taking the time to autograph all these great items! We could not accomplish this without YOU. As you know the Farm Aid Auction has been a huge success over the years. John and the staff at Farm Aid are always amazed how the Mellencamp fans pull together to help support the family farmer!
All funds we raise including anyone that would like to donate will be credited to “The members of Mellencamp.com Community
Payment is expected within 5 days of the auction ending. Checks, money orders and paypal will be accepted. Please note that Paypal takes a fee. We are going to present the charitable contribution at Farm Aid 2015 so it is essential that payment is received within the 5 days of the auction ending so all payments are clear and one check can be issued. The staff at Farm Aid will receive a list of all of the fan club member’s names that donate and/or win an auction item and receive a thank you letter from them. Please serious bidders only. Good luck and thanks for your support!
Below are the easy to bid step by step directions:
To bid on any of these items simply email 2015farmaidauction@gmail.com
Put the NUMBER and ITEM DESCRIPTION in the SUBJECT of your email
Your bid amount, and Name, Address, Phone number in the body of the email
You will receive an email back of receipt of your bid; when and if someone bids higher than you we will notify you by email and let you have the chance to bid again! It’s that simple! (If you do not get an email back IMMEDIATELY DON’T PANIC!) I go by the time the email is received. I will do my best to get back to all bidders in a timely manner.
Once there is a bid on an item I put the highest bids in red text
If you want to donate please email sharon@mellencamp.com we take donations up until the end of the auction.
www.ifonly.com
Limited edition prints of iconic Farm Aid concerts, autographed by Farm Aid Board members autographed by Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, and More. Photos taken by two accomplished photographers who have been documenting Farm Aid since it’s beginning: Paul Natkin and Ebet Roberts.
To commemorate the 30th annual Farm Aid Concert in Chicago on September 19, IfOnly is offering moments of the legendary festival from two of music’s most celebrated photographers: Ebet Roberts and Paul Natkin. They have been capturing the Farm Aid stage since the very beginning. Farm Aid is releasing these rare photos printed on archival, acid-free paper, and signed by the artists in the photos and the photographers themselves. Not only a remarkable piece of rock memorabilia, these offerings also help support American family farms and the Good Food Movement.
To see all the great photos, and purchase your favorite:
http://www.ifonly.com/music/product/5433/limited-edition-prints-of-iconic-festival-moments-autographed-by-willie-nelson-neil-young-john-melle
SEE VIDEO HERE:
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152622613306766
“Farm Aid supports a food system that is democratic, independent, competitive and locally based. This isn’t an exercise in nostalgia, it’s a commitment to a way of life. These are values worth fighting for.”
–– Eric Schlosser
Farm Aid’s mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews host an annual concert to raise funds to support Farm Aid’s work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farm food. For 30 years, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised $48 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.
