George Michael Green (January 28, 1952 – August 28, 2011) was an American songwriter. His collaborations with his childhood friend

John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...

include the Top 10 ''Billboard'' hits "

Crumblin' Down "Crumblin' Down" is a rock song co-written and performed by John Mellencamp, released as the lead single from his 1983 album '' Uh-Huh''. It was a top-ten hit on both the US '' Billboard'' Hot 100 and Canadian pop charts, and it reached #2 on th ...

" and "

Hurts So Good "Hurts So Good" is a song by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, then performing under the stage name "John Cougar". The song was a number two hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for the singer/songwriter. It was the first of three major hi ...

", as well as "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)", a #1 hit in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Career

Green was

's long-time writing partner. He was a classmate and childhood friend of Mellencamp's from

Seymour, Indiana Seymour is a city in Jackson County, Indiana, United States. Its population was 21,569 at the 2020 census. The city is noted for its location at the intersection of two major north–south and east–west railroads, which cross each other in th ...

. In 1985, Green's wife appeared in the video for Mellencamp's Top 10 hit " Lonely Ol' Night". In addition to writing with Mellencamp, Green also wrote songs recorded by

Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers List ...

Level 42 Level 42 is an English jazz-funk band formed on the Isle of Wight in 1979. They had a number of UK and worldwide hits during the 1980s and 1990s. Their highest-charting single in the UK was " Lessons in Love", which reached number three on the ...

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

, Jude Cole,

Vanessa Williams Vanessa Lynn Williams (born March 18, 1963) is an American singer, actress, and fashion designer. She gained recognition as the first African-American woman to receive the Miss America title when she was crowned Miss America 1984. She resigne ...

, Percy Sledge, Gary Morris, and

The Oak Ridge Boys The Oak Ridge Boys are an American country and gospel vocal quartet originating in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The group was founded in the 1940s as the Oak Ridge Quartet. They became popular in Southern gospel during the 1950s. Their name was change ...

among others.

Credits

Green's songwriting credits with Mellencamp include: * "Dream Killing Town" and "Sad Lady" from '' Chestnut Street Incident'' (1976) * "

" (#2 Billboard hit) and "Thundering Hearts" from ''

American Fool ''American Fool'' is the fifth studio album by John Mellencamp, released under the stage name John Cougar in 1982. The album was his commercial breakthrough, holding the No. 1 position on the '' Billboard'' album chart for nine weeks. A remaste ...

'' (1982) * "

" (#9 Billboard hit) and "Warmer Place to Sleep" from '' Uh-Huh'' (1983) * " Rain on the Scarecrow" (#21 Billboard hit) and "Minutes to Memories" from ''

Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...

'' (1985) * "Empty Hands" from ''

The Lonesome Jubilee ''The Lonesome Jubilee'' is the ninth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, credited as John Cougar Mellencamp. The album was released by Mercury Records on August 24, 1987 (see 1987 in music). Four singles were released fro ...

'' (1987) * "Human Wheels" from ''

Human Wheels ''Human Wheels'' is the twelfth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp. Released on Mercury Records on September 7, 1993, it peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200. The single "What If I Came Knocking" was Mel ...

'' (1993) * "Another Sunny Day 12/25", "The Big Jack" and "The Breakout" from ''

Dance Naked ''Dance Naked'' is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp released on June 21, 1994. The album was released in response to the record company's accusations that Mellencamp's previous album, ''Human Wheels'', di ...

'' (1994) * "

Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First) "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" is a song by American rock musician John Mellencamp. It was released as the first single from his 14th studio album, ''Mr. Happy Go Lucky'' (1996), and peaked at number 14 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, m ...

" (#14 Billboard hit), "This May Not Be The End Of The World" and "Circling Around The Moon" from ''

Mr. Happy Go Lucky ''Mr. Happy Go Lucky'' is the 14th album by American singer-songwriter and musician John Mellencamp. It was released on September 10, 1996. It was his first album released after his heart attack in 1994. Mellencamp's music on the album is said ...

'' (1996) * "Your Life Is Now", "Positively Crazy", "It All Comes True", "Where The World Began" and "Break Me Off Some" from ''

'' (1998) Green's songwriting credits with Carla Olson include: * "The Grand Blvd." recorded by

Percy Sledge Percy Tyrone Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song " When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 196 ...

on his 1994 album ''Blue Night''. * "Secret Graves," which Olson included on her 1988 self-titled album aka ''Sweden USA''. * "The Bell Hotel Is Burning" appears on the 2023 album "Night Comes Falling" by Stephen McCarthy & Carla Olson. (McCarthy is the 3rd writer of the song.)

Death

Green died on August 28, 2011 in

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), ; kee, Arawageeki; tow, Vakêêke; zun, Alo:ke:k'ya; apj, Gołgéeki'yé. abbreviated ABQ, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Its nicknames, The Duke City and Burque, both reference its founding in ...

, at the age of 59 after suffering from a rapid-forming

small cell lung cancer Small-cell carcinoma is a type of highly malignant cancer that most commonly arises within the lung, although it can occasionally arise in other body sites, such as the cervix, prostate, and gastrointestinal tract. Compared to non-small cell car ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Green, George 1952 births 2011 deaths Deaths from cancer in New Mexico Deaths from lung cancer Songwriters from Indiana People from Seymour, Indiana American rock songwriters American male songwriters