John Mellencamp had his head cut off when he was six weeks old

LOUDER ^ | 12/4/23 | Fraser Lewry

[DallasBiff]

Singer-songwriter John Mellencamp has detailed the startling surgical procedure that saved his life as an infant.

Mellencamp, who was born with spina bifida – a condition where the spine and the membranes around the spinal cord are not properly connected, leaving the spinal cord exposed – underwent the pioneering operation not long after he was born in 1951.

"I had my head cut off when I was six weeks old," Mellencamp tells Esquire. "There were three other kids who had that same operation that day. The other kids died, and I lived. One girl made it for a while, and I used to see her at basketball games. She was paralysed from the neck down. She died when she was about, I don’t know, thirteen."

[DallasBiff]

"Head chopped off", or a surgical condition treated by doctors when doctors were doctors.

[Gay State Conservative]

And they reattached his severed spinal cord how?

[1Old Pro]

classic blonde Telecaster, I wonder the year.

[ought-six]

“And they reattached his severed spinal cord how?”

Not reattached; realigned.

[rktman]

Staples. Apparently on the lefty side though. I hate that I like his music.

[al_c]

[ought-six]

Call me basic, but I preferred the Telecaster over the Stratocaster (probably because I had the chance to play it more).

[Round Earther]

He fought mortality.

[1Old Pro]

I preferred the Telecaster over the Stratocaster

Yep, I'm the same. Never owned one, I had the Jaguar, but have played my BIL's strat and tele and liked the tele better.

[I-ambush]

Duct tape, of course.

[PGR88]

[Round Earther]

Just an American kid reattaching his head the best he can.

[ought-six]

I liked the Gibson Les Paul best of all (never owned one, but played a friend’s). I also liked Rickenbacker (again, never owned one, but played a friend’s).

[silent_jonny]

[1Old Pro]

I liked the Gibson Les Paul best of all

My BIL has all three, the Les Paul is very heavy.

[ought-six]

“My BIL has all three, the Les Paul is very heavy.”

I was sitting when I played it. :)

[RasterMaster]

But it was reimplanted in his rectum sometime in adulthood?

[SaxxonWoods]

And he had to be the one to survive.

[SaxxonWoods]

I love sound of my Gretsch hollowbody guitar with Bigsby but I suck on it because I’m a bassist.

[gloryblaze]

Lucky son of a gun. And the most beautiful ladies certainly take a shine to him.

My favorite of his songs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlMPYwGWLcI