John Mellencamp has donated $50,000 to his southern Indiana hometown of Seymour for construction of a plaza near a mural that features a 35-foot image of the rocker leaning on a guitar.

The mural, created by Indianapolis artist Pamela Bliss, also features a smaller image of Mellencamp wearing a Seymour FFA jacket and includes the lyrics, “I was born in a small town” from his 1985 hit “Small Town” and a sign noting his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Seymour Mayor Craig Luedeman announced the news about the donation by reading a letter from Mellencamp at the end of a municipal board meeting last week.

Luedeman said the plaza project will create a friendlier and easier way for people to get pictures of the mural, which Mellencamp signed with his initials during a visit.

According to the Seymour Tribune, the rocker mentioned in the letter that the money is earmarked for creation of a plaza in a parking lot adjacent to the mural on the side of This Old Guitar Music Store on West 2nd Street. He also said that his family is in talks with an engineering firm for the plans to create “a very nice meeting area in downtown Seymour.”

Mellencamp grew up in Seymour, which is about 60 miles south of Indianapolis.

Source: RTT Music News