Teddy Mellencamp has one of the crucial iconic final names in music, so it’s no shock that she turned to her well-known father, John Mellencampfor recommendation earlier than taking over The Masked Singer.
“My dad mentioned, ‘Simply sing loud and proud, and should you don’t hit a be aware, you don’t hit a be aware, however so long as you’re giving it your all, that’s what issues,’” the previous Bravo star, 44, solely informed Us Weekly after her unmasking in the course of the Wednesday, February 4, episode of the Fox singing competitors. “And in order that’s what I used to be doing.”
Teddi didn’t initially inform John, 74, that she’d landed a gig on The Masked Singerhowever when it got here time to point out off her pipes, she determined it was time to ask the Grammy winner for some ideas.
“As soon as I used to be singing a track, then I talked to him about it. I wanted recommendation,” she. “He’s like, ‘Don’t go on the market attempting to assume that you just’re a singer. Simply go on the market and sing the track the best way you’d should you had been singing alongside. Have enjoyable.’”
The recommendation appears to have labored, as a result of Teddi blew the judges away together with her performances of Rachel Platten’s “Struggle Track” and her dad’s “Jack & Diane.” The previous track, she defined, has grow to be “an anthem” for her as she battles stage IV melanoma. (A scan in October 2025 confirmed “no detectable most cancers,” however Teddi defined on her podcast final month that she’s nonetheless thought of stage IV whereas she stays on immunotherapy.)
“I’m in all probability even going to get emotional speaking about it,” Teddi mentioned of Platten’s inspiring observe. “I’m virtually a yr (after) having all my most cancers surgical procedures, but it surely’s been a battle, and I wished to have the ability to share the softer aspect, but additionally (present) you may work actually laborious and do the issues that you just wish to do nonetheless.”
As for the second track, John’s 1982 No. 1 hit, Teddi initially didn’t assume it was an choice to even sing one among her dad’s songs due to who owned the rights. When she realized his masters had been offered, nonetheless, his catalog was on the desk, and he or she was prepared to offer it a shot.
Teddi Mellencamp performs as Calla Lily on season 14 of ‘The Masked Singer.’
Michael Becker/ FOXWhen Teddi spoke to Usher dad hadn’t but seen her tackle “Jack & Diane” — he was planning to return over and watch together with her so she may get “good and embarrassed” — however he beforehand expressed his approval for her “Struggle Track” efficiency.
“He thought the primary episode was nice,” she informed Us. “I imply, he’s my dad, so it’s completely different. However he was like, ‘I believed you had been nice.’”
Tuning into The Masked Singer is seemingly at all times a household affair within the Mellencamp family, irrespective of who’s beneath the costume. As Teddi mentioned in Calla Lily’s first clue package deal, she wished to do the present for her youngsters, who love the present. (She shares Slate, 13, Cruz, 11, and Dove, 5, with ex Edwin Arroyave.)
Teddi Mellencamp will at all times respect her dad, John Mellencamp, regardless of their well-documented ups and downs. John welcomed daughters Teddi and Justice with ex-wife Victoria Granucci in 1981 and 1985, respectively. The singer additionally shares daughter Michelle with ex Priscilla Esterline, and sons Hud and Speck with ex-wife Elaine Irwin. In Might 2024, Teddi shared that (…)
“My youngsters have seen me in a state of affairs the place I used to be recovering from mind surgical procedure, and I wished them to know that there’s life after that,” she defined. “And when you’re feeling higher, you may push your self and you’ll attempt new issues. So, that was a part of the rationale that I wished to do The Masked Singerhowever the different half was as a result of it’s my youngsters’ favourite present.”
The children didn’t know prematurely that their mother was on the present, however she mentioned they figured it out as quickly as they heard her voice as a result of she at all times sings within the automobile.
“I used to be like, ‘How are you aware?’ As a result of I wished to attend (to inform them),” she recalled. “They usually had been like, ‘Don’t even attempt to idiot us. We all know.’”
They had been then “so apprehensive” that their mother would go residence first, however that didn’t occur: She notched two performances earlier than Calla Lily’s run got here to an finish regardless of being so nervous that she discovered herself shaking on stage.
“I simply was like, ‘You’ve acquired to do that. There’s no selection,’” Teddi recalled telling herself. “You’ve simply acquired to battle via the nerves and bear in mind the phrases and sing loud.”
Teddi has been preventing laborious for the previous yr, sharing uncooked insights about her well being journey on her “Two T’s in a Pod” podcast, which she cohosts with The Actual Housewives of Orange County’s Tamra Decide. Listeners could come anticipating actuality TV gossip, however Teddi hasn’t shied away from discussing the intense subject of her therapy, partially as a result of she thinks it could be “unimaginable” for followers to not discover one thing was happening.
“You possibly can hear the best way that my voice has modified all through the time. You possibly can see my character change. And I’m conscious of it,” Teddi defined. “When you have got mind surgical procedure, there’s so many issues affected, and I didn’t wish to really feel ashamed by it. So, I simply wished to speak about it and make different folks not really feel alone. But in addition, if I discuss it, then I’m much less nervous about it, then I can simply go alongside being me. I’m not attempting to cover one thing like, ‘Hey, guys, I’m actually shaky immediately,’ or, ‘You would possibly discover my voice sounds humorous.’”
She added, “It’s one of many unintended effects of one of many remedies I’m going via, and simply sort of letting folks know that you just’re not alone. I believe so many individuals discuss in regards to the bodily side of getting most cancers, however the psychological side has sort of been forgotten. So, as a lot as I can discuss that, I do.”
Simply final month, Teddi opened up about beginning remedy to assist course of all that she’s been via between her most cancers battle and her divorce from Arroyave, 48.
“It’s actually laborious for me to faucet into my emotions, as a result of I believe I’ve put up a wall,” she shared with Us. “I used to be so fearful of what occurred that I didn’t wish to actually dig into it and get into these feelings, however now that I’ve, it’s just like the floodgates are open. It’s positively been serving to, as a result of I believe that once you undergo a trauma and also you’re simply attempting to white-knuckle it the entire time, it’s gonna come round. And when it got here round, I used to be fully shocked.”
The Masked Singershe mentioned, helped remind her that she will be able to preserve going.
“You grow to be such a creature of behavior once you’re therapeutic,” she mentioned. “I’m residence. I do my podcast from the home. I’m not allowed to drive but, so my podcast room is 15 steps from the place my bed room is. It’s like every part is in a single space. With the ability to get on the market and try this was one thing that confirmed me I can do laborious issues.”
The Masked Singer airs on Fox Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the following day on Hulu.