John Mellencamp has shared his experience of a performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame that left him “totally humiliated.”

In 1995, Mellencamp was invited to participate in a special celebration marking the opening of the Hall’s museum in Cleveland. The star-studded event included rock legends such as Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, and the Kinks. Mellencamp was set to perform a duet with Johnny Cash, an experience he recounted during a recent appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience.

“We were standing around getting ready to do soundcheck and there was a whole bunch of people playing,” Mellencamp recalled. “And the Eagles were on soundchecking and they were taking forever because Don Henley is a perfectionist. Everything’s got to be just right. And I was standing with John and June [Carter Cash] and John was getting irritated because we were like 40 minutes [late].”

READ MORE: John Mellencamp Albums Ranked Worst to Best

By the time they finally reached soundcheck, Cash was in a bad mood. “He had a f—ing temper,” Mellencamp remembered. “You didn’t f— with John Cash.” Consequently, Mellencamp suggested they skip practicing their duet of “Ring of Fire.” “I know that song. It’s easy,” he insisted to Cash. “I got it.” In hindsight, this decision proved unwise.

‘I Couldn’t Find a F—ing Note’

At the Hall of Fame concert the following night, Cash welcomed Mellencamp to the stage as planned. However, when they began to play “Ring of Fire,” something went awry.

“He started the song. ‘I fell into…’ I didn’t realize that he had changed the f—ing key from him smoking to a lower key. So I couldn’t hit the note,” Mellencamp explained. “I couldn’t find a f—ing note because it was not the note the song was written in.”

READ MORE: John Mellencamp Grew Tired of Being a ‘F—ing Clown’ for Fans

Mellencamp’s vocal struggles were evident, as his pitch fluctuated during the performance. To make matters worse, his fellow rock stars were watching from the side.

“I look over there and there’s Chuck Berry going and I look over there and there’s Springsteen going,” he recalled. “And all these people on the side of the stage, right? And they’re all giving me a look like, ‘You’re f—ing up, man.’”

Frustrated by the experience, Mellencamp left the stage immediately after their performance.

“As soon as the song was over, I ran off stage. I was totally humiliated,” he admitted. “So, I ran off stage and got to my trailer. I just get back there and all of a sudden, knock on the door and I answer and it’s John. He said, ‘Can I come in?’ And I go, ‘I don’t know why you’d want to, but yeah, come on in.’ He goes, ‘I told you we should have soundchecked.’”

Watch John Mellencamp Perform With Johnny Cash at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame