John Mellancamp was born in Seymour, Indiana on October 7, 1951. He started out for a brief period of time as a glam rocker, but then tried out for a solo career with his first album Chestnut Street Incident released by former David Bowie manager, Tony DeFries on the Mainman (division of MCA) label. That album was a complete flop partly due to the fact that the record label wanted to mold John into something he was not (a pretty boy ala James Dean) and the fact that the album was just cover songs. It was also the label's idea to release the album under the name Johnny Cougar which Mellencamp did not approve of. It wasnt until the release of American Fool released this time under the moniker John Cougar which featured his most well-known hit to date, "Jack & Diane" that he really made it big; the album stayed at #1 on the charts for nine weeks. Following that was Uh-huh which would be his first release under the moniker John Cougar Mellencamp; the name he would stick by until he gradually dropped the "Cougar" and just went by his given name John Mellencamp. A heart attack in 1994 prevented him from touring for one of his most famous albums to date Dance Naked. John has collaborated with Me'Shell Ndegeocello and India Arie over the years.Inducted into Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 (Performer).
John's first record released was under the stage name "Johnny Cougar" at the behest of Tony DeFries, his first manager. Mellencamp claims it was against his knowledge and will, and he hated the name. A few years later in 1982, he made his break through with the album "American Fool" which includes the hit singles "Hurts So Good" and "Jack and Diane" under the stage name "John Cougar". With 1983's "Uh-Huh" album, he added back his real last name, "Mellencamp." By 1987's "The Lonesome Jubilee" he dropped the "Cougar" moniker altogether, and has been known henceforth as "John Mellencamp."
Mellencamp has always been socially and politically active and supported the "Vote for Change" Tour in 2004 opposing the policies of President George W. Bush. Mellencamp is a devout evangelical Christian and strongly believes in non-violence; he has spoken about his beliefs frequently in interviews.
From Wikipedia:John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, (born October 7, 1951) is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds in favor of organic instrumentation. He has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has amassed 22 Top 40 hits in the United States. In addition, he holds the record for the most tracks by a solo artist to hit number-one on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, with seven, and he has been nominated for 13 Grammy Awards, winning one. His latest album, No Better Than This, was released on Aug. 17, 2010.
Mellencamp is also one of the founding members of Farm Aid, an organization that began in 1985 with a concert in Champaign, Illinois to raise awareness about the loss of family farms and to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. The Farm Aid concerts have remained an annual event over the past 25 years, and as of 2010 the organization has raised over $37 million to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. The 25th anniversary Farm Aid concert will be held at Miller Park in Milwaukee on Oct. 2, 2010.
Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10, 2008 by Billy Joel. His biggest musical influences are Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie and The Rolling Stones.