John Mellencamp, also known as John Cougar and John Cougar Mellencamp, (born
October 7, 1951) is best known for being an American rock/roots rock singer,
songwriter, and guitarist.
Early life
Mellencamp was born in Seymour, Indiana. At age 14 he joined a band named "Crepe
Soul." In 1970, his senior year of high school, he married Priscilla Esterline,
and they had a daughter Michelle on December 4 of that year. In 1971 he formed a
cover band called "Trash."
In 1974 he graduated form Vincennes University and took a job at the phone
company in Seymour before deciding to go to New York to get signed.[citation
needed]
The John Cougar years
At age 24, Mellencamp, determined to break into the music business, traveled to
New York City and signed on with agent Tony DeFries of MainMan Management (at
the time well-known for representing David Bowie). DeFries insisted that
Mellencamp's first album, Chestnut Street Incident, a collection of covers and
derivative originals, be released under the stage name Johnny Cougar, a move
Mellencamp claims was made without his knowledge and against his will. The album
was a failure, and Mellencamp lost his contract with MCA Records.
He signed to the tiny Riva Records label and recorded 1978's A Biography. This
was unreleased in the United States, but yielded a hit in Australia, "I Need a
Lover". Riva Records added this track to his next album, John Cougar (1979) and
it become a Top 40 single in November 1979. Rocker Pat Benatar recorded "I Need
a Lover" and released the song as a single from her debut album In the Heat of
the Night.
In 1980, Mellencamp returned with Nothin' Matters And What If It Did -- another
effort that did manage to yield the Top 40 singles "This Time" and "Ain't Even
Done With The Night". In 1982 Mellencamp released his breakthrough album,
American Fool, (see 1982 in music). The hit singles "Hurts So Good" and "Jack
and Diane" sent the album to the top of the charts, and a third single, "Hand To
Hold On To," cracked the Top 20 and was a staple in his concerts throughout the
1980s.
