John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp was born in Seymour, Indiana, and began recording in the 1970s under names imposed by his label, among them John Cougar. He rose to prominence with American Fool, from 1982, which featured “Jack & Diane”, and cemented his writing about small towns and working people on Scarecrow, from 1985.

He also co-founded Farm Aid. Later, he released work such as Life, Death, Love and Freedom and kept recording and touring.