 John Mellencamp was born Oct. 7, 1951, in Seymour, Ind. He survived an early
phase as a glam-rocker to become one of America's most successful mainstream
rock singers of the 1980s. After playing in a local band, he was signed by David
Bowie's
manager Tony de Fries to a recording deal with MainMan in 1976. His name was
changed to Johnny Cougar, and he was given a James Dean-style image, but a
rush-released album of cover songs did not chart. He left MainMan and moved back
to Indiana and recorded the self-penned The Kid Inside.
Shortly afterwards he signed to Riva Records, owned by Rod Stewart's manager
Billy Gaff, who presented the singer as the next Bruce Springsteen. Mellencamp's
first chart action came with the Top 30 single "I Need a Lover" in December
1979. John Mellencamp and his band toured constantly, a strategy which paid off in 1982 when
his third Riva album, American Fool, topped the album chart, while "Hurts
So Good" (which earned his only Grammy) and "Jack and Diane" were certified as
gold singles.
The following year, the singer changed his billing to John Cougar Mellencamp,
and his chart successes continued with Uh-Huh in 1983 and Scarecrow
in 1985. Many of his songs were now dealing with social problems, and he was one
of the organizers of the Farm Aid series of benefit concerts. His straight-ahead
rock numbers also brought a string of big hits in the late '80s, such as "Small
Town," "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.," "Paper in Fire" and "Cherry Bomb."
Moving to Mercury Records, the 1987 album Lonesome Jubilee used
fiddles and accordions to illustrate bleak portraits of America in recession,
while "Pop Singer" from 1989's Big Daddy expressed his disillusionment
with the music business. In addition to ditching the "Cougar" nickname, he then
took time off to concentrate on painting but returned with Whenever We Wanted
in 1991, which recaptured the muscular rock sound of his earlier albums.
In 1992, John Mellencamp directed and starred in the movie Falling From Grace.
Despite radio's dismal reception to 1993's album Human Wheels, he made a
strong comeback with Dance Naked and its Top 10 cover version of Van
Morrison's "Wild Night." He suffered a major heart attack shortly after the
release of Dance Naked and was sidelined for more than a year. John Mellencamp
returned in 1996 with Mr. Happy Go Lucky, augmented by the work of noted
dance music producer Junior Vasquez. The album spawned the catchy hit single
"Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)."
In 1997, Mercury Records released The Best That I Could Do (1978-1988).
That hits collection has sold 3 million copies, while American Fool and
Scarecrow have been certified for sales of 5 million each. The
Lonesome Jubilee and Uh-Huh rest at 3 million, and six other albums
have been certified platinum.
After parting ways with Mercury, a self-titled album arrived on Columbia in
1998, and Cuttin' Heads followed in 2001. Though neither caught fire on
the airwaves, both have been certified gold. The blues album Trouble No More
bowed in 2003.
True to the lyrics of his hit "Small Town," John Mellencamp lives in Indiana with
his family.
Contact Grabow for more information or to book John Mellencamp
for your next corporate or private event.
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