His following LP, 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee was departure from his earlier material it incorporated country and folk influences (see 1987 in music). Mellencamp, now fully asserting his power as a hitmaker, changed his billing to simply John Mellencamp and made waves by refusing to allow alcohol or tobacco companies to sponsor his tours. The album's lyrics were socially aware, with several songs focusing on the plight of the American family farmer, and Mellencamp soon helped organize Farm Aid with Willie Nelson. He rectified this in some quarters with the release of Scarecrow in 1985.
Despite his popular success, Mellencamp fared less well with critics who tended to view him as a derivative heartland rocker in the mold of Bob Seger. With a major hit under his belt, Mellencamp insisted on changing his billing to John Cougar Mellencamp (compromising by keeping the stage name as well as his true last name) for the 1983 follow-up, Uh-Huh, which was another top-10 hit and spawned several hit singles, including the vivid Americana of "Pink Houses". The hit singles "Hurt So Good" and "Jack and Diane" sent the album to the top of the charts (the former being an unlikely radio hit with its lyrics referring to S&M). Female 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.Īfter one more album with Riva, Mellencamp signed with Mercury Records and released his breakthrough album, American Fool, in 1982 (see 1982 in music).
Riva added this song to the next album, John Cougar ( 1979) to minor success. He signed to the tiny Riva Records label and recorded 1978's A Biography, unreleased in the US, but which yielded a hit in Australia ("I Need A Lover"). The album was a failure, and Mellencamp lost his contract with MCA Records. 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. He eloped with his pregnant girlfriend at seventeen and began performing with a band the following year.Īt age 24, Mellencamp, determined to break into the music business, moved to New York City and signed on with agent Tony DeFries (at the time well-known for representing David Bowie). Mellencamp who has spina bifida, had a troubled childhood marked by several brushes with the law.
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John Cougar Mellencamp (born Octoin Seymour, Indiana) is an American singer and songwriter, known for a long and successful recording and performing career highlighted by a series of 1980s hits, including "Jack and Diane", and by his role in the Farm Aid charity event.
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