John Cougar Mellencamp

John Mellencamp, previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, painter, actor, and film director. He is known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation. Mellencamp rose to fame in the 1980s while 'honing an almost startlingly plainspoken writing style' that, starting in 1982, yielded a string of Top 10 singles, including 'Hurts So Good,' 'Jack & Diane,' 'Crumblin' Down,' 'Pink Houses,' 'Lonely Ol' Night,' 'Small Town,' 'R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.,' 'Paper in Fire,' and 'Cherry Bomb.' He has amassed 22 Top 40 hits in the United States. In addition to his musical career, Mellencamp is also a co-founder 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.