Mellencamp was finally allowed to put his real last name on the record when he did the highly anticipated follow-up to his breakthrough hit under the proper title of “John Cougar Mellencamp.” Mellencamp, the singer-songwriter struggled to establish an identity, which became one of rock’s most infamous tugs-of-war. His 1982 breakthrough hit “Jack and Diane” helped make Mellencamp a household name – but not by the name those close to him knew him by. Related: “John Mellencamp’s ‘American Fool'” While many were trying to break artistic boundaries in the new medium of video, Mellencamp showed humble images of his small hometown and the idiosyncracies he sang about. The Indiana rocker carried a torch for middle America into the MTV age with lyrics and stories pertaining to life in small-town U.S.A. At a time dominated by synthesizers and excess, there was Mellencamp smoking cigarettes in ripped denim and swinging an acoustic guitar bigger than his torso. Mellencamp was undoubtedly a champion of Americana in the 1980s. Second was Bob Seger which I’m still convinced to this day was a vehicle to mellow his brazen exterior and channel his sentimental side.
The first was his premiere musical love above all else, Aerosmith – hometown heroes and rockstar extraordinaire. The majority of his collection consisted of three musical discographies. Half of the time the stereo would be set to the local classic rock station, and the other half would be from his personal CD collection. His garage would often emit the sounds of frustration from his work and the music that helped mask the former. Growing up in rural Massachusetts my father was a welder, mechanic, and most of all a hard worker.
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