Little Known Facts About John Mellencamp

There aren't too many things that I myself don't know about John Mellencamp, considering I have been a self-proclaimed "Mellenhead" for over 20 years. I feel the public views him as a politically-sparked mid western rocker and song writer whose tunes tell the stories of the common man. He is indeed all of those things, but he is also so much more.

John Mellencamp was born in Indiana with the life threatening disease of Spina Bifida. Spina Bifida occurs when there is an opening at the spiral column and in severe cases may cause paralysis or even death. John has said numerous times in interviews over the years how very grateful he is to not be spending his life in a wheelchair.

As a young man, John worked for the Indiana phone company while pursuing a rock and roll career on the side. Eventually, he broke into the music business. His first manager, Tony Defries, insisted he change his name though, feeling "Mellencamp" wouldn't sell records. And so Johnny Cougar was born. Mr. Mellencamp, however, expressed his dislike of the stage name and soon added his family name back into his title of John Cougar Mellencamp. Once he was established in the industry, he dropped the name "Cougar" all together.

John has been married three times and his current wife Elaine Irwin was a Victoria 's Secret model and is now a spokesperson for Almay and New York and Company. Mellencamp is the father of five children. His teenaged marriage to his home town sweetheart produced his oldest daughter, Michelle. A second marriage to a California actress gave him two more girls, Justice and Teddi Jo. And his present wife, Irwin, has given him two sons, Hud and Speck. Since Michelle Mellencamp is married with children, John is, you guessed it, a grandfather!

John is one of the fathers and founders of Farm Aid joining the likes of Willie Nelson and Neil Young in a great effort to support our countries failing farming industry. He is also a contributor to charities for the overwhelming number of children suffering from autism in the U.S. Mellencamp has also made substantial donations to build a sports complex at Indiana University. He is an enormous sport's fan and supports all of Indiana's teams on every level from football to basketball, from college to professional.

Even though John resides in a small town, he has several Hollywood connections. John starred in a well reviewed movie in the 80's called "Falling from Grace." He is close friends with Matthew McConaughey and Bill Clinton. John and Stephen King are now writing a play together based on a mystery about two brothers.

In John's famous song, "Small Town," the phrase "small town" appears 18 times!

John Mellencamp is more than just a name and more than just a musician. He's a father, grandfather, husband, friend and American storyteller. He is a creative, generous, tenacious, hardworking man who beat the odds and shares his plight and the plight of others through the genuine words of his songs.