Mellencamp was born John Cougar Mellencamp Jr. in Seymour, Indiana, in 1951. He began playing guitar at a young age and formed his first band, Trash, while still in high school. After graduating from college, he moved to New York City to pursue a music career. He initially struggled to find success, but eventually landed a record deal with MainMan Management in 1975.

Mellencamp's early albums were released under the stage name Johnny Cougar. However, he later adopted his given name in order to avoid being pigeonholed as a pop artist. His breakthrough album came in 1982 with "American Fool," which featured the hit singles "Jack and Diane" and "Hurts So Good." The album's success made Mellencamp a major star and established him as one of the leading figures in American rock music.

Over the next few decades, Mellencamp continued to release successful albums, including "Scarecrow" (1985), "The Lonesome Jubilee" (1987), and "Whenever We Wanted" (1991). He has also had a number of hit singles, such as "Pink Houses," "Small Town," and "Rain on the Scarecrow."

In addition to his music career, Mellencamp is also a film actor and director. He has appeared in several movies, including "Falling Down" (1993) and "The Shawshank Redemption" (1994). He also directed the film "Let It Roll" (2007), a documentary about his life and career.

Mellencamp is a two-time Grammy Award winner and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee. He is considered one of the most important and influential American rock musicians of his generation.