Where did John Cougar Mellencamp grow up?

Growing up in southern Indiana—with which he is strongly identified—Mellencamp began playing in rock bands as a teenager. His first two albums, released in the late 1970s, disappeared without a trace; however, repackaged as a heartland rocker, he had his first hit, “I Need a Lover,” in late 1979.

Was John Mellencamp really born in a small town?

John Mellencamp is born in Seymour, Indiana. He has Spina bifida, but survives thanks to an experimental surgery performed at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.

Why did John Mellencamp change his name to Cougar?

His manager dubbed him Johnny Cougar out of his belief that nobody would buy a record by anybody named Mellencamp. John protested but was overruled and eventually, of course, reclaimed his birth name as his public name.