John Mellencamp is a rock musician who specializes in the genre of heartland rock characterized by traditional instrumentation. A highly successful artist, he has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has seven No.1 hits on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks—the maximum for a solo artist. He had always been musically inclined and formed his first band when he was just 14 years old. He also played with several other local bands. As a teenager he became addicted to alcohol and drugs, and even became a father at 19! When realization dawned upon him, the young man vowed to change his ways and left behind his old ways of life. His initial years as a musician were a struggle and his debut album ‘Chestnut Street Incident’, released under the stage name, Johnny Cougar, was a big failure. Over the next few years he could manage to get some moderate hits, but finally found big success with the album ‘American Fool’ which catapulted him to superstardom. His works are not just popular and commercially successful, but have also achieved high critical appreciation. In addition to being a musician, he is also a painter who often holds exhibitions to showcase his work.