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From Kim J – Hello Mr. Pop History/Culture. The rock artist known as John Mellencamp started out as Cougar?? Where did he get his name and why not Mellencamp – his real name? Thank you.

Mr. Pop History – Next to Prince, John Mellencamp has had more handles. It can get confusing, but I’ll try to straighten it out.

Seymour, Indiana’s John Mellencamp started out as Johnny Cougar, a name foisted on him by Tony DeFries, the manager who gave him his first break in 1975. As Mellemcamp once explained – “He said he couldn’t sell John Mellencamp to the public, but he could sell Johnny Cougar.” Several albums later, Johnny became John Cougar.  Pop history tells us he next went into his John Cougar Mellencamp phase then eventually did a full circle where today – it’s John Mellencamp.

FYI – Mellencamp graduated from a small college in Indiana and wanted to be a radio DJ – but thought he stunk. Before Johnny Cougar cut his first album in 1975, he was pouring cement for a construction company. By 1980, he had 5 albums under his belt and at that time, was selling about 200,000 copies per album.

Come back soon, as I answer, to the best of my knowledge, another one of your pop history/culture questions.