Two years later, Mellencamp released his debut album, The Chestnut Street Incident under the stage name Johnny Cougar, given to him by his manager who thought his real last name was not marketable enough. He experimented with drugs and alcohol while attending Vincennes University in Indiana, but he went clean before graduating college in 1974. At 18, Mellencamp eloped with his girlfriend Priscilla, who gave birth to their child just six months after their high school graduation. The future star fell in love with music at an early age, performing in local bars and fronting the band Crepe Soul by the time he was 14. 7, 1951 in Seymour, IN, with a form of spina bifida that required surgery and lengthy hospitalization. Together with fellow musical icons Willie Nelson and Neil Young, Mellencamp co-founded Farm Aid, a benefit concert and organization in support of America's farmers, which demonstrated his success and influence not only as a recording artist, but also a fervent and vocal humanitarian. A modern day renaissance man, Mellencamp was also an accomplished artist and acclaimed filmmaker who delivered a brilliant debut - as the director and star - in the musical drama feature, "Falling From Grace" (1992). The gruff-voiced, denim-clad hitmaker sang about the nostalgia of youth, the complexities of love and loss, and the American dream, as exemplified by songs such as "Hurts So Good" and "Jack & Diane" from his 1982 breakout album, American Fool. Legendary rocker John Mellencamp earned legions of fans and the admiration of critics for delivering patriotic and soul-stirring messages through his music.