[at-l] John Mellencamp

[janl2 at mindspring.com (Jan Leitschuh)]

> Felix, 
> This is Sparrow who sells the AT pins.  I have a quick
> question for you...Why did John drop his middle name
> "Cougar"?  That's what a girl here where I work in
> Virginia keeps calling him...John "Cougar" Mellencamp.
>  Just curious.

Well, I'm not Felix, nor do I play him on DVD, but I saw "Johhny 
Cougar" back in 1978 or '79 at a small club in Madison, WI.

He (Johnny, not Felix) was an up and comer on the rock 'n roll scene, 
and his handlers had him packed into tight red spandex pants, very 
David Bowie-meets-punk-ish. I mean, REALLY tight panys (use your 
imaginations here).

  It was a good hot show. Not long after that, the Mellencamp part got 
tacked back on, Mellencamp being his real name (Johnny's, not Felix's).

I later read an interview about this name transition, where he (JCM, 
not FM) said he was just a regular guy ...(cue..."I was born in a 
small town..."), and felt like the labels/PR machines were presurring 
him into a persona that didn't fit his reality.

As he was gaining some popularity and clout, he (JCM, but FM too) 
exercised his freeborn right to select his own name. Mellencamp kept 
the "Cougar" in for transitional recognition.

I reckon now that he (JCM, and FMcG too) can call himself whatever he 
wants, and the fans would follow.

What'sInAName Shoe


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