That was more or less a fatal condition in the early вЂ™50s, but a new surgical technique saved young MellencampвЂ™s life. Shortly after his birth in 1951, Mellencamp underwent surgery for spina bifida, a birth defect that leaves an opening in the spinal column which can make the spinal cord extend outside the body and leave a growth.

You had an operation.вЂ™' But that operation was kind of a big deal in more ways that one. 'Some kid, I was about nine or ten, said, вЂWhatвЂ™s that big scar on the back of your neck?вЂ™ and I went home and asked my parents,' Mellencamp told CBS This Morning in 2014. John Mellencamp is lucky he made it out of his childhood alive. John Mellencamp was born with a severe spinal deformity HereвЂ™s a look into the challenging upbringing and often tragic real-life story that shaped and influenced the life and work of John Mellencamp. ThatвЂ™s because Mellencamp is a real guy whoвЂ™s lived a few lifetimesвЂ™ worth of drama and struggle. Similar to the way that anyone can connect to Bruce Springsteen or Bob Dylan, seemingly everybody can enjoy or even relate to the people and themes in MellencampвЂ™s music. Remarkably successful, Mellencamp has sold more than 27 million albums, and the Rock and Roll Hall of FamerвЂ™s many hits - like 'Jack and Diane,' 'Hurts So Good,' 'Cherry Bomb,' 'Small Town,' 'Pink Houses,' and 'Authority Song' - are perpetually-played staples of classic rock radio.

His emotionally authentic, straightforward rock nвЂ™ roll reflects his upbringing in the Heartland, combining pop, country, and folk to create poetic grooves that you can also jam out to on a barвЂ™s jukebox. John Mellencamp - formerly John Cougar Mellencamp, formerly-formerly John Cougar - is an American original.

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