Artist John Mellencamp

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John Mellencamp

Middle-of-the-country-road, next-door neighbor John Mellencamp has an impressive résumé: He’s got an honorary doctorate of Musical Arts from Indiana University, is a Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame honoree, creator of Farm Aid, turned down Brad Pitt’s role in Thelma And Louise, made fun of multiple U.S. presidents, was subsequently compared to Osama bin Laden, performed at Obama’s inauguration, had the guts to cover “Born In The U.S.A.,” discovered Lisa Germano, and has been working on a musical with fear-monger Stephen King for 10 years. And yet, the train keeps on a-rollin’. 2010’s T Bone Burnett-produced No Better Than This was well-received by critics, proving that the man formerly known as Cougar will probably be working long after the rest of us are dead.

Updated 11/01/2011