John Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951, in Seymour, Indiana) is a 73 year-old singer-songwriter, known for a long and successful recording and performing career highlighted by a series of 1980s hits, including "Jack & Diane," "Hurts so Good," "Crumbin' Down," "Pink Houses," "Lonely Ol' Night," "Small Town," and others. He is also well-known as a humanitarian and philanthropist. Notably, in 1985, he co-founded Farm Aid with Willie Nelson and Neil Young to benefit American farmers. He was also one of the first musicians to criticize the Iraq War in 2003, while still performing for wounded soldiers at Waler Reed Medical Center in 2007. Throughout his career, John Mellencamp has used a variety of names such as "John Cougar," "John Cougar Mellencamp," and "Johnny Cougar." In recent years, he has performed under his given name.