John Mellencamp

His first five records had been recorded under heavy meddling.

John Mellencamp's two teenage sons have been charged in a beatdown they administered on a Bloomington, Ind., resident last month on the guy's porch. According to TMZ, the Mellencamps, along with a pal, have been charged with felony battery with the incident.

An unlikelier musical collaboration could only be imagined by the author himself. John Mellencamp and Stephen King (with help from T Bone Burnett) have come together to write and record a soundtrack for a near-finished musical called 'Ghost Brothers of Darkland County.' The star-studded album will be available on March 13, 2013. It's not clear when and if the musical will make its full-scale debut

Just in case you saw the title of the upcoming movie 'Jack & Diane' and wondered if maybe John Mellencamp had something to do with it, he's issued a press release clearing up any possible confusion.

At 22 years and counting, Farm Aid is one of the longest-running rock festivals around -- but as far as co-founder Willie Nelson is concerned, the fact that the show still exists is actually something of a disappointment.