John Mellencamp admits he's a smoking machine. And now that he's recovering from a heart attack, he's trying to make up for it.
"The moral of my story is that 80 cigarettes a day and a cholesterol level of 300 is like a loaded gun," said Mellencamp.Last month, the 42-year-old rock star canceled the remainder of a concert tour, saying he had a clogged artery in his heart. In an interview published Sunday, he confirmed that the clog had caused a mild heart attack in August.
He said he is taking medication, has put himself on a diet and exercise program, and is down to three or four cigarettes a day.
Still, Mellencamp is frustrated by rumors in his hometown that the attack might have resulted from cocaine abuse.
"Anybody who knows me knows that I haven't drank or taken drugs since the early '70s," Mellencamp said.