John Fogerty
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John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with
Doug Clifford Douglas Raymond Clifford (born April 24, 1945) is an American drummer, best known as a founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. After the group disbanded in late 1972 ...
,
Stu Cook Stuart Alden Cook (born April 25, 1945) is an American bass guitarist, best known for his work in the rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), for which he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Career Cook, along with Doug Clif ...
, and his brother
Tom Fogerty Thomas Richard Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist for Creedence Clearwater Revival. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Biography ...
, he founded the band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), for which he was the lead singer, lead guitarist, and principal songwriter. CCR had nine top-10 singles and eight gold albums between 1968 and 1972, and was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...
in 1993. Since CCR parted ways in 1972, Fogerty has had a successful solo career, which continues. He was listed on ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' magazine's list of 100 Greatest Songwriters (at No. 40) and the list of 100 Greatest Singers (at No. 72). His songs include "
Proud Mary "Proud Mary" is a song written by John Fogerty and first recorded by his band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was released by Fantasy Records as a single from the band's second studio album, '' Bayou Country'', which was issued by the same ...
", "
Bad Moon Rising "Bad Moon Rising" is a song written by John Fogerty and performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was the lead single from their album '' Green River'' and was released in April 16, 1969 four months before the album. The song peaked at No. ...
", "
Fortunate Son "Fortunate Son" is a song by the American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival released on their fourth studio album, ''Willy and the Poor Boys'' in November 1969. It was previously released as a single, together with "Down on the Corner", in ...
", "
Green River Green River may refer to: Rivers Canada * Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River *Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte *Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
", "
Down on the Corner "Down on the Corner" is a song by the American band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It appeared on their fourth studio album, ''Willy and the Poor Boys'' (1969). The song peaked at No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on 20 December 1969. The flip ...
", "
Who'll Stop the Rain ''Who'll Stop the Rain'' is a 1978 American crime film directed by Karel Reisz and starring Nick Nolte, Tuesday Weld, Michael Moriarty, and Anthony Zerbe. It was released by United Artists and produced by Herb Jaffe and Gabriel Katzka with Sh ...
", " Centerfield" and " The Old Man Down the Road".


Early life

Fogerty was born in
Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...
, and grew up in
El Cerrito, California El Cerrito ( Spanish for "The Little Hill") is a city in Contra Costa County, California, United States, and forms part of the San Francisco Bay Area. It has a population of 25,962 according to the 2020 census. El Cerrito was founded by refugee ...
, the third of five boys born to Galen Robert and Edith Lucile Fogerty. His father was born in
Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...
, and worked as a Linotype operator for the ''Berkeley Gazette'' in California. Lucile Fogerty taught second grade and was from
Great Falls, Montana Great Falls is the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Montana and the county seat of Cascade County. The population was 60,442 according to the 2020 census. The city covers an area of and is the principal city of the Great Falls, M ...
. John first attended a Catholic school, the School of the Madeleine, in Berkeley, California. In his memoir, ''Fortunate Son'', Fogerty was critical of the school, saying when in class he was not permitted to go to the bathroom when he asked, and frequently wet himself and was forced to sit in his wet clothing. After one year, Fogerty enrolled in nearby Harding Grammar School. In his book, he stated that his parents were
alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...
s and that they divorced when he was in the third or fourth grade. He later attended St. Mary's High School, then transferred to
El Cerrito High School El Cerrito High School is a four-year public high school in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. It is located on Ashbury Avenue in El Cerrito, California, United States and serves students from El Cerrito, a portion of eastern Richm ...
, where he met the other future members of CCR and took guitar lessons from Berkeley Folk Festival creator/producer
Barry Olivier Barry Olivier (November 2, 1935 in San Francisco, California) is a retired professional guitar teacher, and creator/producer of the Berkeley Folk Music Festivals from 1958 to 1970. https://sites.northwestern.edu/bfmf/barry-olivier-festival-dir ...
. Fogerty's older brother Tom was a guitarist and bandmate in the group that eventually became CCR. Fogerty spent summer vacations at
Putah Creek Putah Creek (Patwin: ''Liwaito'') is a major stream in Northern California, a tributary of the Yolo Bypass, and ultimately, the Sacramento River. The creek has its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, a part of the Coast Range, and flow ...
, near
Winters, California Winters is a city in rural Yolo County, and the western Sacramento Valley, in northern California. The population of Winters was 6,624 as of the 2010 Census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Yuba City, CA-NV Combined Statistical A ...
, which became the subject of the CCR song "
Green River Green River may refer to: Rivers Canada * Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River *Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte *Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
".Thompson, Art
"John Fogerty Summons His Creedence-Era Spirit on Revival"
/ref>Greene, Andy
Q&A: John Fogerty on All-Star Duets LP, Unlikely Creedence Reunion
''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', May 4, 2012.
While in junior high school in 1959, Fogerty formed a
cover band A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays songs recorded by someone else, sometimes mimicking the original as accurately as possible, and sometimes re-interpreting or changing the original. These remade songs are known as cover songs. Ne ...
with
bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a Bass (instrument), bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboar ...
Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford called the Blue Velvets. The band was inspired by
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...
pioneers, especially
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
and
Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...
. Later, Fogerty's brother Tom joined the group. In 1964, the band signed with
Fantasy Records Fantasy Records is an American independent record label company founded by brothers Max and Sol Stanley Weiss in 1949. The early years of the company were dedicated to issuing recordings by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who was also one of its invest ...
, which without the band's knowledge or approval, changed the band's name from the Blue Velvets to
The Golliwogs Creedence Clearwater Revival, also referred to as Creedence and CCR, was an American rock band formed in El Cerrito, California. The band initially consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty; his brother, ...
. This group recorded seven singles that were not commercially successful.


Military service

Fogerty received his draft notice for military service during the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
in 1966. The same day he received the notice, he went to a local
United States Army Reserve The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a Military reserve force, reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed F ...
recruiter, who signed him up immediately for training as a supply clerk. Fogerty believes the recruiter dated the paperwork to take effect before the draft letter arrived. During his time in the Army Reserve, Fogerty attended training at
Fort Bragg Fort Bragg is a military installation of the United States Army in North Carolina, and is one of the largest military installations in the world by population, with around 54,000 military personnel. The military reservation is located within Cum ...
,
Fort Knox Fort Knox is a United States Army installation in Kentucky, south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. It is adjacent to the United States Bullion Depository, which is used to house a large portion of the United States' official gold res ...
, and Fort Lee. He completed his active duty for training in July 1967, then served as a part-time reservist until being discharged in 1968.


Creedence Clearwater Revival (1968–1972)

After Fogerty's military service, the Golliwogs resumed playing, releasing an album in late 1967. In 1968, they changed their name to Creedence Clearwater Revival, with John Fogerty taking his brother's place as lead singer. The band released their eponymous debut album and also had their first hit single, " Susie Q". Many other hit singles and albums followed, beginning with "
Proud Mary "Proud Mary" is a song written by John Fogerty and first recorded by his band Creedence Clearwater Revival. It was released by Fantasy Records as a single from the band's second studio album, '' Bayou Country'', which was issued by the same ...
" and the album ''
Bayou Country Bayou Country may refer to: * Bayou Country, a region in the Gulf Coast of the US where bayous are found * ''Bayou Country'' (album), a 1969 album by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival See also

* {{Disambiguation ...
''. Fogerty, as writer of the songs for the band as well as lead singer and lead guitarist, felt that his musical opinions should count for more than those of the others, leading to resentments within the band. These internal rifts, and Tom's feeling that he was being taken for granted, caused Tom to leave the group in January 1971. The two other group members, bassist Cook and drummer Clifford, wanted a greater role in the band's future. Fogerty, in an attempt to keep things together, insisted Cook and Clifford share equal songwriting and vocal time on what became the band's final album, '' Mardi Gras'', released in April 1972, which included the band's last two singles, the 1971 hit " Sweet Hitch-Hiker", and " Someday Never Comes", which made it into the ''Billboard'' Top 20. Cook and Clifford told Fogerty that the fans would not accept ''Mardi Gras'' as a CCR LP, but Fogerty told them, "My voice is a unique instrument, and I will not lend it to your songs." According to the two bandmates, Fogerty gave them an ultimatum: either they would do it or Fogerty would quit immediately. They accepted Fogerty's ultimatum. The album received poor reviews, but was a commercial success, peaking at number 12 and achieving gold-record status. It did, however, generate weaker sales than previous albums. The group disbanded shortly after the album was released. The only reunion of all four original members was at Tom Fogerty's wedding in 1980. Fogerty, Clifford, and Cook played a 45-minute set at their 20th El Cerrito high school class reunion in 1983, and Fogerty and Clifford were reunited again for a brief set at their 25th class reunion. Even early in his career, “Fogerty’s attitude toward music asserious, practiced, even perfectionistic. He drilled his bandmates in rehearsal after rehearsal, insisting that his songs be performed his way. "… ewas known for not indulging in drugs, and although John struggled with alcohol later in life he had only contempt for musicians whose habits interfered with their performances.” “Not in my band,” he writes in his memoir, ''Fortunate Son''. “You dare not be stoned playing music around me.... When you’re working, you’re supposed to be working.”


Solo career


1972–1985

As CCR was coming to an end, Fogerty began working on a solo album of country and western covers, on which he produced, arranged, and played all of the instruments. Despite the solo nature of the recordings, however, Fogerty elected to credit the album to The Blue Ridge Rangers—a band of which he was the only member. The eponymous '' The Blue Ridge Rangers'' was released in 1973; it spun off the top-20 hit "
Jambalaya Jambalaya ( , ) is an American Creole and Cajun rice dish of French (especially Provençal cuisine), African, and Spanish influence, consisting mainly of meat and vegetables mixed with rice. Ingredients Traditionally, the meat includes sa ...
", as well as a lesser hit in "Hearts of Stone". Fogerty, still using "The Blue Ridge Rangers" name, then released a self-penned rock-and-roll single: "You Don't Owe Me" b/w "Back in the Hills" (Fantasy F-710). It was a commercial flop, failing to make the Hot 100 in the U.S., though "You Don't Owe Me" was a minor hit in Canada, reaching No. 79. Fogerty thereafter abandoned the "Blue Ridge Rangers" identity, and released all his subsequent work under his own name. In early 1974, Fogerty released "Comin' Down The Road"—backed with the instrumental "Ricochet". His first official solo album, ''
John Fogerty John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty Thomas Richard Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990) was an American mu ...
'', was released in 1975. Sales were slim and legal problems delayed a follow-up, though it yielded "
Rockin' All Over the World "Rockin' All Over the World" is a rock song written by John Fogerty, formerly of Creedence Clearwater Revival. It made its debut on Fogerty's second solo album in 1975. It was also released as a single, spending six weeks in the US top 40, pea ...
", a No. 27 hit for Fogerty in the United States. In 1977, British boogie rockers
Status Quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, political, religious or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the current state of social structure and/or values. W ...
recorded their version of "Rockin' All Over the World", which became a huge hit and made the song world-famous. Status Quo played it at the opening of the 1985
Live Aid Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, as well as a music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 fami ...
concert. In 1976, Fogerty finished an album called '' Hoodoo''. A single, "You Got the Magic" backed with "Evil Thing", preceded the album's release, but it performed poorly. The album, for which covers had already been printed, was rejected by
Asylum Records Asylum Records is an American record label, founded in 1971 by David Geffen and partner Elliot Roberts. It was taken over by Warner Communications (now the Warner Music Group) in 1972, and later merged with Elektra Records to become Elektra/As ...
a few weeks before its scheduled release, and Fogerty agreed that it was not up to his usual high standards. Fogerty told Asylum Records to destroy the master tapes for ''Hoodoo'' sometime in the 1980s.


1985–1997

After a hiatus of several years from the music industry, Fogerty's solo career re-emerged with 1985's '' Centerfield'', his first album for
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...
, which had taken co-ownership of Asylum's contract with Fogerty. ''Centerfield'' went to the top of the charts and included a top-10 hit in " The Old Man Down the Road". The title track is frequently played on classic rock radio and at baseball games to this day, but the album led to legal problems for Fogerty. Two songs on the album, "Zanz Kant Danz" and "Mr. Greed", were believed to be attacks on Fogerty's former boss at
Fantasy Records Fantasy Records is an American independent record label company founded by brothers Max and Sol Stanley Weiss in 1949. The early years of the company were dedicated to issuing recordings by jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, who was also one of its invest ...
,
Saul Zaentz Saul Zaentz (; February 28, 1921January 3, 2014) was an American film producer and record company executive. He won the Academy Award for Best Picture three times and, in 1996, was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Zaentz's film p ...
. "Zanz Kant Danz" was about a pig that cannot dance, but would "steal your money". When Zaentz responded with a lawsuit, Fogerty issued a revised version: "Vanz Kant Danz" (changing the lead character's name to Vanz). Another lawsuit (''Fantasy, Inc. v. Fogerty'') claimed that "The Old Man Down the Road" shared the same chorus as "
Run Through the Jungle "Run Through the Jungle" is a 1970 song by American rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival. History The song was written by Creedence's lead singer, guitarist and songwriter, John Fogerty. It was included on their 1970 album '' Cosmo's Factory'' ...
", a song from Fogerty's days with CCR to which Fantasy Records still owned the publishing rights. Fogerty ultimately won his case when he proved that the two songs were distinct compositions and also that sounding like himself was not plagiarizing. Fogerty then countersued for attorney fees ('' Fogerty v. Fantasy''). After losing in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Fogerty won his case in the
U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...
, which ruled that a trial court has discretion in awarding fees to defendants or plaintiffs. On May 31, 1985, Fogerty filmed a one-hour music and interview special for Showtime called ''John Fogerty's All-Stars''. The setlist consisted of
rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...
tunes from the 1960s, as well as material from the ''Centerfield'' LP and the song "No Love in You" written by Michael Anderson, which Fogerty found on the Textones' debut album ''Midnight Mission'' and he later recorded with Textones' band leader Carla Olson. ''John Fogerty's All-Stars'' was recorded in front of an audience of Warners Bros. Music employees and other invited guests at A&M Records on La Brea in Hollywood. The band included
Albert Lee Albert William Lee (born 21 December 1943) is an English guitarist known for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique. Lee has worked, both in the studio and on tour, with many famous musicians from a wide range of genres. He has also mai ...
,
Booker T. Jones Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known art ...
,
Duck Dunn Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
, Steve Douglas, and
Prairie Prince Charles Lempriere "Prairie" Prince (born May 7, 1950) is an American drummer and graphic artist. He came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the San Francisco–based rock group The Tubes, was a member of Jefferson Starship from 1992 to ...
. The follow-up album to ''Centerfield'' was ''
Eye of the Zombie ''Eye of the Zombie'' is the fourth solo studio album by United States, American singer/songwriter John Fogerty. Released in September 1986, it was his first album with a backing band, and it includes the Creedence-inspired track "Change in the We ...
'' in 1986, but it was significantly less successful than its predecessor. Fogerty toured behind the album, but he refused to play any CCR material. ''Eye of the Zombie'' took on a darker mood, talking about a troubled society, terrorism, and pop stars selling out. For over 20 years after the ''Eye of the Zombie'' tour ended in late 1986, Fogerty refused to play material from the album in concert. However, "Change in the Weather" was included in the setlist for his 2009 tour, and it was even re-recorded for that year's solo release, ''
The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again ''The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again'' is the eighth solo studio album by American roots rock singer-songwriter and guitarist John Fogerty, first released on September 1, 2009, on Fogerty's own label, Fortunate Son Records and distributed by Ver ...
''. Fogerty played CCR material again at a concert in Washington, D.C., for Vietnam veterans that took place on July 4, 1987. The show was aired on
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
. Aside from a guest appearance at the Palomino and performance at the 1986 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, this was the first time Fogerty had performed any Creedence Clearwater Revival songs for a large audience since 1972. On May 27, 1989, he played a set of CCR material at
Oakland Coliseum Oakland Coliseum, currently branded as RingCentral Coliseum, is a stadium in Oakland, California. It is part of the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum Complex, with the adjacent Oakland Arena, near Interstate 880. The Coliseum is the home b ...
for the Concert Against AIDS. His backing band that night consisted of
Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...
and
Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead ...
on guitars,
Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive and television presenter, perhaps best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing bas ...
on bass, and Steve Jordan on drums. In 1990, Tom Fogerty died of complications from AIDS at the age of 48, specifically from a
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
infection, having contracted HIV from blood transfusions during surgery for a back ailment. John Fogerty has mentioned that the darkest moments in his life were when his brother took the record company's side in their royalties dispute, and the fact that when his brother died, the two of them were barely speaking to each other. In fact, even in the brothers' very last conversation with each other, Tom at one point referred to Creedence Clearwater Revival's former manager Saul Zaentz as his "best friend". Given that Zaentz had swindled the band out of millions of dollars and had just recently attempted to sue John, this revelation made it painfully difficult for John to reconcile with Tom. In the eulogy he delivered at Tom's funeral, he said: "We wanted to grow up and be musicians. I guess we achieved half of that, becoming rock 'n roll stars. We didn't necessarily grow up." Fogerty traveled to
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
in 1990 for inspiration, and visited the gravesite of blues legend
Robert Johnson Robert Leroy Johnson (May 8, 1911August 16, 1938) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His landmark recordings in 1936 and 1937 display a combination of singing, guitar skills, and songwriting talent that has influenced later generati ...
. According to him, while there, he had the realization that Robert Johnson was the true spiritual owner of his own songs, no matter what businessman owned the rights to them, thus Fogerty decided to start making a new album and to perform his old CCR material regularly in concert. At this time, visiting the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church cemetery, Fogerty met Skip Henderson, a New Jersey vintage guitar dealer who had formed a nonprofit corporation, the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund, to honor Johnson with a memorial marker. Fogerty subsequently funded headstones for
Charlie Patton Charley Patton (April 1891 (probable) – April 28, 1934), also known as Charlie Patton, was an American Delta blues musician and songwriter. Considered by many to be the "Father of the Delta Blues", he created an enduring body of American musi ...
, James Son Thomas,
Mississippi Joe Callicott "Mississippi" Joe Callicott (October 10, 1899 – May 1969) was an American Delta blues singer and guitarist. Callicott was born in Nesbit, Mississippi, United States. In 1929 he played second guitar in Garfield Akers' duet recording, " ...
, Eugene Powell, and Lonnie Pitchford, and helped with financial arrangements for numerous others. Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Fogerty refused to perform with his former bandmates and fellow inductees Stu Cook and Doug Clifford during the musical portion of the induction ceremony. In place of the surviving members of CCR, Fogerty recruited session musicians on drums and bass and was also joined by
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
and Robbie Robertson in performing three songs: "
Who'll Stop the Rain ''Who'll Stop the Rain'' is a 1978 American crime film directed by Karel Reisz and starring Nick Nolte, Tuesday Weld, Michael Moriarty, and Anthony Zerbe. It was released by United Artists and produced by Herb Jaffe and Gabriel Katzka with Sh ...
", "
Born on the Bayou "Born on the Bayou" (1969) is the first track on Creedence Clearwater Revival's second album, '' Bayou Country'', released in 1969. It was released as the B-side of the single "Proud Mary" that reached No. 2 on the '' Billboard'' charts. The s ...
", and "
Green River Green River may refer to: Rivers Canada * Green River (British Columbia), a tributary of the Lillooet River *Green River, a tributary of the Saint John River, also known by its French name of Rivière Verte *Green River (Ontario), a tributary of ...
". During the induction speech, Springsteen said, "As a songwriter, only a few did as much in three minutes s John Fogerty He was an Old Testament, shaggy-haired prophet, a fatalist. Funny, too. He was severe, he was precise, he said what he had to say and he got out of there."


1997–present

Fogerty returned to the commercial music industry in 1997 with '' Blue Moon Swamp''. The layoff between ''Zombie'' and ''Swamp'' had been longer than his mid-1970s to mid-1980s break. The album was much more successful than ''Zombie'' and won the
Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
for best rock album in 1997. A live album, named ''
Premonition A premonition is a feeling that some event will happen, typically a forewarning of something unwelcome. Premonition(s) or The Premonition may also refer to: Film and television * "Premonition" (''Alfred Hitchcock Presents''), an episode of ' ...
'', of the equally successful Blue Moon Swamp tour, was released to similar acclaim and good sales in 1998. A track from ''Blue Moon Swamp'' titled "Blue Moon Nights," was used in the 2002 film '' The Rookie''. On October 1, 1998, Fogerty was honored with a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...
located at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. In 2004, Fogerty released '' Deja Vu All Over Again'' through
DreamWorks Records DreamWorks Records (often referred in copyright notices as SKG Music, LLC) was an American record label founded in 1996 by David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg as a subsidiary of DreamWorks Pictures. The label operated until 200 ...
, which had taken over distribution of Fogerty's Warner catalog. ''Rolling Stone'' wrote: "The title track is Fogerty's indictment of the
Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
as another
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, a senseless squandering of American lives and power". On the album, Fogerty squeezed ten songs into only 34 minutes. The sale of Fantasy Records to
Concord Records Concord Records is an American record label owned by Concord and based in Los Angeles, California. Concord Records was launched in 1995 as an imprint designed to reach beyond the company's foundational Concord Jazz label. The label's artists have ...
in 2004 ended the 30-year estrangement between Fogerty and his former label, as the new owners took steps to restore
royalty Royalty may refer to: * Any individual monarch, such as a king, queen, emperor, empress, etc. * Royal family, the immediate family of a king or queen regnant, and sometimes his or her extended family * Royalty payment for use of such things as int ...
rights Fogerty had given up to be released from his contract with Fantasy in the mid-1970s. In September 2005, Fogerty returned to Fantasy Records, made possible when DreamWorks Records' noncountry-music unit was absorbed by
Geffen Records Geffen Records is an American record label established by David Geffen and owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M Records imprint. Founded in 1980, Geffen Records has been a part of Interscope Geffen A&M since 1999 and h ...
, which dropped Fogerty, but continued to distribute his earlier solo albums. The first album released under the new Fantasy contract was '' The Long Road Home'' (November 2005), a compilation CD combining his CCR hits with solo material. A live CD and concert
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
were released the following year. Fogerty's touring schedule increased in the period after ''Deja Vu All Over Again''. In October 2004, Fogerty appeared on the
Vote for Change The Vote for Change tour was a politically motivated American popular music concert tour that took place in October 2004. The tour was presented by MoveOn.org to benefit America Coming Together. The tour was held in swing states and was designed ...
tour, playing seven of the concerts in U.S.
swing states In American politics, the term swing state (also known as battleground state or purple state) refers to any state that could reasonably be won by either the Democratic or Republican candidate in a statewide election, most often referring to pres ...
. He also appeared in a Christmas special video produced by the Australian children's group
The Wiggles The Wiggles are an Australian children's music group formed in Sydney in 1991. The group are currently composed of Anthony Field, Lachlan Gillespie, Simon Pryce and Tsehay Hawkins, as well as supporting members Evie Ferris, John Pearce, Ca ...
. Fogerty toured with
John Mellencamp John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his catchy brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrument ...
in the summer of 2005 and with
Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...
in the summer of 2006. On June 29, 2006, he played his first headlining British concert since 1972, at the
Hammersmith Apollo The Hammersmith Apollo, currently called the Eventim Apollo for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the Hammersmith Odeon, is a live entertainment performance venue, originally built as a cinema called the Gaumont Palace. Located in Ham ...
theater in London, as part of the European leg of the tour. During that leg, he also performed in Sundsvall, Sweden, where 25,000 people came to see him perform at the town square. On Thanksgiving Day of 2006, Fogerty performed at halftime at the
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/
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game and at the
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/
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...
halftime later that evening. Fogerty was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work, represent, and maintain, the her ...
in 2005. In 2005, Fogerty received the Golden Plate Award of the Academy of Achievement, American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member B.B. King. On June 23, 2007, Fogerty appeared at Glastonbury Festival, playing an hour-long set of 17 songs, mainly CCR classics. Introducing "
Who'll Stop the Rain ''Who'll Stop the Rain'' is a 1978 American crime film directed by Karel Reisz and starring Nick Nolte, Tuesday Weld, Michael Moriarty, and Anthony Zerbe. It was released by United Artists and produced by Herb Jaffe and Gabriel Katzka with Sh ...
", Fogerty said he did not perform it at Woodstock as rumored, but wrote the song inspired by the event. ''Revival (John Fogerty album), Revival'' was released October 2, 2007. Heavily promoted by the label, ''Revival'' debuted at No. 14 on the U.S. Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 chart with sales about 65,000 copies in its first week. ''Revival'' was nominated for a Grammy Award for Grammy Awards of 2008#Best Rock Album, Best Rock Album of 2008, but lost to the Foo Fighters. On February 10, 2008, Fogerty appeared with Jerry Lee Lewis and
Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...
on the Grammy Awards show. Along with these rock icons and his regular touring band, he played his 1973 single "Comin' Down The Road", leading into Lewis and Richard's performances of "Great Balls of Fire" and "Good Golly Miss Molly", respectively. On March 16, 2008, Fogerty kicked off an Australian tour. On March 22 in Point Nepean, Australia, surprise guest Keith Urban joined Fogerty on stage, performing two songs: "Broken Down Cowboy", off Fogerty's newest album ''Revival'', and "Cotton Fields", from CCR's album ''Willy & the Poor Boys.'' On June 24, 2008, Fogerty made a return to the Royal Albert Hall, a venue he last played with CCR in 1971. It was the last concert on his 2008 European tour. This concert was filmed (causing staging problems that annoyed some fans) and was released in 2009. On April 16, 2009, Fogerty performed his hit "Centerfield" from center field of the new Yankee Stadium, at its opening-day festivities. On July 2, 3, and 4, 2009, Fogerty performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, which was sold out for these shows. Though billed as Fogerty with the L.A. Philharmonic, the orchestra began the night with music by U.S. composers, and Fogerty and his band came on after intermission, playing only three songs with the orchestra. On August 31, 2009, Fogerty released ''
The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again ''The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again'' is the eighth solo studio album by American roots rock singer-songwriter and guitarist John Fogerty, first released on September 1, 2009, on Fogerty's own label, Fortunate Son Records and distributed by Ver ...
'', a sequel 1973 solo debut ''The Blue Ridge Rangers''. The album includes a duet with Bruce Springsteen on the 1960 Everly Brothers classic "When Will I Be Loved?". In addition, Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmit of The Eagles, Eagles sang with Fogerty on a cover of Ricky Nelson's 1972 classic "Garden Party". The album was the first issued on Fogerty's own label Fortunate Son Records, which is distributed by the Verve Forecast Records unit of Universal Music Group and also handles the Fogerty/CCR Fantasy catalogue. On October 29, 2009, Fogerty appeared at Madison Square Garden for the first night of the celebratory 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concerts. Bruce Springsteen, with the E Street Band, called Fogerty out to play three songs with them. "Fortunate Son" was their first song, followed by "Proud Mary", and finally the duo tried their take on Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman". The show aired as a four-hour special on HBO on November 29, 2009. On November 3, 2009, Fogerty released the Royal Albert Hall DVD entitled ''Comin' Down The Road'', named after his 1973 single, which he performed at this concert. Fogerty was also nominated for a Grammy Award at the 52nd Grammy Awards, 2010 Grammys. He was nominated for the Best Rock Solo Vocal Performance Grammy for the song "Change in the Weather", which he recorded for ''The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again''. For his songwriting achievements, Fogerty was honored as a Broadcast Music Incorporated Icon at the 58th annual BMI Pop Awards on May 18, 2010. BMI Icons are selected because of their "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers." Fogerty began recording ''Wrote a Song for Everyone'' in 2011, which was released on Vanguard Records on May 28, 2013, his 68th birthday. The album is a collection of classics and tracks from his canon of hits performed with other artists. The album includes two new Fogerty-penned songs. On November 17, 2011, Fogerty performed on the ''Late Show with David Letterman''. On November 17 and 18, Fogerty performed two CCR albums, ''Cosmo's Factory'' and ''Green River'', respectively, in their entirety at the Beacon Theatre (New York City), Beacon Theater in New York City (he also played Cosmo's Factory in Atlantic City on November 20). He was also featured on the CBS coverage of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Thanksgiving Day Parade, performing several prerecorded songs. In January 2012, Fogerty's new song "Swamp Water" debuted over the opening credits of the new Fox TV series ''The Finder (U.S. TV series), The Finder''. Fogerty wrote the song for the show and guest-starred in its debut episode. On November 12, 2012, Fogerty announced that he was writing his memoirs, and that the book was expected to be released in 2015. During the 2014 Veterans Days celebration, "Salute to the Troops" at the White House, Fogerty performed for many veterans. On February 21, 2015, he was a featured artist for the National Hockey League stadium series game between the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. In October 2015, Fogerty published his autobiography, ''Fortunate Son'' (Little, Brown & Co.). In September 2017, Fogerty signed a new recording contract with BMG Rights Management, which will cover an upcoming album and his solo catalogue. In November 2019, Fogerty appeared on Public Broadcasting Station pledge week with "John Fogerty: My 50 Year Trip", a taped performance from Red Rocks Amphitheater, Colorado. His most recent performance was at the Winstar in Thackerville, Oklahoma, on December 31, 2019. The remaining performances of his current tour "My 50 Year Trip" have been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While on lockdown during the pandemic in early 2020, Fogerty, accompanied by sons Shane and Tyler and daughter Kelsy, began releasing performance videos of previously released originals and covers. Under the brand "Fogerty's Factory," the group performed remotely on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts, and Sirius XM, SiriusXM's Classic Vinyl station. Collecting seven songs from the remote performances, the ''Fogerty's Factory'' EP was released on May 28, 2020, coinciding with Fogerty's 75th birthday. A 12-track album edition featuring additional lockdown performances followed on November 20. Fogerty performed backing vocals on "Scream and Shout," a single by his sons' band Hearty Har, released October 19, 2020. On January 6, 2021, Fogerty released "Weeping in the Promised Land," a gospel-styled single, featuring sociopolitical commentary on Black Lives Matter, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Donald Trump.


Band members

Performers at the June 2019 Red Rocks Amphitheater show were: *John Fogerty - vocals, guitar, harmonica *Shane Fogerty - guitar, vocals *Tyler Fogerty - vocals *Kenny Aronoff - drums *Bob Malone - keyboard *James Lomenzo - bass (left in 2021) *Nate Collins - saxophone *Julian Dresler - trumpet *Adam Miller - trombone *Trysette Loosemore - back-up vocals *Lavone LB Seetal - back-up vocals


Personal life

Fogerty married Martha Paiz in 1965 and had three children. They divorced in the 1970s. Fogerty met Julie Kramer in 1986 while on tour in Indianapolis, Indiana. They married in Elkhart, Indiana, on April 20, 1991, and had two sons (Shane and Tyler) and a daughter (Kelsy). Kramer had a daughter, Lyndsay, from a previous marriage. , they live in Thousand Oaks, California. Sons Shane (guitar, vocals) and Tyler (vocals) now appear with their father in concert. All three of his youngest children appear in his YouTube channel videos. Fogerty has a granddaughter who has also appeared in online videos with him.


Political views

Fogerty is a lifelong Liberalism in the United States, liberal Democratic Party (United States), Democrat. In his lyrics, Fogerty has lampooned many Republican Party (United States), Republicans, including Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Fogerty participated in the Vote for Change tour in support of John Kerry's 2004 presidential bid against George W. Bush. In 2015, Fogerty threw his support behind Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, saying, "[L]iberals tend to have the little guy in mind." However, he also expressed a liking for Donald Trump's "rebelliousness" and the appearance that Trump "can't be bought" due to his vast wealth. Despite his personal views, Fogerty has attracted high-profile Conservatism in the United States, conservative fans, including Bush, Donald Trump, and Rush Limbaugh. Trump frequently used "Fortunate Son" during his 2020 reelection campaign, prompting Fogerty to issue a cease-and-desist letter. During an episode of his radio show, Limbaugh expressed his love of Fogerty's music, saying:
I love Creedence. I love Fogerty. He probably hates me. But I love John Fogerty. I just loved them. The talent they had. They were on one of those two- or three-year rolls where their creativity was limitless. It knew no bounds.


Discography

* '' The Blue Ridge Rangers'' (1973) * ''
John Fogerty John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty Thomas Richard Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990) was an American mu ...
'' (1975) * '' Hoodoo'' (1976 - unreleased) * '' Centerfield'' (1985) * ''
Eye of the Zombie ''Eye of the Zombie'' is the fourth solo studio album by United States, American singer/songwriter John Fogerty. Released in September 1986, it was his first album with a backing band, and it includes the Creedence-inspired track "Change in the We ...
'' (1986) * '' Blue Moon Swamp'' (1997) * '' Deja Vu All Over Again'' (2004) * ''Revival (John Fogerty album), Revival'' (2007) * ''
The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again ''The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again'' is the eighth solo studio album by American roots rock singer-songwriter and guitarist John Fogerty, first released on September 1, 2009, on Fogerty's own label, Fortunate Son Records and distributed by Ver ...
'' (2009) * ''Wrote a Song for Everyone'' (2013) * ''Fogerty's Factory'' (2020)


References


Further reading

* *


External links


Official website

Private site about John Fogerty
* * ; interview published in ''Guitar World'' (July '97) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fogerty, John John Fogerty, 1945 births Living people 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American male singers 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male singers Activists from the San Francisco Bay Area American anti–Iraq War activists American anti–Vietnam War activists American country rock singers American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters American rock guitarists American rock singers American rock songwriters Creedence Clearwater Revival members Grammy Award winners Guitarists from California Lead guitarists Military personnel from California Musicians from Berkeley, California Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area People from Contra Costa County, California Rock and roll musicians Singer-songwriters from California Swamp rock musicians United States Army soldiers