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, he founded the swamp rock 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 in 1993.[7]
For other people named John Fogerty, see John Fogerty (disambiguation).
John Fogerty
John Cameron Fogerty
May 28, 1945
Berkeley, California, U.S.
- Musician
- singer
- songwriter
- record producer
- Vocal
- guitar
- harmonica
- keyboards
1959–present
Since CCR parted ways in 1972, Fogerty has had a successful solo career,[8] which continues. He was listed on Rolling Stone magazine's list of 100 Greatest Songwriters (at No. 40)[9] and the list of 100 Greatest Singers (at No. 72).[10] His songs include "Proud Mary", "Bad Moon Rising", "Fortunate Son", "Green River", "Down on the Corner", "Who'll Stop the Rain", "Centerfield", "The Old Man Down the Road", and "Rockin' All Over the World".
Early life[edit]
Fogerty was born in Berkeley, California, and grew up in El Cerrito, California, the third of five boys born to Galen Robert and Edith Lucile (Lytle) Fogerty. His father was born in Iowa, and worked as a Linotype operator for the Berkeley Gazette in California. Lucile Fogerty taught second grade and was from Great Falls, Montana. 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.[11]
After one year, Fogerty enrolled in nearby Harding Grammar School. In his book, he stated that his parents were alcoholics and that they divorced when he was in the third or fourth grade.[11] He later attended St. Mary's High School, then transferred to El Cerrito High School, where he met the other future members of CCR and took guitar lessons from Berkeley Folk Festival creator/producer Barry Olivier.[11][12] Fogerty's older brother Tom was a guitarist and bandmate in the group that eventually became CCR. Fogerty spent summer vacations at Putah Creek, near Winters, California, which became the subject of the CCR song "Green River".[13][14]
While in junior high school in 1959, Fogerty formed a cover band with bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford called the Blue Velvets. The band was inspired by rock and roll pioneers, especially Little Richard[15] and Bo Diddley. Later, Fogerty's brother Tom joined the group. In 1964, the band signed with Fantasy Records, which, without the band's knowledge or approval, changed the band's name from the Blue Velvets to The Golliwogs. This group recorded seven singles that were not commercially successful.[16]
Military service[edit]
Fogerty received his draft notice for military service during the Vietnam War in 1966.[17] The same day he received the notice, he went to a local United States Army Reserve recruiter, who signed him up immediately for training as a supply clerk.[17] Fogerty believes the recruiter dated the paperwork to take effect before the draft letter arrived.[11] During his time in the Army Reserve, Fogerty attended training at Fort Liberty (then Fort Bragg), Fort Knox, and Fort Gregg-Adams (then Fort Lee).[17] He completed his active duty for training in July 1967, then served as a part-time reservist until being discharged in 1968.[17]
Solo career[edit]
1972–1985[edit]
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.[22]
The eponymous The Blue Ridge Rangers was released in 1973; it spun off the top-20 hit "Jambalaya", as well as a lesser hit in "Hearts of Stone".[22] 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 US Billboard Hot 100, 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.[22] In early 1974, Fogerty released "Comin' Down The Road"—backed with the instrumental "Ricochet".
His first official solo album, John Fogerty, was released in 1975.[22] Sales were slim and legal problems delayed a follow-up, though it yielded "Rockin' All Over the World", a No. 27 hit for Fogerty in the United States. In 1977, the British rock band Status Quo recorded their version of "Rockin' All Over the World", which became a huge hit and made the song world-famous.[22] Status Quo played it at the opening of the 1985 Live Aid concert.
In 1976, Fogerty finished an album called Hoodoo.[22] 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 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.[23]
Performers at the June 2019 Red Rocks Amphitheater show were:[65]
Personal life[edit]
Fogerty married Martha Paiz in 1965 and had three children. They divorced in the 1970s.[66]
Fogerty met Julie Kramer[67] 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.[68][69] As of 2020, they live in Thousand Oaks, California.[70]
Sons Shane (guitar, vocals) and Tyler (vocals) performed with their father in concert as of 2007.[71] All three of his youngest children appear in his YouTube channel videos.[72]
Fogerty has a granddaughter who has also appeared in online videos with him.[73][74]
In 2023 he bought a Hidden Hills estate from Sylvester Stallone for $17 million. [75]
Political views[edit]
Fogerty is a lifelong liberal Democrat.[76] In his lyrics, Fogerty has lampooned many Republicans, including Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan.[77] Fogerty participated in the Vote for Change tour in support of John Kerry's 2004 presidential bid against George W. Bush.[78] 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.[76]
Despite his personal views, Fogerty has attracted high-profile conservative fans, including Bush, Donald Trump, and Rush Limbaugh.[79][80][81] Trump frequently used "Fortunate Son" during his 2020 reelection campaign, prompting Fogerty to issue a cease-and-desist letter.[80]