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]
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”, Up Around the Bend, “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”, “Centerfield”, “The Old Man Down the Road”, and “Rockin’ All Over the World”.
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
