50 years ago, in 1968, the nation was at a crisis point. War, assassinations, political strife; millions of voices were yearning to be heard, to be understood. A year later, 1969, at least on the creative-artistic front, one voice came forward to carry a message, lyrics in song that reached out to those millions. That voice, those lyrics, were JOHN FOGERTY. His natural talent to capture emotion in words, coupled with being the lead singer and guitarist for Creedence Clearwater Revival at the time, gave us three amazing albums in one year!
In January of ’69, just a short time after completing his military service, the album Bayou Country was released. FOGERTY’s powerful composition, “Proud Mary”, a reflective song he penned as soon as he was discharged rose to #2 on the singles chart. The same album also carried us all into the Louisiana backcountry with “Born on the Bayou”. By August, with the release of Green River, two of his biggest tracks, “Green River” and “Bad Moon Rising” both spiked the U.S. chart at #2. "Bad Moon Rising" has found its extra life within numerous films and television shows, such as An American Werewolf in London. As if any artist being responsible for two of his group’s greatest albums in a single year isn’t amazing enough, FOGERTY led CCR to another album debut in November of ’69. Willy and the Poor Boys, and its single “Down on the Corner” brought a happy, toe-tappin’ track to their fans and it reached #3 on the charts. Probably the most famous of FOGERTY’s songs is, of course, “Fortunate Son” a protest song/anti-war anthem that became the mantra for a generation suspicious of those elites who blindly supported the use of military force, as many had seen in the Johnson administration and their supporters.
Now, as 2019 marches ever closer, it will mark the 50th anniversary of one of America’s greatest song-writers, JOHN FOGERTY, and he has no intention of slowing down. FOGERTY plans to take his celebration on the road with an expanded worldwide tour. As highlighted in recent reviews, FOGERTY brings the excitement, night after night, The Minneapolis Star Tribune noted, “…(Fogerty) literally hit the stage running and launched into two high-revving CCR classics, “Traveling Band” and “Hey Tonight…. “Fortunate Son,” set the energy level to tilt before the one-two-punch encore with “Bad Moon Rising” and “Proud Mary.” While Detroit’s Oakland Press praised, “Fogerty’s 90-minute set… was a tour-de-force, celebrating 50 years since his first albums with Creedence Clearwater Revival.”
More tour details to be announced soon.
