In just about every Hall of Fame made for rock and roll in the last three decades, there's a very good chance that John Fogerty will make an appearance. He originally rose to star status in the 1970's as one fourth of legendary rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival, but has since made his own name on the music scene. Even now, decades after he began, his signature sound still resonates loud and clear.

John Fogerty: Legendary Through The Decades

In just about every Hall of Fame made for rock and roll in the last three decades, there's a very good chance that John Fogerty will make an appearance. He originally rose to star status in the 1970's as one fourth of legendary rockers Creedence Clearwater Revival, but has since made his own name on the music scene. Even now, decades after he began, his signature sound still resonates loud and clear.

John Fogerty's Days with Creedence

Born John Cameron Fogerty in Berkeley, California in 1945, his first brush with music was during his days at El Cerrito High School. It was there that he met drummer Doug Clifford and pianist Stu Cook, who would go on to form The Blue Velvets with John's elder brother Tom. The group's first contract came in 1964, which prompted a change of name and duties: the Golliwogs, as they were called, had Cook on bass, Tom on rhythm guitar and John on the songwriting job.

The group only came to life when the label, Fantasy Records, was bought up in 1967. The new owner wanted a new name for the band, which was then reborn as Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their self-titled 1968 debut album the the 1969 follow-up, Bayou Country, quickly put the new band on the map.

Despite the massive commercial success of their subsequent albums, the band split up in 1972 because of differences between the members. John was officially a solo artist.

John Fogerty, Solo

His first solo release, an LP in 1973, was under the name The Blue Ridge Rangers, which he explained as a move to put his CCR days behind him. A second album, John Fogerty, followed in 1975, although it did not do very well at the tills. He then went into a hiatus for a decade, during which time he claimed he couldn't do any writing.

Fogerty returned with a vengeance, though, when he released Centerfield in 1985. The new album did exceedingly well, propelled by the single The Old Man Down the Road, which is still receives considerable play today. He did, however, encounter legal troubles and went to court for two songs: Zanz Kant Danz, which was labeled as an attack on Fantasy Records exec Saul Zaentz, and alleged infringement on Run Through the Jungle.

After a commercially weak 1986 album, Eye of the Zombie, Fogerty played CCR songs again at a Vietnam veterans' concert in 1987 - the first time in 15 years. Three years later, he decided to begin playing Creedence songs once more, after making a spiritual journey to Mississippi. He still refused to play with his former band mates, however, even when the remaining three - brother Tom had died of AIDS in 1990 - were inducted as a band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

Fogerty staged another comeback in 1997 with Blue Moon Swamp, for which he won a Grammy. He then took another break, coming back in 2004 with the political Deja Vu (All Over Again). Another Grammy nod followed for 2007's Revival, but Fogerty lost it to the Foo Fighters. His latest release, 2009's The Blue Ridge Ranger Rides Again, is meant to be a sequel to the first Blue Ridge Ranger album.

Did You Know That...

• ...Fogerty was a perfectionist? When he admitted that Hoodoo - an album meant for a 1976 release - wasn't up to his usual best, he requested the studio to destroy the master copy.
• ...he has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? It can be found at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard.

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