Creedence Clearwater Revival Biography

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Creedence Clearwater Revival
Classic Rock | 3 CD Set
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Creedence Clearwater Revival may have become the quintessential American rock band but the term "soap opera" should follow any description of this awesomely successful band's short-lived career. Actually, the band had quite a run before all the legal maneuvers took hold. They began in 1959 as the Blue Velvets and then became Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets when initial leaders Tom Fogerty, John Fogerty, Doug Clifford and Stu Cook decided to form a band while in high school. Tom was the oldest, born in 1941, while the other three were the same age, all born in 1945 and all from Bay Area communities near San Francisco. The quartet gained popularity around the Bay Area and by 1964 was ready to try for the big time, signing with Fantasy Records and becoming the Golliwogs. After three years of singles, and as popularity increased, the Golliwogs decided it was time to go full time and changed their name to Creedence Clearwater Revival. As CCR, the band, now definitely in the swamp boogie/rockabilly mode, released its first and self-titled album in 1968 with a variety of songs that included originals by John Fogerty alongside covers of rock classics. The band's first chart success was "Suzie Q", which romped to No. 11 on the charts and signaled success for this Bay Area band that stayed away from the psychedelic excesses that had taken over San Francisco in the '60s. CCR had arrived for sure. In 1969 the band had five charted singles, three of them reaching No. 2 ("Proud Mary", "Bad Moon Rising" and "Green River") and another making it to No. 3 ("Down On the Corner/Fortunate Son"). Three more hits came in 1970, two in 1971 and the band's final Top 40 in 1972, CCR's swan song. But the band's status as a major force in rock at that time took a backseat to the travails inside it as the brothers Fogerty finally allowed their problems to put an end to Creedence. Tom, realizing his brother had assumed control of the band, left the band for an uninspiring solo career in 1971. The group continued into 1972 as a trio with John now leading it, even as Cook and Clifford began contributing songs. But it had become the superstar band because of John's songwriting and singing abilities and the newer song additions diluted that distinct CCR sound. Now split, Clifford and Cook joined other bands and John Fogerty began a successful solo career that did have a hit single in 1975, "Rockin' All Over The World", which reached No. 27 on Billboard's Top 40. He also continued working into the '80s, garnering a hit single in "The Old Man Down The Road", which came off his No. 1 hit album "Centerfield". Soon after came the first in a series of lawsuits. Fantasy's head Saul Zaentz sued John, claiming the hit single borrowed from an earlier CCR hit, "Run Through The Jungle", and was legally Fantasy's property. John refused to stop the song and wrote two songs ostensibly about Zaentz, "Mr. Greed" and "Zanz Kant Danz". Zaentz responded with a lawsuit claiming copyright infringement and defamation of character. A jury found John innocent in 1988 but then Fogerty turned around and sued his own lawyers over attorney fees. He won a large judgment in 1995. Meanwhile, Tom Fogerty became ill and died in 1990 of tuberculosis, putting an end to any thoughts of a CCR reunion. Three years later, CCR was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame and John refused to take any part in that while also confirming he was not interested in a band reunion. But Cook and Clifford added three studio musicians to their idea of a reunion band and formed Creedence Clearwater Revisited, touring on the strength of classic CCR music. So, John went back to court, suing his former partners and his brother's widow, claiming copyright infringement. He won a restraining order and the new CCR had to change its name to Cosmo's Factory, after an earlier hit album. But in 1997, the restraining order was suspended in court, allowing CC Revisited to again take off until a final judgment came around, which all said at the time could take years. John Fogerty embarked on a solo career, becoming the Blue Ridge Rangers on an odd album that had him playing all instruments and singing all the parts in 1973, another self-titled, solo album in 1975 and then silence until 1985's "Centerfield" and the 1986 "Eye of the Zombie".

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