John Fogerty

Singer-songwriter John Fogerty was the chief architect behind Creedence Clearwater Revival, one of the most popular rock bands of the 1960s and 1970s, before enjoying a sporadic if frequently successful solo career into the new millennium which found him continuing to explore the deep vein of Americana he tapped with such songs as "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising," "Fortunate Son," "Who'll Stop the Rain" and other iconic songs of the decade. Fogerty's brawny, soulful baritone and stinging guitar anchored Creedence's signature sound, a heady mix of rockabilly, R&B, country and extended jamming shot through with the rough-hewn poetry of his lyrics, which evoked Southern folklore, blues idioms and a Louisiana twang that would influence generations of roots rockers and alternative country and folk musicians. Creedence would split in 1972, after which Fogerty focused on his solo career, which continued to grow in stature and popularity into the new millennium. John Fogerty's vast songbook of hit tunes, which stretched over four decades, made him an enduring and influential figure in the history of American popular music.