By the time he was a teenager, Fogerty was playing guitar and started a band with his older brother, Tom, and two classmates from junior high—Stu Cook and Doug Clifford. They called themselves The Blue Velvets at first, before renaming themselves The Golliwogs. In 1967, they decided on one final name change—Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR).
Songs like "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising," "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" and "Fortunate Son" became the soundtrack for a generation—and more than 50 years later, remain deeply embedded in American culture.
But behind all of that staggering success was a devastating betrayal and heartbreak that nearly cost John his career, his wealth and his sanity. It started within the band itself. By 1970, the internal tension had reached a breaking point. As the group's primary songwriter, lead singer and producer, John ran a tight ship, but his bandmates—including his brother Tom—wanted more creative input with regard to the music. In 1971, Tom left the band.
Creedence Clearwater Revival became a trio after Tom left the band.Photo by Central Press on Getty Images
Related: The Story Behind Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 1971 Hit That’s Storming the Charts Again
During the trial, John brought his guitar to the witness stand and played both songs to prove they were different. The jury decided "The Old Man Down the Road" was not a copy of "Run Through the Jungle" and John won the case. But along the way, he racked up over $1.3 million in legal fees and asked the court to make Zaentz responsible for paying them. They did not agree.
But his victories only proved that he didn't plagiarize himself and covered his legal fees. Zaentz still owned "Proud Mary," "Bad Moon Rising," "Fortunate Son"—every single CCR song Fogerty wrote. Every time Fogerty performed them live, or they got played on the radio, Zaentz pocketed the publishing royalties. (Think Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun.)
But in January 1985, John came roaring back when he dropped his new solo album, Centerfield, with lead single "The Old Man Down the Road" climbing into the Top 10. When the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, it meant John had released No. 1 albums in the '60s, '70s and '80s. Only five artists in history have achieved this feat: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand and yes, John Fogerty.
To this day, the album's title track is one of Fogerty's biggest hits, but strangely enough, it was kind of an afterthought! "Centerfield" was first released as a B-side to "Rock and Roll Girls," but it became an instant baseball anthem. It even earned John the honor of being the first musician ever inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame!
But he wasn't just finding happiness in his new music. In 1986, John would find the love of his life—Julie Lebiedzinski—at one of his concerts. On April 20, 1991, the two were married in her hometown of Elkhart, Indiana. Julie became his rock, his manager and mother of their three children—Shane, Tyler and Kelsy. She even reunited John with another past love—his 1969 Rickenbacker guitar. He'd written every CCR hit on it and thought it was lost forever—only for her to somehow track it down and surprise him with it.
John Fogerty and family in 1998Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd. on Getty Images
On August 22, 2025, John released Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years (John's Version)—a brand new album of 20 re-recorded CCR classics that he now fully owns. (If that subtitle sounds familiar, it should: John was directly inspired by Swift's "Taylor's Version" re-recordings.) The entire album was a family affair, with John's three children—Shane, Tyler and Kelsy—playing instruments on every track.
Over the last 50 years, John Fogerty has given us a true masterclass on how riding through our hardest times can turn into our greatest blessings—and that's why he's today's quote of the day.
Quote of the Day by John Fogerty
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If anyone knows what it means to hold on during tough times, it's John Fogerty. In one perfect sentence, he captures an important truth. We can't predict hard times and heartbreak and we don't know how crazy life will get. We simply have to hold on for the ride and keep the faith because incredible things are waiting for us.
When most people think about John Fogerty, they think about the hit records, the sold-out tours, the Grammys and every other accolade. But his path to incredible success was paved with legal battles, betrayals and a lifelong battle with depression. It's kind of like when you scroll through a friend, co-worker or relative's social media page and start to feel down on yourself—you have to remember that it's a carefully curated highlight reel. They're not showing the hardest challenges they've faced.
More Quotes by John Fogerty
"If you love what you do, you're going to keep doing it regardless of the obstacles.""I don't know that all the demons have been beaten, but I'm very, very proud of those songs.""A great song can make you feel something you didn't know you needed to feel.""Keep on chooglin'. It just means to keep moving forward, keeping a good attitude, and driving ahead.""Kids don't quite get what the consequences are until the consequences are due.""Other people want a career or success because they think that will help them find their personal life somewhere. I've done it the other way around. What I have is what everybody else is looking for."Related: Next Up:
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