John Fogerty (born May 28, 1945 in Berkeley,
California) is an American singer and songwriter, best known
for his time with the southern rock band Creedence Clearwater
Revival. Fogerty's family name is Irish, an Anglicized form
of the Gaelic personal name Fógartach, from fógartha,
meaning 'banished, outlawed' (Hanks & Hodges, A Dictionary
of Surnames [Oxford UP, 1988], p. 187).
Creedence Clearwater Revival
John and his brother, Tom Fogerty, formed the band in the
late 1950s as Tommy Fogerty and the Blue Velvets. Between
1969 and 1972, Creedence Clearwater Revival released nine
Top Ten singles, including "Fortunate Son", "Proud
Mary," and "Bad Moon Rising".
Solo recording career
John Fogerty began a solo career, originally under the name
the Blue Ridge Rangers for his 1973 debut, on which he played
all of the instruments and covered others' hits, such as "Jambalaya"
(which was a Top 40 hit). John Fogerty was released in 1975
(see 1975 in music). Sales were slim and legal problems delayed
a follow-up. Creedence Clearwater Revival's former management
filed suit against Fogerty, claiming that his new, solo compositions
sounded too much like his former work as songwriter for Creedence.
Fogerty's solo career emerged in full force with 1985's Centerfield,
which went to the top of the charts and included a Top Ten
hit in "The Old Man Down The Road" and a title track
frequently played on classic rock radio and at baseball games
to this day. But that album was not without its legal snags
either; two songs on the album, "Zanz Can't Dance"
and "Mr. Greed", were believed to be attacks on
Fogerty's former boss at Fantasy Records, Saul Zaentz. When
Zaentz responded with a lawsuit, Fogerty issued a revised
version of "Zanz Can't Dance" (changing the lead
character's name to Vanz). Another lawsuit claimed that "The
Old Man Down The Road" shared the same chorus as "Run
Through The Jungle" (a song from Fogerty's days with
Creedence). Fogerty ultimately won his case when he proved
that the two songs were whole, separate and distinct compositions.
Bringing his guitar to the witness stand, he played excerpts
from both songs, demonstrating that many songwriters (himself
included) have distinctive styles that can make different
compositions sound similar to less discerning ears.
The follow-up was Eye of the Zombie in 1986, which was less
successful. In 1993, his group Creedence Clearwater Revival
was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but Fogerty
refused to perform with his former bandmates, thus claiming
his revenge against his them for having sided with Fantasy
Records in his disputes with the company. He retired until
returning with 1997's Blue Moon Swamp.
He had a very successful tour in 1998 in the United States
and Europe. He release a live album from that tour titled
Premonition.
In 2004 John Fogerty released Deja Vu (All Over Again). Rolling
Stone wrote: "The title track is Fogerty's indictment
of the Iraq war as another Vietnam, a senseless squandering
of American lives and power." On the album, Fogerty succinctly
squeezed ten songs into only 34 minutes.
In October 2004 John Fogerty appeared on the "Vote for
Change" tour, playing a series of concerts in American
swing states. These concerts were organized by MoveOn.org
with the general goal of mobilizing people to vote for John
Kerry and against George W. Bush in that year's Presidential
campaign. Fogerty's numbers were played with Bruce Springsteen
and the E Street Band.
John Mellencamp
John Cougar Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951 in Seymour,
Indiana) is an American singer and songwriter, known for a
long and successful recording and performing career highlighted
by a series of 1980s hits, including "Jack and Diane",
and by his role in the Farm Aid charity event.
Mellencamp who has spina bifida, had a troubled childhood
marked by several brushes with the law. He eloped with his
pregnant girlfriend at seventeen and began performing with
a band the following year.
At age 24, Mellencamp, determined to break into the music
business, moved to New York City and signed on with agent
Tony DeFries (at the time well-known for representing David
Bowie). DeFries insisted that Mellencamp's first album, Chestnut
Street Incident, a collection of covers and derivative originals,
be released under the stage name Johnny Cougar, a move Mellencamp
claims was made without his knowledge and against his will.
The album was a failure, and Mellencamp lost his contract
with MCA Records.
He signed to the tiny Riva Records label and recorded 1978's
A Biography, unreleased in the US, but which yielded a hit
in Australia ("I Need A Lover"). Riva added this
song to the next album, John Cougar (1979) to minor success.
Female rocker Pat Benatar recorded "I Need a Lover"
and released the song as a single from her debut album In
the Heat of the Night.
After one more album with Riva, Mellencamp signed with Mercury
Records and released his breakthrough album, American Fool,
in 1982 (see 1982 in music). The hit singles "Hurt So
Good" and "Jack and Diane" sent the album to
the top of the charts (the former being an unlikely radio
hit with its lyrics referring to S&M).
With a major hit under his belt, Mellencamp insisted on changing
his billing to John Cougar Mellencamp (compromising by keeping
the stage name as well as his true last name) for the 1983
follow-up, Uh-Huh, which was another top-10 hit and spawned
several hit singles, including the vivid Americana of "Pink
Houses". Despite his popular success, Mellencamp fared
less well with critics who tended to view him as a derivative
heartland rocker in the mold of Bob Seger.
He rectified this in some quarters with the release of Scarecrow
in 1985. The album's lyrics were socially aware, with several
songs focusing on the plight of the American family farmer,
and Mellencamp soon helped organize Farm Aid with Willie Nelson.
Mellencamp, now fully asserting his power as a hitmaker, changed
his billing to simply John Mellencamp and made waves by refusing
to allow alcohol or tobacco companies to sponsor his tours.
His following LP, 1987's The Lonesome Jubilee was departure
from his earlier material; it incorporated country and folk
influences (see 1987 in music). It generated several more
hit singles, including "Paper in Fire" and "Cherry
Bomb". By 1993's (1993 in music) Human Wheels, Mellencamp's
critical reception was solid and Dance Naked (1994 in music)
spawned his biggest hit in years, "Wild Night" (a
cover of Van Morrison's song, in the form of a duet with Me'Shell
NdegeOcello).
After a 1994 heart attack, Mellencamp returned with Mr. Happy
Go Lucky which blended heavier dance rhythms with his now
signature folk-rock style with the aid of dance producer Junior
Vasquez.
Mellencamp left Mercury after the 1994 disc. Issued a day
before his 47th birthday in 1998, his self-titled debut for
Columbia Records included the songs "Your Life is Now"
and "I'm Not Running Anymore".
In 1999 Mellencamp covered his own tunes as well as those
by Bob Dylan and the Drifters for his album Rough Harvest,
one of two albums he owed Mercury Records to fulfill his contract
(the other was The Best That I Could Do, a best-of collection)
(1999 in music).
The early 21st century (e.g. 2001 in music) found Mellencamp
teaming up with artists such Chuck D and India.Arie to deliver
a more laid back record with Cuttin' Heads, spawning the single
"Peaceful World". Audiences would associate this
song with the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, although
it had been written beforehand.
Trouble No More followed in mid-2003 (2003 in music), a quickly-recorded
collection of rootsy bluesy covers of artists such as Robert
Johnson and Lucinda Williams.
Mellencamp's sound is cited as a major influence by fellow
midwesterners Sheryl Crow, Garth Brooks, Joan Osborne, and
Kid Rock.
