Tom Fogerty
The foundational rhythm guitarist whose steady chop and family bond helped forge Creedence Clearwater Revival's timeless swamp-rock sound.
1941–1990 (age 49)·American musician·Birthday: November 9·The Silent Generation
Biography
Tom Fogerty was there at the very beginning, playing in a junior high school band called The Blue Velvets with his younger brother John. That group would evolve into Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Tom's role as rhythm guitarist was the essential bedrock over which John's searing leads and songs could soar. His crisp, chopping style, influenced by rockabilly and blues, provided the relentless drive behind hits like 'Proud Mary' and 'Bad Moon Rising'. While the band's creative vision was increasingly steered by John, Tom was a vital part of the unit that became America's most popular band in 1969. Growing creative tensions led him to leave in 1971, after which he pursued a solo career and formed other bands. His premature death from respiratory failure in 1990 cemented his place as a founding architect of one of rock's most distinctive and enduring groups.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Tom was born in 1941, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Tom Was Born
The biggest hits of 1941
#1 Movie
Sergeant York
Best Picture
How Green Was My Valley
Tom's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1941Born
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1946Started school
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1954Became a teenager
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1957Could drive
Sputnik launches the Space Age
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $10,550Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"All Shook Up" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai
1959Could vote
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Turned 21
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1971Turned 30
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 40
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Died at 49
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
Key Achievements
- Co-founded and played rhythm guitar for Creedence Clearwater Revival, contributing to all seven of their studio albums.
- Performed on and co-wrote songs for the band's string of five consecutive top 10 albums between 1968 and 1970.
- Was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of Creedence.
- Released several solo albums after leaving CCR, including 'Tom Fogerty' and 'Excalibur'.
Did You Know?
He worked as a shipping clerk for the city of Berkeley before CCR found success.
Tom's son, Jeff Fogerty, is also a musician and has performed his father's music.
He named his post-CCR band 'Ruby' after his daughter.
Fogerty contracted AIDS from a tainted blood transfusion during back surgery, which led to his death.
“I was the rhythm, the anchor. That was my job in the band.”
