Celebrate John Fogerty’s 80th Birthday By Watching Him Break Out CCR Classics At 1987 Benefit Concert

John Fogerty marks his 80th birthday today. The legendary rocker co-founded Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1968. CCR also consisted of John’s brother guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford. John Fogerty, however, was the primary songwriter, singer and lead guitarist. It was John who wrote CCR’s impressive 14 straight top 10 singles in just a two year span between 1969 and 1971.

Despite their success, CCR disbanded in 1972 following the departure of Tom Fogerty and due to deteriorating relationships between the group’s label, Fantasy Records, and within the band itself. While John Fogerty would continue to perform, he refused to play CCR songs until a tribute/benefit concert for Vietnam War veterans on July 4, 1987, which took place near Washington D.C. and aired on HBO.

The music of CCR and the Vietnam War are inextricably linked. The band was active and releasing their hit singles during the most violent time of the conflict. There’s a reason why many films about the Vietnam War include CCR songs such as “Fortunate Son” and “Run Through the Jungle.” The horrors surrounding the war influenced Fogerty and as someone who was drafted for service in Vietnam in 1966. Although he never saw combat, he trained with many who would ultimately lose their lives or come home scarred both physically and mentally.

Fogerty’s connection to the Vietnam War led to a special relationship between John and the veterans. He was naturally a great fit for the tribute concert in 1987. Unlike other wars of the 20th century, Vietnam was so surrounded by controversy that many of the veterans didn’t receive the respect they deserved when they returned home. Making the situation even more heartbreaking was that they should never have been there in the first place. So during the long-overdue tribute in 1987, which was titled “Welcome Home,” Fogerty wanted to do something special for the vets.

Here’s Fogerty explaining why he returned to CCR songs at the tribute:

According to Fogerty’s official YouTube channel, which shared Fogerty’s Vietnam vet tribute performance in 2020, John was also influenced to play CCR material by his fellow rock legends Bob Dylan and George Harrison. As he explained in the video above, Fogerty kicked off the concert with the riff to “The Old Man Down the Road” before heading into a raucous “Born on the Bayou.”

The set also included CCR classics “Down on the Corner,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “Bad Moon Rising” and “Proud Mary.” In honor of John Fogerty’s 80th birthday, check out his “Welcome Home” performance below:

Catch John Fogerty performing CCR classics and more live. Scroll down for his itinerary and ticket info.