Creedence Clearwater Revival (sometimes shortened to Creedence or CCR) was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums. The band consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, his brother and rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed country rock and swamp rock genres; it remains a staple of radio airplay worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and were ranked at 82 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest artists of all time. ...show more

Creedence Clearwater Revival (sometimes shortened to Creedence or CCR) was an American rock band that gained popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s with a number of successful singles drawn from various albums. The band consisted of lead vocalist, lead guitarist, and primary songwriter John Fogerty, his brother and rhythm guitarist Tom Fogerty, bassist Stu Cook, and drummer Doug Clifford. Their musical style encompassed country rock and swamp rock genres; it remains a staple of radio airplay worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and were ranked at 82 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.

The band started out as The Blue Velvets, formed by John Fogerty, Doug Clifford, and Stu Cook in El Cerrito, California, United States in the late 1950s. They were an instrumental trio, however during the early '60s they began backing Tom Fogerty, John's older brother, for school dances at El Cerrito High School, on fraternity house gigs and in the recording studio. By the mid 1960s, the band signed a contract with Fantasy Records which was a local label based in San Francisco at that time. They were attracted to the label because Fantasy had released a national hit by Vince Guaraldi, "Cast Your Fate To The Wind".

Fantasy officials changed the group's name to The Golliwogs, an apparent reference to a once-popular minstrel doll called a Golliwogg. Seven singles were released in the San Francisco Bay area, but none received national attention (however, in 1975 Fantasy released Pre-Creedence, a compilation album of recordings by The Golliwogs). Eventually John Fogerty took control of the group, writing most of their material and singing lead vocals. The band's first album as Creedence Clearwater Revival was released in 1968. ...show less