BMI Honors Troubadour John Fogerty

/by

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, Troubadour John Fogerty, BMI’s Mike O’Neill and BMI’s Mason Hunter. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI

An American music titan was saluted Monday evening (Sept. 8) as rock royalty John Fogerty was presented with BMI’s Troubadour Award.

“I hope I’m worthy of all this attention,” said the humble legend who has a catalog of immortal songs he wrote for Creedence Clearwater Revival as well as his solo albums. “I’m pretty overwhelmed.”

John Fogerty performs of “Up Around The Bend,” “Bad Moon Rising” and “The Old Man Down the Road” alongside his sons, Shane and Tyler Fogerty. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI

Fogerty was saluted in song and speeches during an invitation-only two-hour cocktail party, banquet and ceremony. BMI’s Clay Bradley presided.

“You are in for a real treat, I promise you,” said Bradley when he took the stage. “The power of music can transcend time itself.”

A stellar lineup of talents sang Fogerty’s enduring classics. New sensation Jesse Wells kicked it off with “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” Z.Z. Top’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Billy Gibbons joined with Grammy winning La Marisoul for a Spanglish rendition of “Green River.” Classic rock vocalist Jay Buchanan turned in an electrifying version of “Fortunate Son.”

Writer David Wild gave the induction speech. “Legacy is the title of his new album,” Wilds said. Named for “a legacy you created, nurtured and ultimately won back. You won…a happy ending that you deserve, and that’s the most heartening legacy of all. These are songs that defined and graced all of our lives….songs made to outlive us, and what Troubadour could have a better legacy than that?” Fogerty battled in the courts for years to regain control of his copyrights, which was a symbolic victory for all music creators.

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, BMI’s Mike Steinberg, Billy F Gibbons, La Marisoul, The War And Treaty, Lainey Wilson, 2025 BMI Troubadour John Fogerty, Jay Buchanan, Jesse Welles, BMI’s Mike O’Neill and Mason Hunter. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI

The evening’s celebratory mood was amped up by The War and Treaty, who offered a barn-burning “I Put a Spell on You” and a soul-saturated “Born on the Bayou.” Then Lainey Wilson capped the tribute music with “Proud Mary.”

All of the performances were given standing ovations. Interspersed among them were video congratulations from Chris Stapleton, Eric Church and Dolly Parton, among others.

The Troubadour Award recognizes songwriters who have made significant contributions to the music industry and whose work has endured over time. It celebrates songwriting prowess and impact. Prior recipients have been Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, the late John Prine and attendees Gibbons, John Oates and Robert Earl Keen.

Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Mike O’Neill, 2025 Troubadour John Fogerty, 2024 Troubadour John Oates, 2023 Troubadour Billy F Gibbons, 2015 Troubadour Robert Earl Keen and BMI’s Clay Bradley pose at the ceremony in Nashville. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI

“I can’t believe this is happening,” said honoree Fogerty. “Like many of you, I was captivated by music. This is a town that music has built…by people who were captivated by music like I was. I heard Hank Williams and Nashville became a symbol for me, a magical place.

“The main thing I want to say is I’ve been blessed. I don’t know what else to say. I love you all.”

For Legacy, John Fogerty re-recorded his classics with a new band including his sons Tyler and Shane. They joined him on stage to rip through a set including a thrilling “Up Around the Bend,” a long jam on “Old Man Down the Road” and the rousing, apocalyptic “Bad Moon Rising.” At age 80, Fogerty still sounded astounding, singing with passion in the same keys that the raspy rock tenor originally recorded his hits in.

The banquet crowd was spellbound, reveling in an intimate mini concert by a songwriter’s songwriter, an American original, a national treasure and a true, modern Troubadour. Notable musicians in attendance included Elizabeth Cook, Fats Kaplan, Jeff Hanna, Dave Pomeroy, Liz Rose, Ray Kennedy, Carmella Ramsey, Matraca Berg, Steve Fishell, Kenny Vaughan, Bob DiPiero and 2025 Americana Lifetime Achievement honoree Regina McCrary, as well as Keen, Gibbons and Oates.

The event was the unofficial kick-off of the Americana Music Association’s annual celebration week. Known as AmericanaFest, it takes place in various Nashville venues Sept. 9-13.

Robert K Oermann
Latest posts by Robert K Oermann (see all)