Thomas Richard Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990) was an American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist for Creedence Clearwater Revival. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Early life
Fogerty was born in Berkeley, California, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice disliked the song, calling it "unextraordinary musically, simplistic lyrically, and also Tom doesn't sing too good". His May 1972 debut album, Tom Fogerty, reached No. 180 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In 1971 and 1972 Fogerty played rhythm guitar in the Saunders-Garcia band, mostly in Bay Area clubs, and Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders played on Fogerty's follow-up album, Excalibur. Cook and Clifford also backed Fogerty on his fourth LP, 1974's Myopia.
Throughout the rest of the 1970s and 1980s, Fogerty continued to record as both a solo artist and as a member of Ruby. In the time leading up to his death, Fogerty suffered from AIDS, which his family believed he contracted from a blood transfusion he received while undergoing back surgery. He had six children.
From Tom's departure from the band in 1971 until his death, his relationship with his brother John was strained, woven into the complex legal and personal battles that John had with Fantasy Records owner Saul Zaentz. Tom's continued association with Zaentz, and even taking his side in lawsuits, business disputes, and retrospective analyses of the band's difficulties, led to an irreconcilable impasse in their relationship. According to John's autobiography, Fortunate Son, he visited Tom several times shortly before his death, though they only barely reconciled during John's final visit. John later eulogized him at his funeral, saying, "We didn't want to conquer Wall Street or take over nations. We wanted to grow up and be musicians. I guess we achieved half of that, becoming rock and roll stars. We didn't necessarily grow up."
Discography
- Tom Fogerty (1972)
- Excalibur (1972)
- Zephyr National (1974)
- Myopia (1974)
- Deal It Out (1981)
- Sidekicks <small>(with Randy Oda)</small> (1992)
- The Very Best of Tom Fogerty (1999)
;with Ruby
- Ruby (1977)
- Rock & Roll Madness (1978)
- Precious Gems (1984)
;with other artists
- Heavy Turbulence – Merl Saunders (1972)
- Fire Up – Merl Saunders (1973)
- Garcia Live Volume 22 – Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders (2026)