By 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival was a household name—thanks to their swampy riffs, gritty vocals, and rapid-fire release of hit after hit. But long before Proud Mary rolled down the river and Fortunate Son blasted from radios coast to coast, the band started out under a very different name in a very different place.
The group’s roots stretch back to El Cerrito, California, where they originally performed as Blue Velvet. The lineup included John Fogerty, his older brother Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford—four guys with a shared love of rock and roll and a growing commitment to making their own mark on the music world.
By 1967, they needed a new name—and found it in a curious mix of sources. In interviews years later, the band explained the three-part origin behind Creedence Clearwater Revival:
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“Creedence” came from Credence Newball, a friend of Tom Fogerty. They tweaked the spelling to give it a mystical feel.
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“Clearwater” was lifted from an Olympia Beer commercial featuring the phrase “clear water.”
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“Revival” reflected the band’s renewed dedication to their music after a period of inactivity—partly due to John and Doug’s military service.
CCR started performing under their new name in early 1968 around San Francisco’s club circuit, quickly generating buzz. Their breakthrough came later that year when their cover of Dale Hawkins’ “Susie Q” became a hit on AM radio. It climbed to #11 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it their first Top 40 hit—and the only one not written by John Fogerty.
What followed was a whirlwind.
In January 1969, they released Bayou Country, their second album, and their first big commercial success. The single “Proud Mary,” backed with “Born on the Bayou,” reached #2 on the charts and became an instant classic. Over time, Proud Mary has been covered over 100 times, most famously by Ike & Tina Turner in 1971.
That same year, CCR performed at Woodstock, becoming the first major act officially booked for the now-legendary festival. Unfortunately, their 3 a.m. time slot—right after the Grateful Dead—combined with technical issues and a sleepy crowd, led John Fogerty to withhold the footage from the Woodstock film and soundtrack.
Between 1969 and 1971, CCR became a chart-dominating machine, releasing 14 consecutive Top 10 singles and five Top 10 albums. Incredibly, they released three albums in 1969 alone. Despite all this success, they never reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. They still hold the record for the most #2 hits—five—without ever hitting the top spot.
But creative tensions were brewing. Tom Fogerty left the band in 1971, and not long after, CCR officially disbanded in late 1972 amid lawsuits, artistic disputes, and lingering resentment.
Although a full reunion never happened, the band’s legacy endured. John Fogerty continues to perform CCR songs during his solo tours, while Stu Cook and Doug Clifford toured as Creedence Clearwater Revisited from 1995 to 2020.
Over the decades, CCR’s music has become a staple of American rock history. Their 1976 compilation album, Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits, remains a best-seller, reaching 12× platinum and logging over 600 weeks on the Billboard 200 as of 2022.
Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and several of their recordings—Proud Mary, Fortunate Son, and Cosmo’s Factory—have been honored in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
With 45 million records sold in the U.S. alone, CCR’s name might be a mouthful—but it’s one fans will never forget.