John Fogerty Gets Covered by Lainey Wilson, Jesse Welles and Other Stars at a Rocking BMI Troubadour Award Ceremony

An exclusive audience of approximately 200 guests gathered beneath a bright Nashville sky to present John Fogerty, the iconic frontman of Creedence Clearwater Revival, with the BMI Troubadour award. The ceremony, held at BMI’s Music Row headquarters, brought together fellow musicians and longtime admirers to pay tribute to the rock legend’s lasting impact on American music.

Lainey Wilson—who earlier that day had earned six CMA nominations, tying for the most of any artist—opened the musical tributes with a sincere performance of “Proud Mary,” revealing that her father had given her Fogerty’s albums for inspiration when she moved to Nashville in 2011. Other standout covers included Jesse Welles’ folk-tinged “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?,” Jay Buchanan’s gritty “Fortunate Son,” and a soulful medley by The War & Treaty. Billy F. Gibbons and La Marisoul offered a bilingual version of “Green River,” originally cut for a Fogerty tribute album, lending the swamp rock classic a renewed cultural richness.

Now 80, Fogerty closed the evening by performing with his family band, offering spirited renditions of “Up Around the Bend,” “The Old Man Down the Road,” and “Bad Moon Rising.” His voice and guitar tone echoed the urgency of his Creedence years, while a fiery exchange with his son Shane highlighted a powerful musical lineage still very much alive.

The guest list featured past Troubadour recipients such as Billy F. Gibbons, John Oates, and Robert Earl Keen, alongside artists like Chris Isaak, bluegrass star Molly Tuttle, hit songwriter Liz Rose, and members of the Del McCoury Band. Their attendance underscored Fogerty’s wide-reaching influence across genres and generations.

In an emotional acceptance speech, Fogerty reflected on his career-long fight to reclaim artistic ownership—including the infamous lawsuit in which he was accused of plagiarizing his own style by former label head Saul Zaentz. He stressed the significance of his new album “Legacy,” which features re-recorded versions of his classics, declaring, “An artist should have the right to sound like themselves forever.” Fogerty also voiced concern over emerging technologies, noting that AI poses new threats to artistic identity that require legal and ethical safeguards.

Veteran music journalist David Wild, who introduced Fogerty, highlighted the efficiency and depth of the songwriter’s craft, observing how an anthem like “Fortunate Son” delivered sharp social critique in just over two minutes. The night served not only as a recognition of Fogerty’s extraordinary catalog but also as a reminder of the persistent effort required to protect an artist’s legacy in a changing industry.