Industry events are often staid affairs, full of long-winded speeches and by-the-numbers performances. That’s never the case at the BMI Troubadour Award dinner, the unofficial kickoff of AmericanaFest week in Nashville, which this year honored John Fogerty for “artistry that has transcended genres and generations while shaping the American musical landscape.”
While past Troubadour recipients like Robert Earl Keen, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, and last year’s honoree, John Oates, mingled over cocktails in the lobby of the BMI building on Music Row, artists like Lainey Wilson, the War and Treaty, and Jesse Welles prepared to take the stage to sing some of the Creedence Clearwater Revival leader’s best-known songs — backed by a full band at maximum volume. After dinner, servers handed out earplugs to attendees.
The night kicked off with Welles, who, given his budding reputation as today’s new protest singer, would presumably perform the politically charged “Fortunate Son.” Instead, he played against type to deliver a gorgeous, gentle take on “Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” a song he’s actually performed in the past with Mt. Joy’s Matt Quinn. It was less rasp and simmering rage, which have become Welles’ signatures, and more pristine tribute to an artist he’s called “a hero of mine.”
Jesse Welles sang “Have You Ever Seen the Rain” at a tribute to John Fogerty. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI*
But there was no world in which “Fortunate Son” wouldn’t be heard at a tribute to Fogerty. The honor fell to Rival Son’s majestic vocalist Jay Buchanan, who took the stage barefoot, in a maroon suit, and proceeded to devour the angry rock anthem. Buchanan is always an energetic showman and, in just over 90 seconds, put on an arena-rock performance on a postage-stamp-sized stage.
Other highlights included the War and Treaty, who offered a captivating twofer of “I Put a Spell on You” and “Born on the Bayou,” with husband-and-wife singers Michael and Tonya Trotter one-upping each other in electrifying vamps, and Gibbons and Mexican-American vocalist La Marisoul choogling through a “Green River” sung in English and Spanish.
Lainey Wilson performs at the BMI Troubadour dinner honoring John Fogerty. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI*
The night’s biggest name was Wilson, and she drew what is arguably Fogerty’s most enduring song: “Proud Mary.” Dressed in a black hat, black bell-bottoms, and a jacket with turquoise accents, the Louisiana country singer gave a soulful, twangy reading of the riverboat tale, effortlessly commanding the crowd with just a few shimmies and finger points. (There’s a reason that Wilson just landed six nominations at the 2025 CMA Awards, including one for Entertainer of the Year.)
The honorees typically don’t perform at the BMI Troubadour dinner, but that changed last year when recipient John Oates opted to sing at his ceremony. This year, Fogerty followed his lead, enlisting his sons Shane and Tyler Fogerty for a rollicking three-song set of Creedence’s “Up Around the Bend” and “Bad Moon Rising,” along with his solo single “The Old Man Down the Road.”
Fogerty recently released an album of new recordings of his CCR catalog that he called Legacy. On Monday night at the invitation-only Troubadour dinner — a million-dollar ticket in Nashville if ever there was one — he proved there was no better title.
BMI’s President and CEO Mike O’Neill and BMI Nashville’s VP of Creative Clay Bradley flank Troubadour recipients John Fogerty, John Oates, Billy Gibbons, and Robert Earl Keen. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI*
