SPOTLIGHT = Finger 11 (1 song) & John Fogerty (2 songs)

A Canadian band & a California-native songwriter-guitarist….

#1
Finger 11 formed in 1989 in Burlington, Ontario. This song, released September 2003, peaked in early 2004 at #16 on the Billboard Hot 100, #2 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks, #23 on the Adult Contemporary, #38 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks & #5 on the Modern Rock Tracks charts; it claimed #1 on 2 Canadian charts. This song was boosted by exposure in TV series like “Smallville”, “Scrubs” & “3rd Watch”. While they had 12 charting singles in Canada, the band notched only 2 other Top 10s in the United States: 2007’s “Paralyzer” & 2010’s “Living In A Dream”.

#2a
John Fogerty, songwriter & guitarist, was born in Berkeley CA & is best known as the lead singer & guitarist for Creedence Clearwater Revival. He released 17 solo singles that charted. This song, which he wrote, was released December 1984 from his comeback album ‘Centerfield’ & is his best charting solo single; in early 1985, it peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 & claimed #1 on the Top Rock Tracks chart. Elsewhere, it reached #10 in Australia, #12 in Austria, #12 in Canada & #11 in New Zealand.

#2b
Be sure to watch the video for this song! This single, the title track from his comeback album ‘Centerfield’, is perhaps his most-known & most-played solo single. Originally hitting the airwaves March 1985, this song peaked at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100 & #4 on the Top Rock Tracks charts; it reached #20 in Canada. Fogerty’s inspiration for this song came from Yankee Stadium’s centerfield. As a kid growing up on the West Coast, the closest his area came to having a team was San Francisco CA-native Joe DiMaggio on the New York Yankees. In this song, several baseball legends are mentioned, all center fielders, including Joe DiMaggio, Willie Mays & Ty Cobb. The 2nd verse refers to the poem “Casey At The Bat”; the final verse quotes longtime Oakland Athletics & San Francisco Giants broadcaster Lon Simmons, whose home run call was “Tell it goodbye!”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04KQydlJ-qc