Watch Lainey Wilson Sing 'Proud Mary' for John Fogerty in Nashville

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 han