creedence-clearwater-revival-4e748d56860bb

The sixties produced some of the greatest music we had ever known before or since.

  A number of influential artists that shaped rock music lived and died within this ten year period. Creedence Clearwater Revival entered this legendary music scene late and disbanded quickly. Yet, CCR has influenced rock forever with a slew of number one hits. A quartet of boys,  including two brothers, became three men fighting over money with their old friend John Fogerty.  Since the bands break-up in 1972 John Fogerty has been at war with his former band, Creedence Clearwater Revival

Creedence officially formed in 1968 after years of unsuccessful attempts to find their place in the robust west-coast music scene.

John Fogerty (main songwriter, lead singer,) Tom Fogerty (guitar), Stu Cook (bass), and Doug Clifford (drummer) were the original and only members of the infamous Creedence Clearwater Revival.  The band chose the name Creedence Clearwater Revival by using a first name, a beer commercial, and the rebirth of their band.

 Thus, the flashbulb existence of a band that turned on and then quickly burned out had begun.  Creedence Clear Water Revival blew up in 1968 with the release of “Susie Q.” “Before 1970 Creedence had already released, “Fortunate Son,” “Green River,” “Proud Mary,” and “Bad Moon Rising.” CCR skyrocketed to one of the most popular bands in the country. Creedence got to do it all, playing  The Ed Sullivan Show and making an appearance at Woodstock following The Grateful Dead

Creedence Clearwater Revival was under a contract with Fantasy Records that John Fogerty believed was not proportionally balanced properly.

  Fogerty fought with Fantasy until Creedence Clearwater Revival disbanded in 1972.  For Fogerty to break from Fantasy Records also meant he was breaking from his brother and the remainder of the band.  Fogerty had drawn a line in the sand and it was obvious his three friends had chosen the other side.

The lawsuits between John Fogerty and Fantasy Records kept the Creedence songwriter fairly quiet, even moving in with his aunt Corrine in Reno, until Fantasy Records won the rights to every song penned by the legendary Fogerty.  

In 1985, John Fogerty recorded an album, Centerfield, that made it into the top of the charts.

However, Fantasy Records sued Fogerty because they believed that the song “The Old Man Down The Road” sounded too much like “Run Through The Jungle.” The record company was suing Fogerty for plagiarizing his own song.

 In 1990, Tom Fogerty died from AIDS though John Fogerty has recently admitted in an interview with Rolling Stone that he is not mad at his brother any more by saying, “I’ve forgiven Tom. I’m not angry anymore. Tom may have been motivated to get money for his family because he was dying. It’s can see how that would hinder a person’s judgment. I don’t carry that around, and I think that’s important to say. I love my brother.”

In 1993 the long feud between the members of CCR were made public when Creedence Clearwater Revival was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

During the induction Fogerty made a public refusal of his anger with Creedence by refusing to play any CCR songs with the remaining members.  Described in Rolling Stone as,”few situations were quite as volatile as what happened when Creedence Clearwater Revival got in back in 1993.”

Stu Cook and Doug Clifford have since formed, Creedence Clearwater Revisted, which tours playing the catalog of old CCR tunes.

In 2014 John Fogerty finally toured playing the classics that HE wrote from ’69. He is now being sued for that tour.

Creedence Cleerwater Revival produced some of the greatest songs produced in the late sixties and early seventies, influencing countless other southern blues rock bands that have followed. John Fogerty wrote that music, he created those songs, the words are the songs. He has been stripped of the rights to his songs.   If I was John Fogerty I would be super pissed too. 

Chris McDonald

 

 

 

 

 

 

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