John Fogerty Talks About Why Creedence Clearwater Revival Broke Up

[@Mike-01234]

Rare for one man to create so many iconic songs that transcend decades.

[@HasseBasseBingBong]

Even though the band didn't last that long, is incredible how many good songs they managed to squeeze out during that short amount of time. Legendary songs, that are now a part of pop cultural history.

[@Jamie-1985]

So sad that the company made such a good-heart & talent like John suffer, you can see it still rightly hurts him all these years later

[@kevinwearing7720]

As a teenager here in Australia, my first taste of Creedence Clearwater Revival was "Looking out my back door", fell in love with the bands music from thereafter. Even today some of my grandkids have become fans

[@jeffamburgey7485]

Really, none of it matters. The body of work speaks for itself. The music is America, at its best, Mr. Fogarty is music at its best. He will live on forever.

[@CraigHARRELL-se9xm]

This interview is about 9 years old. When i see John now he seems happy with his life now. He's making music with his kids, owns his CCR music. He doesn't really talk about the past. He's just living his life.

[@Deliquescentinsight]

John was blessed, he became the leader of CCR and the guys resented it, it is an old, old story.

[@nancybeckett890]

After a lifetime listening to John Fogerty's heavy, raspy CCR voice, it blows me away that his speaking voice is normal, even weak. Wow. How did he transform this voice in the studio?

[@donaldyoung9838]

John Is Such An Amazing Singer Song Writer Musician One Of Those All Americans He Is Like An All Star Baseball Player He Was Always Make Home Runs Thanks

[@cherie6408]

Yeah I was actually named after him Daddy thought it was cool Mommy thought I was a Christian although that's not so bad .

[@PeteDavidson-yl3ps]

I admire Rappers who create their OWN Record Labels follow their own rules and release to whomever and retain all the Copyrights and all the Money..... Companies like Sony, Capital etc. have caused much heartache with really talented musicians....

[@MrDoneboy]

John was the real talent in the band...His brother started a revolution against him!

[@dadeo8957]

BS!

[@mikeyerian2562]

Look, for one, the band was started by John's brother. Then John outclasses him as a guitarist and a songwriter. Any brother would know that would hurt. Then he is in the studio sometimes playing the other guys' instruments to get it right. The band is jealous, sure, but they also feel completely unnecessary. And they probably were. Fogerty could've gone solo then. John Fogerty is not a victim, except for one thing: he was not allowed to keep his songs.

[@Chris_L034]

note to self, do not sign a contract that doesnt have an expiration date.

[@cherie6408]

Yeah my Dad bought his house I suppose it had the most grand view of the mountains painted rock's.

[@AnthonyWellington-u7x]

Fortunate son is a big fave with me. All the songs really.

[@HereIam-bl8zp]

I like Dan Rather and I like his interviews. But I wish in this case, as just an example, he would ask more about the creative process and the joy of making and playing the music back then. There is one video I watched recently of CCR playing Travelin Band live and they all seemed so happy and to be enjoying themselves so much. I think that gets lost in all this infighting stuff.

[@Dispatcher822]

I've read a number of accounts over the years about this. There is absolutely no question that John Fogarty is a major talent, and great songwriter. That could never be disputed. But my interpretation of his story (that he has resolutely stuck to) is that he thought he was the most important member of the band, something he never failed to remind Tom, Doug, and Stu of. And yet, for all his musical talent, HE is the one who signed a terrible contract that he couldn't get out of (which was not uncommon for young, inexperienced artists - ask Billy Joel). He has bashed the others mercilessly for over 50 years, often refusing to even refer to them by name. His bitterness is palpable in literally every interview I've ever heard with him. Again, his talent is absolutely undeniable. But so is his ego. His version of the story has always been that he was the sole creative force. Now, I've never played an instrument, or written a song, or been in a band, but as a life-long music fan, I'd be willing to bet that the other 3 members of CCR probably added SOMETHING to most of their songs, however minor it may have been. Suggestions, notes, licks, chords, timing, tempo, something. John just couldn't, and has never, given credit to anyone else for their success. Ever. He embarrassed Doug, Stu, and his nephew (Tom's son) at the RRHOF induction for the band by refusing to perform with them and then going on stage and performing their music with the house band. It would have served all of them well from the beginning to have done something like what both REM and U2 have been know for, which was deciding to share songwriting credits (and thus, royalties) among the 4 members of each of those bands. They each have had long term HOF careers, no membership changes, and remained friends for all this time. It just didn't have to turn out this way for CCR. It wouldn't have hurt him one single bit to share his talent a bit more generously with his band mates, and likely would have sustained all of their careers.

[@gerardtuxen5069]

Seems like everyone around him lacked empathy towards his sharing of talent without asking the price, and then you throw in the record company!!!!

[@sniffableandirresistble]

I love that story Chris Cornell told of looking out his kitchen window one morning and seeing John Fogerty jogging 🏃‍♂️ ❤

[@news603redux]

Fogerty has spun this for decades. HE got them into that disastrous deal and you bet they weren't thrilled with him. Yes, he was the primary talent/writer/musician in the band, but they were NOT just a back up band. He's replaced all of them for years {including Kenny Aronoff for Doug Clifford} and the music has never had what it did back in the day. The Golden Child of Creedence or not, he had to have been insufferable to work with, controlling every note and every song. He's always played the victim and never owned up to his own failures.

[@opticscolossalandepicvideo4879]

He was a real monster 👹 to his own brother. His brother was dying of aids and he wouldn’t be nice to him. A real insufferable horrible human being 😢

[@JimmyScooter]

JF a true rock giant

[@juanpuerto737]

John rules...

[@Psyclonus7]

Now let's ask Doug and Stu the same question

[@terryballard4674]

Well, like john said about Saul Zaentz, "I outlived the sunuvabitch!"

[@kymcha]

John Fogerty WAS Creedence Clearwater Revival. It is almost beyond belief that not one of the other three band members didn't recognise the bleeding obvious.

[@nancybeckett890]

Yep, they were jealous. Because they couldn't write songs, they couldn't sing, they couldn't lead a band. Those guys weren't able to see what a talent John was. The proof is on Mardi Gras, their final album, where the drummer and bass player, with their warped egos, decided they had the right to put their originals on a CCR album. And so it's the only CCR album that is unlistenable.

[@trekuhl3966]

Seems like John’s experience is very typical of many bands. The front not person like it or not gets a level of attention and accolades that others in a band don’t. Dave Grohl said that as the drummer of Nirvana, he could walk through the front door of an arena and not be recognized. Kurt, not so much.

[@jmhkeys3279]

The proof is in all the hits Tom, Stu and Doug didn’t have. They didn’t come up with one. During or after. Nothing.

[@rchydrozz751]

Fifty plus years ago, Dan Rather would of been in his late 30's or early 40's, but never mentions he heard them on the radio or liked them.

[@MRVISTA-wz7vj]

3 ppl in the band. One's dead. They almost never talk to the other 2 guys😮 he's clearly the talented one but if never just trust his version of events😮

[@c.s.mcleod7383]

80 year old man finds it necessary to color his hair to maintain relevancy. Sad.

[@carolecksit2947]

John Fogerty is like Dave Mustaine in reverse

[@GrantMastropieri-t2e]

LOL

[@TheDefeatest]

It must be strange to have someone dictate to you , like a story , a time in your life. Just imagine someone speaking to you like that.

[@paulpalumbo3646]

Long-time musician here - His error was displaced integrity. He needed to flood the record company with garbage. Spend every moment possible waisting their time and money. He would have been released from that contract very quickly under those circumstances.

[@scottbrian3942]

Number one word in usa dictionary is jealousy so sad

[@billyclub9863]

High school 70-74 We had a Rock band. Thought we were the Shit. We 'tried' to cover some of their stuff. Everyone was tho!!

[@terryfriend16]

He speaks nothing like he sang.

[@nancybeckett890]

Saul Zaentz was scum who preyed on Fogerty, stole his money, ended his career. Fogerty was an immature fool for signing that contract with him.

[@KushiteComplex]

They couldn't deal with his genius as the youngest member of the band.

[@cherie6408]

Yeah like pms

[@RobertCeisler]

Zaentz can't dance.

[@richardnassano623]

Zaentz can’t dance!!!

[@MichaelHoward-fr3hp]

HE sPOKE TRUTH

[@jeffsilverman6104]

It wasn't jealousy. It was John's non-negotiable demands for total control of everything. This has been a well known fact for years. This interview proves once again, that John has never accepted any responsibility for anything, except the success of CCR. According to him, nothing was ever his fault and this all got old a long time ago. Everyone else was always the problem, and he's totally innocent of any wrongdoing. John's been whining for years about this. Just looking at his expression, and listening to his denials again, it's obvious he doesn't even have the capacity to understand his role in all of this. John was the Roger Waters of CCR. Enough is enough already.

[@I_Fight_Instacart]

Pink Floyd had more than one creative leader. CCR didn't.

[@news603redux]

Amen. And not years, but decades.

[@Spike-w5o]

Where did John's income come from during this bleak period ?

[@thehaughtcorner]

Songwriting royalties.

[@maureendrozda9960]

You & Your Songs Didn't Get Famous Without Your BAND, John!!!! DON'T Forget It!!!

[@stormbringercoming8105]

The rest of the band were okay professionals at best. John was miles ahead of the other three. John would’ve been famous without the others. The others would’ve been playing lounges and bars without him. There is no democracy in bands. When someone is making hits, fall in line and know your place, or get out of the way.

[@georgevanderlaan5028]

​@@stormbringercoming8105If this is the case, wouldn't John have had more hits after CCR? He had a few, but they were very sparse and nothing compared to the CCR run of hits.

[@stormbringercoming8105]

@@georgevanderlaan5028 NOBODY had a run of hits in such a short space of time like Fogerty did. And it WASN’T because of Stu, Doug & Tom. Sooner or later songwriters run the well dry. John was under a tremendous amount of pressure and stress to deliver. Thanks to an oppressive contract that he signed. Remember, John let Stu and Doug contribute equally to the last CCR album. Their contributions were pitiful. There’s a reason Tom Fogerty’s solo records are hard to find. They suck. Like it or not, John was their meal ticket. I’m sure John was dictatorial at times. There’s a reason for that. He had the vision and he had the talent to back it up. When Stu & Doug reunited as a CCR tribute band, whose songs were they singing?

[@richardnassano623]

Ha ha, John did all the solos , wrote all the songs, sang all the songs, they stabbed him in the back.

[@georgevanderlaan5028]

@stormbringercoming8105 It seems you're upset. I was just asking a question. Sorry I got your feathers all ruffled. Have a good one guy ✌🏻