John Fogerty Celebrated His 80th Birthday With Cake, Confetti, and Loads of CCR Classics
Before the show even started, Fogerty appeared on a large screen and addressed the crowd. 'It's been quite a journey to get to this big eight-oh,' he said. 'Thank you for coming along on this journey with me. I appreciate each and every one of you, every little dip and turn in the road..It's such an honor to have people know all your words. Thank you for singing these songs all these years. I just really love performing live with my sons in this band, especially as they grow into adulthood and become really good. That sense of joy about making music is really real.'
More from Rolling Stone
John Fogerty Is Re-Recording Creedence Classics. We Asked Him Why
Bruce Springsteen Jams With John Fogerty, Tom Morello, Smokey Robinson at American Music Honors
The Best of SXSW Day One: John Fogerty, Case Oats, Gloin, and More
He proved that by walking out onto a riser stationed between two bright, billowing smoke machines, and kicking into 'Proud Mary' as confetti rained down on the audience. He followed it with 'Up Around the Bend,' 'Green River,' 'Born on the Bayou,' 'Who'll Stop the Rain,' and 'Lookin' Out My Back Door.' Like the vast majority of the Creedence Clearwater Revival catalog, these songs came out in a little sliver of time between 1968 and 1970 when Fogerty somehow wrote a significant chapter of the Great American Songbook entirely by himself.
This golden period was followed by many dark years where the bitter breakup of the band and a nasty spat with his former label head caused Fogerty to turn away from the Creedence legacy. When he finally launched a solo tour in 1986, he disappointed crowds all across America by refusing to perform even a single CCR song. He wouldn't relent until 1997, a quarter of a century after the band split. By that point, the Creedence rhythm section of Doug Clifford and Stu Cook had recruited a new singer and were touring under the banner Creedence Clearwater Revisited.
But Clifford and Cook quietly dissolved their band in 2020. Two of their former compatriots, guitarist Kurt Griffey and vocalist Dan McGuinness, have attempted to keep the CCR flag flying by booking shows as Revisiting Creedence, but they are essentially a tribute band to a tribute band. That means Fogerty is now the only authentic member of the band keeping the music alive. He bills many of his shows today as 'John Fogerty Celebrates His Songs From Creedence Clearwater Revival,' just so there's no confusion about who created this music.
But the 80th birthday show at the Beacon wasn't merely a Creedence retrospective. Midway through, he broke out his 1997 solo cut 'Joy Of My Life.' It's a tribute to his wife, Julie, who was parked on the side of the stage all night, beaming with joy. 'Julie is the one,' he told the crowd. She is the rock in our family. I wouldn't even be standing here if it wasn't for Julie. We recently celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary. Somewhere along the way, I wrote this song for her.'
Later in the night, he also revisited his Eighties solo hits 'Centerfield' and 'The Old Man Down the Road.' Vintage baseball cards flashed on the screen during the former, and Fogerty's daughter Kelsy came out for a brief guitar jam with her brothers on the latter. The man set wrapped up with a fiery 'Fortunate Son' as fake dollar bills fell down from the rafters.
Before the encore, Fogerty sat down in a folding chair and told the crowd about his upcoming LP, Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years. (For much more on that, check out David Browne's recent interview with Fogerty.) The crew then wheeled out a birthday cake, but Fogerty had no time to cut a slice for himself or anyone else. He instead wrapped up the show by ripping through 'Travelin' Band,' 'Bad Moon Rising,' and a quick repose of 'Proud Mary,' taking the night full circle.
The 80th birthday celebration continues Thursday night with an encore show at the Beacon before heading over to Europe in June and July for a run of festival dates, including Glastonbury. The last show on the books is stop at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Quincy, Massachusetts, on August 3rd for a special event commemorating the 400th anniversary of the town.
But there's every reason to believe Fogerty will keep touring for the foreseeable future. A 90th birthday concert in 2035 may seem like a distant dream, but there's little reason to think it won't happen, considering how oddly vital he remains as he kicks off his eighties.
Best of Rolling Stone
The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs
All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked
The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
‘I Love You Forever' is streaming on HBO Max — and striking a nerve. Experts break down the toxic dynamic at the center of this anti-rom-com.
A new film explores narcissistic abuse, and it's getting the internet talking. I Love You Forever, which was produced by Diablo Cody from filmmaking team Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani, stars Sofia Black-D'Elia as Mackenzie, a woman who thinks she's finally found an emotionally available man in Finn, played by Ray Nicholson. At first, the movie plays out like a classic romantic comedy, only to take a dark turn when Finn's grandiose displays of affection and emotional vulnerability shifts into something darker. Soon he's calling Mackenzie dozens of times in a row while she's in class, showing up at her apartment to talk when she's exhausted and interrupting important life events — all while berating and criticizing her for the ways she falls short at meeting his needs. As Finn gaslights Mackenzie into making her think she's a bad partner, she finds herself scrambling to please him, losing herself to the relationship as she falls deeper under his coercive control. Though I Love You Forever was available for rent and purchase after its 2024 debut at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival (SXSW), the movie recently dropped on HBO Max, where many people on social media are watching it for the first time. And many are noting the familiar patterns in what's going on between Mackenzie and Finn and their own previous relationships. In a TikTok video, user @magentababyyy called it the best film she had ever seen about falling into a cycle of abuse. 'Someone will love bomb you, and then slowly introduce these kind of abusive gray area situations to where you're so unaware that they are abusing you emotionally, mentally and then eventually physically,' she wrote, noting that the movie was triggering as someone who was in an abusive marriage. Fellow TikToker @ohmayabehave echoed the sentiment in her own video, saying that the movie finally gave her an example to share with her loved ones about the 'mental and emotional manipulation' she experienced in a previous relationship. 'If you watch it, that is exactly what I just got done dealing with,' she said. 'And if your friends ever try to tell you they're dealing with something like that, believe them.' TikToker @harvionn also related to the film, calling it both 'traumatic' and like reliving their 'past relationship all over again' in the caption of his video. What the filmmakers have said Back in February, before the film hit VOD on Valentine's Day, David told Marie Claire that she had personally experienced a relationship similar to the one Mackenzie deals with in the movie, and that she turned to 'research' in order to understand what was really happening to her. That research inspired her and cowriter and codirector Kalani to show how these kinds of relationships can suck people in , including all the 'manipulation tactics' that Finn uses in the movie, like guilting and shaming Mackenzie or making sarcastic comments. 'We really wanted to get the cycle of abuse: the love bombing period; the idolization once they win you over; how they immediately devalue you and it's game over; how you're constantly trying to get back to the beginning and that's what keeps you into the relationship,' David said. 'It was important for us to show how and why someone might stay in this. And so much of that is:, once it's calm, you don't want to set it off again; there'll be this explosive episode and you'll maybe want to leave, but the second it gets calm again, you don't want to go back to that.' In an interview with IndieWire, David specifically said that Finn's abuse is what happens when someone with narcissistic personality disorder enters into a romantic relationship, even if they may not seem pompous or arrogant, typically narcissistic traits. 'For [Finn], I think when people think of a narcissist, they think of a confident, charming, peacocky guy,' she said. 'And we chose someone who might be more vulnerable and seemingly compassionate and also a victim. There's a million different types of these people, and this is just one of them.' What experts say about the abuse at the center of While every relationship is different, the cycle of abuse follows familiar patterns, experts told Yahoo. Psychotherapist Vassilia Binensztok of Juno Counseling and Wellness said that many people — women, in particular — will fall for an abuser who seems emotionally available, open and willing to be vulnerable, just as Finn did in the film by sharing trauma from his home life. But while these traits are generally positive, this type of openness can put people in harm's way, as it leads to openings for the abusive person to criticize them or turn the insecurities the person has shared against them. Abusers are able to gain coercive control over their partner under the guise of 'I do all these things for you, and therefore I'm a great partner, and to be a great partner back, you should do all these things,' Binensztok said. What these abusive partners want from their victims is often unrealistic, like when Finn calls Mackenzie incessantly in the middle of class, then demands to know why she didn't pick up, leading to a nasty fight. But when Finn goes back to being a so-called good boyfriend, Mackenzie worries there's something wrong with her, not Finn. And the more Finn shares his own insecurities from his difficult home life and previous relationships, the more Mackenzie feels pressure to not let him down the way he's told her others have. 'I think it's very easy for the recipient to gaslight themselves and believe that, and say, 'OK, well, he does do all these things which I associate with someone being a good partner. Maybe he's needing a lot of reassurance right now, and that might make sense. Maybe he's not feeling very wanted. Maybe he had a stressful day. Maybe he had a past bad relationship that made him feel unlovable or unwanted, and so I should do these things for him. I should provide that emotional support. I should be there for him,'' Binensztok said. The problem, however, is that even when the ask seems small — like answering the phone — if you zoom out, it's really about him 'being in control of what she's doing, what she's thinking at any given time — she has to be paying attention to him. She has to be putting him first. So it is actually very controlling, but I think in a very subtle way,' Binensztok said. Psychotherapist Terri DiMatteo of Open Door Therapy said that Finn displays classic signs of a narcissist, and that the abuse caused by people with this personality disorder can leave deep emotional wounds for their victim. She described Finn as a 'covert narcissist,' explaining that while these people have an insatiable desire for attention, they tend to fly under the radar when compared to more overt narcissists, who may be louder and more outwardly confident. A covert narcissist, on the other hand, may be more passive aggressive. In the case of I Love You Forever, Finn is doing what many narcissists do: weaponizing Mackenzie's empathetic and loving nature against her. He uses her vulnerability to build an attachment, and then makes her believe that his reactions to her actions are about the ways in which she's not measuring up. DiMatteo said that Mackenzie and Finn's relationship was doomed from the start, because narcissists 'cannot do a normal, healthy relationship,' due to their lack of empathy. 'Most people get caught up because they apply — for lack of a better word — 'normal,' non-narcissist, not disordered, approaches to relationship,' she explained, 'when really, for the narcissist person, there are whole different guidelines.' If you find yourself in a relationship with this kind of person, DiMatteo said that ending the relationship is ideal, as couples counseling is not typically recommended because narcissists are often able to manipulate the therapist. But she noted that it can be difficult for people to even realize they're in a relationship with a narcissist. Binensztok said that 'sometimes our friends tell us in subtle ways — like saying, 'Oh wow, that's kind of strange that he's texting you so much.' It doesn't mean you have to take everything they say at face value, but if it starts to become a pattern — like someone repeatedly interrupting important things for you — it's worth stepping back and considering what's really going on.' Solve the daily Crossword
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Forbes
Creedence Clearwater Revival's Big Week On The American Charts
Creedence Clearwater Revival's Chronicle returns to the Top Streaming Albums chart and climbs four ... More other Billboard rankings, nearing 50 years since release. UNSPECIFIED - CIRCA 1970: Photo of Creedence Clearwater Revival Photo by MichaelChronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits by Creedence Clearwater Revival is already one of the longest-running successful albums in American history, and it has been for many years. The compilation is the fifth-longest-running title on the Billboard 200, with more than 750 weeks on the ranking to its credit, and Chronicle adds to that total every time Billboard refreshes its lists. The collection is having another huge week in the United States, as it rises on multiple tallies and even returns to one ranking. In one instance, the compilation — now almost 50 years old — even manages to return to its peak position. Creedence Clearwater Revival Climbs Billboard's ranking of the most consumed EPs and full-lengths specific to the rock genre sees Chronicle step up from No. 5 to No. 3. As it climbs, the compilation matches its previously-set peak on the tally. The singles-packed release first reached that high point in February 2023, years after it first landed on the Top Rock Albums list. Chronicle Rises on Four Billboard Rankings The compilation lifts to No. 5 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums ranking, to No. 30 on the Top Album Sales tally, and to No. 31 on the Billboard 200 this week. Chronicle moved about 18,300 equivalent units in the past tracking period, up 12% from the frame prior, according to Luminate. Sales made up about 2,400 copies of that total. While that figure is actually down from the week before, competition is not nearly as fierce on the Top Album Sales list, which allows Creedence Clearwater Revival to grow. Chronicle Also Returns to the Streaming Ranking As Chronicle ascends on the aforementioned four rankings, the compilation also breaks back onto the Top Streaming Albums chart. John Fogerty, who is credited separately alongside Creedence Clearwater Revival in just one instance, reappears at No. 35 on Billboard's 50-spot ranking of the most successful projects on platforms like Apple Music, Tidal, and Spotify. "Fortunate Son" Rocks Back As Well As Creedence Clearwater Revival finds its way back to the Top Streaming Albums chart, the group also reappears on another streaming list in America. "Fortunate Son" rises to No. 21 on the Rock Streaming Songs tally, earning its milestone seventieth stay on the roster.
San Francisco Chronicle
17-07-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
8 bands divided by lawsuits: It's not just Jane's Addiction
Bands behaving badly? It's only rock 'n' roll. Members of alternative rock band Jane's Addiction filed dueling lawsuits Wednesday over singer Perry Farrell's onstage scuffle with guitarist Dave Navarro at a Boston concert last year, a fracas that prompted the cancellation of the rest of their reunion tour and a planned album. They join a long and storied tradition of bandmates suing one another, taking interpersonal and legal troubles from the recording studio to the courtroom. Here's a look at a few very famous cases. Jane's Addiction WHAT HAPPENED: Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and bassist Eric Avery sued Farrell in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking at least $10 million, alleging that Farrell's behavior on their recent tour had ranged from erratic to out of control, culminating in an assault where Farrell punched Navarro both onstage and backstage. HOW IT WAS RESOLVED: It hasn't been; it's just getting started. Farrell and his wife, Etty Lau Farrell, sued the three bandmates in the same court Wednesday, blaming them for the conflict and the violence. The Beach Boys WHAT HAPPENED: How much time do you have? The late, great Brian Wilson, the Beach Boys' leader, feuded with his cousin and bandmate Mike Love over songwriting credits dating back decades. Love had sued Wilson several times, beginning in the 1990s. HOW IT WAS RESOLVED: Wilson often wasn't the victor — except in 2007, when U.S. District Judge Audrey Collins threw out one of Love's lawsuits against Wilson. In it, Love alleged that a free, 2004 promotional CD of re-recorded Beach Boys songs cost him millions of dollars and violated Love and Wilson's partnership. Oasis WHAT HAPPENED: The sibling rivalry between Oasis brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher is well established. Their brawls not only led to the band's dissolution in 2009, before their 2025 reunion, but also a legal upset. In 2011, Liam sued Noel for saying Liam's hangover caused the cancellation of a 2009 festival performance. He said in a statement that the lawsuit was not about money, but that he wanted an apology and for Oasis fans 'to know the truth' — that laryngitis prevented him from performing. HOW IT WAS RESOLVED: The lawsuit was dropped. Creedence Clearwater Revival WHAT HAPPENED: The post-breakup decades of Creedence Clearwater Revival were marked by so much legal and personal infighting that you might think CCR stands for Conflict, Clash, Repeat. In 1996, singer-songwriter-guitarist John Fogerty sued ex-bandmates Doug Clifford and Stu Cook for performing under the name Creedence Clearwater Revisited. That case settled in 2001, but the bandmates sued Fogerty in 2014, alleging he was violating the settlement by continuing to publicly slag off the Revisited name. And they said Fogerty himself was now illegally using Creedence Clearwater Revival in concert advertising. Fogerty sued back in 2015, saying Cook and Clifford weren't paying him proper songwriting royalties for their performances. HOW IT WAS RESOLVED: A federal court merged the two cases, and the resulting hybrid was settled under confidential terms in 2017. Fleetwood Mac WHAT HAPPENED: Fleetwood Mac and feuds are practically synonymous. Breakups and divorces between members are essential to some of their best songs. The conflict resumed in the 2010s when the band kicked lead guitarist Lindsey Buckingham off their 2018 tour, and he sued. Buckingham claimed he was told five days after the group appeared at Radio City Music Hall that January that the band would tour without him. He says he would have been paid at least $12 million for his share of the proceeds. HOW IT WAS RESOLVED: Later that year, Buckingham said they had settled the lawsuit. Journey WHAT HAPPENED: At some point, two key members of Journey stopped believin' in each other. And all over an Amex. Longtime guitarist Neal Schon sued longtime keyboardist Jonathan Cain in 2022, saying Cain was refusing to let him use the band's American Express card. A counterclaim came from Cain, who said that Schon was running up enormous personal charges on the band's account. HOW IT WAS RESOLVED: A judge in 2024 appointed a custodian over the band's financial decisions, specifically empowered to settle disagreements between Schon and Cain. Hall & Oates WHAT HAPPENED: In 2023, Daryl Hall sued his longtime music partner John Oates, arguing that Oates' plan to sell off his share of a joint venture would violate the terms of a business agreement the Hall & Oates duo had forged long before. The move quickly prompted a judge to temporarily block the sale. HOW IT WAS RESOLVED: The lawsuit and arbitration are ongoing. The Beatles WHAT HAPPENED: Their artistic partnership had been over for months, but the Beatles had to break out the barristers to break up their business. Paul McCartney went to London's High Court of Justice in 1970 to dissolve the Fab Four's 1967 contractual partnership, which included the Apple record label. McCartney above all wanted to get rid of manager Allen Klein, whom John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr wanted to keep as overseer of their business. 'The only way for me to save The Beatles and Apple,' McCartney told British GQ in 2020, 'was to sue the band.' HOW IT WAS RESOLVED: The court ruled in McCartney's favor and appointed a receiver to oversee their ventures in 1971. But negotiations and wrangling continued until a long-term solution that would become known as 'The Beatles Agreement' was signed by all four members in 1974.
