Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music

I love good Rock memoirs and this one was stellar. I've always thought that Creedence Clearwater Revival was one of the best American bands ever and mourned their breakup. In this book, Fogerty explains why. Poor guy - he was totally screwed over by Fantasy records and the rest of CCR became very jealous of him, so much so that he made a decision to be as far away from the camera as he could during album cover shots (check out Cosmo's Factory). It's a testimony to Fogerty's talent that when the other members of CCR wanted to write and perform and when he agreed, the resulting album (Mardi Gras) was terrible. John Fogerty WAS Creedence Clearwater Revival and has since gone on to have a stellar solo career and a happy family life. He deserves it.

First off, Fogerty is a stone genius, pure and simple. Any rock and roll fan will tell you that. His book takes you through his song writing process, sometimes in detail, where most rock and roll memoirs only scratch the surface. Fascinating stories dealing with how he came up with those classic songs. And how, when he was a kid, how music enveloped his soul and being, becoming at an early age, a kind of musical savant.
But the nuts and bolts of his story turn sordid with the unfortunate early business relationship with the evil, crooked Saul Zaentz, who would bilk millions out of Fogerty. Shady off shore investments with mafia connections, coupled with a young twenty something CCR signing away their royalties. And the fact remains, Zaentz was able to own Fogertys publishing forever due to his soulless blood sucking. Can you imagine, being John Fogerty and writing all those great classic songs, and some old spineless executive who had nothing to do with creating them, sits back and collects millions of dollars from them? And then your three band mates , who also got swindled by Zaentz, take his side against you, one of them being your brother. Sweet Jesus.
Stu Cook and Doug Clifford have to be the two stupidest guys ever. Besides being mediocre musicians where Fogerty often had to spoon feed them their parts, they get rich off Fogertys writing, arranging and producing all those hits. They then decide that they want to be afforded the chance to write and sing their own songs. Fogerty knows this is career suicide but gamely allows them the chance. So Cook and Clifford fumble their way through their own awful songs, even trying to enlist Fogertys help when they can't come up with even one decent song. Quicker than you can say "I told you so", CCR implodes, and dum dum boys Cook and Clifford scratch their hand saying "what just happened?" And then they have the gall to sue Fogerty for back royalties when their contributions were nil. Amazing.
Fogerty is betrayed by these sad excuses for people at every turn but somehow manages to persevere at the end. Of course, it comes at a price to his mental and physical well being for a few years, but he luckily meets a good woman to help straighten out.
As a final footnote, that crook Zaentz lives comfortably into his nineties on CCR money and Cook and Clifford continue to tour as Creedence Clearwater Revisited.
Meh.

John Fogerty has written numerous songs that are emblematic of what Rock ‘n’ Roll as, is and forever will be. With but a few, rare exceptions it was he who wrote and produced the material released by Creedence Clearwater Revival and, obviously, by himself as a solo artist.

The band and Fogerty in particular were victimized by the owner of Fantasy Records and, if his narrative is correct, by their financial advisors in that they signed contracts binding them to turn over song intellectual property (songs written and to be written) to Fantasy. This is not a unique occurrence. In fact, it is more common place than many would believe.

But, the theft of royalties was the notional “tip of the iceberg.” With the advice and consent of their own management and accountant, the band members agreed to their share of revenue being placed in an offshore bank to avoid paying taxes. In doing so, they lost most of the money completely. And, when I say completely, I mean just that. This isn’t a case where the money was subsequently recovered and received by the band. The bank failed and the only moneys recovered were from the account’s insurance company. In going through this process, the band members split with Fogerty on one side and the other three against him.

The result of all the legal and personal conflicts was that the two CCR groups never reconciled. So great was the antagonism, that – when inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of fame – Fogerty employed other musicians for the requisite jam even though the two surviving members were present.

The story advances to Fogerty’s solo career that rises from the ashes of despair and alcoholism. We see him sued by his former record company for self-plagiarism, a case finally decided in his favor by the US Supreme Court. Along the way, his first marriage ends and a new and – for him – more meaningful second one begins.

But then, it what can only be an act of monumental emotional stress, Fogerty agrees to ONCE AGAIN TRUST SAUL ZAENTZ! Based on a promise from Zaentz – which comes out of negotiations brokered by Bill Graham among others – Fogerty pays Zaentz off for a defamation suit in return for a promise to allow Fogerty to buy his back catalog,

So, Fogerty pays; then Zaentz reneges. You know parts of this read like co-dependency.

So, what do we learn from this autobiography.

Fogerty is egotistical about his musical skills. He has good reason to be proud of his work; after he wrote and produced all the music CCR made, save a couple of songs. His skill can certainly also be seen in his solo career. The problem is the extent to which he denigrates the other three members. I’m sure what he says is true but he says it over and over and over. In light of this, it should not be a surprise when I say he holds a grudge.

And I’ll suggest that he is, or at least can be, a little passive/aggressive. I have no training in psychology or psychiatry so this is just my opinion. I simply don’t get why he would trust Zaentz and his former band-mates after being let down/betrayed by them so often. Then, after he is once again fooled, he becomes angry and vengeful. I do believe his wife has done much to help him along the path to stop this sort of behavior and simply enjoys life. This is abundantly clear late in the book when he finally decides to begin performing CCR songs again.

As a corollary to the above, he is a control freak. While he never uses the phrase “Here, let me do it,’ it is clear that’s what he’s thinking. This is why it is true CCR is his creation. At the same time, one has to wonder if, inadvertently, some talent in one or more of the others might have been stifled.

He is also a very thoughtful person who confronts his demons and is also not afraid to acknowledge his lack of a universal approach to life. It is when these character traits emerge I have to wonder what he was like before the tribulations. Was he a different person? After all, the story is told in retrospect. Was he damaged so much that he became this solitary and this bitter?
I think that’s probably a piece of the puzzle that is John Fogerty.

As to the autobiography, I am glad I read it but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. Part of this dissatisfaction comes from a lack of providing about guitar-related methods. Early one, he speaks of techniques he used to achieve his sound, but then doesn’t explain the,

For example, “detuning to D” is mentioned but I have no idea what it means. Tell me what it does and how you do it!

I also found the writing style at times mean-spirited. Now, this is in relattion to discussion of four people, but it did become wearing to me. After a while, it became “Oh no, here comes another diatribe!”

All in all, worth reading but could have better.

John Fogerty… with Creedence Clearwater Revival… and on his own… is one of the greatest selling Rock And Roll stars of all time. During the couple of year’s span of Creedence… they outsold the Beatles. Before this book was released I saw a P.R. video that said John was going to tell the truth and not hold anything back… and in my opinion… he followed through on that with flying colors!

The author takes us back to his early childhood… and people near his age… will find that highly nostalgic. It’s amazing… how very young children were allowed (not really “allowed”… but what other way was there???) to walk unattended to school and other places. Way before his teen years he was taking multiple bus connections on his own to some schools. As far as my aforementioned statement of the truth John tells… much of it… must have been unpleasant to retell. Such as the fact that both his parents were alcoholics… and his Father was even committed once for mental issues. The author shares his very early connection and love of music… and to a non-musician… I found it fascinating how he constantly educated himself… and even all the “Rube-Goldberg” musical inventions he hodge-podged together to get different unique sounds. (This was way before the time when you simply touched a key on a computer).

I’m a few years younger than Fogerty… so I definitely loved Rock And Roll… but about twenty-five years ago… I fell in love with true electric blues… and have completely immersed myself in it and learned everything possible about it. So imagine my exuberant surprise… when I found out in this book… that John loved the blues… and was immensely influenced by the blues. John says: “I got into the blues at seven.” Some of the all-time great Electric-Blues men he mentions are… Albert King… Freddie King… Howlin Wolf… Muddy Waters… Junior Wells… B.B. King… and many others. I was shocked/surprised… when I even learned that… in August 1968… Howlin Wolf was actually… the opening act for Creedence! One reason I might of missed that is because that’s when I went into the military during the Viet Nam war… which leads to another part of the book…

As I am a very proud Honorably Discharged Viet Nam Veteran… (I must use the same honesty in my comments here… as John so ably did in this book) I was getting very upset as I was reading the portions about the lengths he went to… to be discharged from the Army Reserve… until… perhaps the author’s (in my opinion)… most straight forward truth telling…

At a post-Viet Nam charity event where Fogerty donated handwritten lyrics of “Bad Moon Rising” with his autograph. There he met a Viet Nam Vet who had an extremely dangerous (in other words dangerous on top of war dangerous)… mission… where at night his group would go out in the jungle and engage “Charlie” (the enemy). He told Fogerty that they would turn the lights on… and blast “Bad Moon Rising” on the PA system as loud as they could… just before they went into the jungle.

The veteran said: “Anyway John, I just want to thank you, because your song really helped a lot of us in what we had to do over there.”…

“I shook his hand. I wish I could remember his name. he had done what was asked of him and didn’t cry or whine about it, as opposed to me. He had done something I didn’t do, something I’m not sure I could’ve ever done. And he certainly had my respect. In his heart he has a connection with that song and me. And to hear from others like him that my music helped them in some way, helped GIs endure what they had to go through? You feel a little sheepish in the presence of something like that. I sure wasn’t taking any bows.”

“I just looked at him and said, “I’m really glad you made it through.”

That to me was the epitome… of delivering straight forward honesty… as promised! There is so much about the hard work the author put in to become a Rock Star… and there is the untold damage to his professional and personal life due to untold years of lawsuits… and resulting depression and alcohol abuse… there’s also the joy to fans like me… in the actual behind the scenes creation of songs and lyrics… that will make you smile… thinking of the millions of times you’ve listened to these songs and had no idea of their true incubation period.

You will not be able to stop “toining” the pages. (That was for John… I know he’ll get a kick out of it!)

I love this guys music but...just a terrible book. Never heard so much whining and crying in all my life. Very little rock history...mostly complaints about his bad business deals...all due to his own stupidity.

Written in a simple,folksy manner, with overlapping timeframes throughout. The book confirms, rather than dispels, John Fogerty's reputation of being not so nice. Strange, as it is an autobiography.

Oh my goodness, the man spends 200 pages moaning and bitching about everyone... no one knew what they were doing but John. The bandmates were all jerks. Saul Zantz cant dantz or run a record label... Ahhh Julie, his second wife is his savior... he can't say enough about her... John doesn't cover topics you would hope he did.. I wouldn't call this a very good biography ... it's basically a resume and over view.. After the read you are happy the grousing is over.. Get on with it John... quit dragging that crap around.

John Fogerty is without a doubt the author of dozens of legendary rock songs. He's not a writer. This book reveals him to be a rather odd fellow with many personality issues that created some real problems in his life. The back and forth section where he writes alternately with his wife is really annoying. He couldn't just write the damn book himself? He comes off like an idiot savant, in terms of his lack of business sense, and whines endlessly about all the people who screwed him, without once taking any responsibility for anything that happened. 99% of all the bad things that happened were his own fault. It was also a drag in the beginning of the book when listed every record he ever listened to. Great musician. Bad writer.

I got this book on the day of release and could not stop reading it. John Fogerty's music was the soundtrack of my life growing up in the late 60s and early 70s. His music grounded me through some very tough times, so I could not wait to read this book from beginning to end. I live in the Bay Area and know all of the places John describes in the book, from the former Cosmos Factory location to the various recording studios and street addresses of his homes, which makes it even more interesting for me. This is the story of a man who put his heart and soul into his dreams, accomplished those dreams and had it all taken away from him in such a cruel and uncaring fashion. It is the story of a man who lost it all and got so much more back as the years went by.

This book is a peek behind the curtain of Creedence. A peek that not many were privy to back in the day. John's love of music is evident from the very beginning of the book and I found it fascinating to learn about the various musical influences that shaped his sound and his approach to making music. John makes it very clear that he was the driving force behind CCR... not just in terms of writing the music, but in the arrangements and the recording process, as well. I like the little details of the book... like the details about his homemade feedback device, overdubbing parts on the songs, the studios they used and the details about his guitars and amps (especially the Black Les Paul Custom and tuck-and-roll padded Kustom Amp which to me, as a kid, were like the hammer and anvil of Thor).

John pulls no punches in describing the personal difficulties that confronted him from the beginnings of Creedence on through its disintegration and then through his dark days of being a recluse. He lays it all out with unflinching candor. To come through what he did and to arrive where he is today took an heroic effort and the love of his wife Julie. I believe, given what little I know, that he presents Tom, Doug and Stu as truthfully as he can. It is not all vitriol against his former band mates, though; but, he does not hold back his assessment of their musical talents, either.

Fortunate Son is ultimately a book about forgiveness. But, it is not forgiveness in the classic sense of the word. It is not so much about forgiving those who harmed him as it is about John Fogerty forgiving himself - that is to say, reaching a point where he could release himself from the pain, suffering and anguish that he held on to for so long. Sometimes you just say to yourself, that's what happened and I don't choose to carry it around with me anymore because nothing is going to right the wrongs of the past. John just let go of some things. Released them. In some ways he just stop torturing himself with the past; in other ways, like with Stu and Doug, maybe not so completely.

For any CCR/John Fogerty fan, this is a great read. I really appreciate the courage it takes to write something as truthful and as soul-baring as Fortunate Son. To be able to look at yourself straight on and describe what you see - warts and all - is not something most people do easily. The book reminds you that we are all subject to our personal shortcomings and the cruelty of fate, but that we should never give up hope that a brighter day lies ahead. Thank you J.C. Fogerty for all the great music and for the inspiration in the pages of Fortunate Son. Nicely done, Son!

I was never a CCR fan. I did enjoy many of their hits but never bought any of their records or had any interest in seeing them live. As a musician, I always knew John was the key guy in the group. I just heard what sounded like a pedestrian band backing up someone with the talent. The years have shown this to be a fact.

But I enjoy reading bios on people and heard this was out...I really like this book. Its straight forward, and as you get to know a little about Mr. Fogerty, he likes to see himself this way. I read a few of the reviews on Amazon and think a few of the negative ones are misguided. First, John is a rock musician, not a literary poet. And being that he wanted it to be like an interview, I think he hit the bulls eye. There were parts that seems to be exact repetitive writing and wondered if I had lost my place back to another part of the book.

When I heard of the breakup, I was not surprised. Someone with talent has to be in an environment that not only supports their vision, but encourages as well. And when you are surrounded by others that lack those gifts, it can be frustrating and hold you back. Not the "reformed" group is just an oldies nostalgia band. That's not so bad but you look at what John has done..in spite of all the drama surrounding him. His peers have even welcomed him as a true artist.

I can only hope that Mr. Fogerty has succeeded in purging his devils as they can only have one effect, a negative one. He has a lot going for him, a loyal following, his health, his loving wife and family, money coming in...so many other artists have had those things and they were just not enough.

Good luck to you John Fogerty...(saw you at the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium a number of years ago....you rocked! and that band was killer)