It’s well-known that John Fogerty had a contentious relationship with his former Creedence Clearwater Revival bandmates after the group split in 1972. This extended to his own older brother Tom, who co-founded the band with him and left the group in 1971 because of conflicts with John.
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John’s issues with the other CCR members were connected to his battle with Saul Zaentz, the head of the band’s label, Fantasy Records. Zaentz and the label had complete control over the publishing rights to Fogerty’s songs because of the contract the group signed with the label early in their career.
[RELATED: Here’s How You Can Access a Free Online Listening Party for John Fogerty’s Upcoming Album, Legacy]
The other members apparently sided with Zaentz because the agreement benefited them, while John, who wrote nearly of CCR’s songs, was left with no control over the music he created. Sadly, John never mended fences with his brother, who died in 1990 at age 48 of AIDS, which he contracted from a blood transfusion.
In 2023, John secured ownership of his publishing in 2023, which led to his decision to re-record his classic CCR songs for his forthcoming album, Legacy: The Creedence Clearwater Revival Years. In a new interview with People, Fogerty reflected on his relationship with his brother, explain that he feels he and Tom would have eventually reconciled.
John Says He’s Forgave His Late Brother Regarding Past Conflicts
Talking with People about his relationship with his late brother at the time his passing, John noted, “We were certainly estranged. At some point Tom was publicly saying that Saul Zaentz was his best friend. And of course that was like a dagger in my heart at the time.”
Fogerty then admitted, “[M]any, many years after that, long after Tom had passed away, I actually made it a point in my own consciousness to forgive Tom for all of that.”
John then shared that he thinks he and his sibling eventually would’ve made up and possibly even worked together again.
As he explained, “If [Tom had] gotten a chance to survive, I think he would’ve come to the place where we’d say, ‘All that stuff’s crap,’ and let it go. ‘Maybe at some point we can do something together musically and actually try to heal all this and realize our much stronger bond as brothers.’ We didn’t get that chance, but I feel that, at least on my side of it, I’ve felt happy and positive toward Tom. The idea of meeting him in the afterlife would be a very joyful thing.”
About the Experience of Making the Legacy Album
Speaking of joyful things, Fogerty told People that making his new album, Legacy, was an extremely happy experience. He recorded the album with his sons Shane and Tyler, which he says helped wipe away the negative feelings that lingered because of how CCR ended.
“[H]aving my family involved in this project—people that truly love me and I love them—it was like, ‘Oh wow! This is really fun,’” John maintained. “That process was such a nice alternative to the way that I had remembered it from the past. It was almost like an antidote.”
More About Legacy
As previously reported, Legacy features new renditions 20 CCR songs written by John. The album will be released this Friday, August 22, and can be pre-ordered now. Fogerty and his son Shane co-produced the album, while Shane and Tyler also lent their musical talents to the project.
Fans will be able to enjoy a preview of Legacy during an online listening party on Tuesday, August 19, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event will be hosted by Fogerty’s Bandcamp page. John, Shane, and Tyler Fogerty will all be on hand to chat about the making of Legacy, and also will answer questions from fans.
You can RSVP to the listening party at JohnFogerty.Bandcamp.com.
(Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage)
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