Those needing a John Fogerty fix in 2018 need not look far. Currently out on the road with ZZ Top as part of the “Riffs, Blues and Bayous on the Bucket List” Tour, the septuagenarian rocker is also keeping in the public eye via a couple of Vegas residencies and the reissue of a number of his solo records. All this while working on material for a forthcoming, untitled project. While his songwriting, both as the driving force and beyond Creedence Clearwater Revival, has always been unparalleled, Fogerty has also been a master of the unforgettable guitar riff.
As someone who takes as much pride in his six-string dexterity as he does with his songcraft, he’s keeping his promise to, “Present one or two of my best licks knowing that [ZZ Top’s] Billy Gibbons is going to be in the house…” by way of teaming up with the Texas guitar-slinger to jam on “Sharp Dressed Man” in addition to collaborating on a new song called “Holy Grail.” Here, Fogerty shares his trifecta of favorite string-benders.
Scotty Moore (December 27, 1931-June 28, 2016)
“Scotty Moore is my favorite guitarist because of his wonderful playing with Elvis. He was basically there at Ground Zero inventing rock and roll guitar.”
James Burton (August 21, 1939-present)
“The second is James Burton who played the great riff on ‘Susie Q’ and went on to make great records with Ricky Nelson and Elvis. He also had an amazing studio career.”
Brad Paisley (October 28, 1972-present)
“My third favorite player that I love is Brad Paisley who is still inspiring me to get better.”
John Fogerty will be appearing with ZZ Top as part of the “Riffs, Blues and Bayous on the Bucket List” tour on June 20 at Northwell @ Jones Beach Theater,
1000 Ocean Pkwy, Wantagh. For more information, visit www.jonesbeach.com or call 800-745-3000.
