John Fogerty Quotes

Sun Studios was where so much of American music exploded from.

People like Howlin' Wolf, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, Nina Simone, Captain Beefheart - all of these artists were what I grew up listening to every day of my life. And there's a very healthy music scene in the west country of England, where I grew up.

When I heard Elvis and his 'Sun Sessions,' I went mad for it. I was about thirteen.

I'm like a middle-aged person; when my friends go on about modern bands, I don't know what they are talking about. I'm into rock n' roll, like Jimi Hendrix. Not so much because of my parents, who used to play a lot of Nina Simone and older blues, but my brother and sister.

I liked a lot of the things other people liked - Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Van Halen, AC/DC - but if I compared it to my dad's music, there just seemed to be elements missing.

I was nuts about Elvis, like every girl in America.

I loved Carl Perkins, Jerry lee Lewis... not only were they personal friends.

This kid's excited because he's with Bad Company and I'm excited because I'm with Chuck Berrys' son.

Memphis is the place where rock was born and Martin Luther King, Jr., was killed. It's full of contradictions, abject poverty, and riches that only music can provide.

So when you enjoy the beats, the rock music - maybe even toned down with an orchestra - you are enjoying the spirit of the black race. And that's what I emphasize to the students.

It is from the blues that all that may be called American music derives its most distinctive character.

When I hear myself singing, I hear Iggy Pop and Jimi Hendrix. There's a conversational thing going on. I suppose it depends on which The Pretenders song you're listening to.

Rock n' roll means so much more to people; it enriches the culture. Also, it inspires people; there's no half-feeling. When I first got into it, I was inspired by people who had come before me, and I found myself in the position of handing that on.

The many sounds of Memphis shaped my early musical career and continue to be an inspiration to this day.

I think we as a band, as individuals, understand that all popular music stems from blues and jazz and even pop, but rock 'n' roll especially comes from blues.

But, you know, the Stones were my opening act in the Sixties. I loved those British guys, the way they just stood there and shook their hair.

I didn't want to go out and change anything. I just wanted to make the music that was part of my background, which was rock and blues and hip-hop.

Elvis was the king. No doubt about it. People like myself, Mick Jagger and all the others only followed in his footsteps.

You know, you've got to be careful with how you educate your kids in rock'n'roll fashion.

We couldn't get enough of American rock 'n' roll. We'd hear it when we played American air bases in the U.K.

My dad has been playing guitar basically all his life. He's sort of who got me into rock music.

Obviously, any living musician born after 1960 has been touched by rock and roll. It's the music of our time, and it's 'in the air,' as Steve Reich would say. My experience of it is just really direct because I'm actually playing in a collaborative band.

As far as actual playing, Clapton - by far - is my biggest influence, and you can tuck Jeff Beck underneath that.

If it wasn't for guys like Gary Moore, I wouldn't exist. He not only proved that the blues could rock but it could draw a crowd as well. All of which made a huge impression on me.

God bless classic rock. It's been very good to me; I'll tell you that.