Inside PBS Blog

Grammy-award winning singer-songwriter John Fogerty will headline a concert where you create the set list. “Live By Request” airs November 7, but we thought we’d prepare by inviting Fogerty to take your questions here. Below you’ll find his responses on topics like musical influences, new artists, and meaningful places.

I've noticed that you've worked with Dobro master Jerry Douglas over the years. What kind of influence does Bluegrass music have in regards to your songwriting? Jerry  

Jerry Douglas is my favorite musician of all time.  I have been hugely inspired by his example for about 17 years, mostly in wanting to be a better guitar player.  I have loved bluegrass music since I was a kid and at certain times that influence comes through me.  One example of this is a song I wrote for my infant daughter, Kelsy, which is called “I Will Walk With You”.  Because of a lot of these factors, it was important to me to have  Jerry Douglas perform on that recording.

You're one of the most distinctive guitar players in the world. How/why did you decide not to play the lead on most of the new record? Terry

One reason is that I wanted to be able to concentrate on the arrangements and production while recording with these wonderful musicians.  In other words, I wanted to be listening very intently to everything as it was rehearsed and recorded.  I was already a fan of the great Buddy Miller before we started, but when I heard how he was playing in my sessions, I knew I was getting something very special for my record and that’s all that mattered.

Hello John. I'm a huge fan of your music both as a solo artist and with CCR. My question is who are your three biggest musical influences that have helped shape your songwriting and instrument playing?  Ray

As a player I was greatly influenced in the early days by several great musicians…Duane Eddy,  James Burton,  Lowman Pauling, Scotty Moore, Steve Cropper and Chet Atkins to name a few.  
As for songwriting there are several that come to mind.  Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller; Lennon and McCartney,  Hoagy Carmichael,  Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan.

What song by any artist (any genre) do you wish YOU had written?! Karen

Ever since hearing it over forty years ago, I have wished  that I had written “When A Man Loves A Woman.”

At this stage of your career do still write songs by inspiration and what advice could you give aspiring writers to transition from inspirational writing to being able to pick a topic and write around it. Brady

I still write songs from inspiration.  It has to mean something to me and I really cannot go forward with a song unless I am inspired.

Specific locales have appeared prominently in much of your songwriting over the years. Some - such as Lodi, CA - are presumably close to home for you, but you're best known for writing about cities and the bayou country of the more distant American South. Do experience and imagination play different roles in the way you relate to places in your songs? How do influences from regional musical styles such as delta blues affect these relations? Ian

Something quite remarkable and unexpected was given to me around 1968.   I had been “writing songs” since I was about eight years old and they more or less followed a predictable course.  Then in 1968 I had the vision that I could “go anywhere” and write about anything as long as it was understandable to me.  I then wrote Proud Mary about a paddle wheeler and the Mississippi River even though I had never been there but had only seen pictures or movies in that setting.  In some ways the swamp and bayou in my songs is a mythical setting based on imagination.  I believe that my obvious love of Southern and rural American culture is a direct result of listening to and loving the music and artists that came from there.

Of the new and upcoming artists today, who do you see still being as relevant in 40 years from now? There are artists like yourself, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Ray Davies who keep getting better and better with age. Thanks for so many wonderful songs over the years! John

Thanks, John for your kind words.  I was very impressed with Miranda Lambert’s first album, especially the song “More Like Her”.  I like the Black Keys very much.  There’s a musician named James Jackson Toth that I think has a lot of talent.