Fogerty CCR claim ‘ridiculous’ say ex bandmates

Former Creedence Clearwater Revival members Doug ‘Cosmo’ Clifford and Stu Cook have slammed singer John Fogerty’s statement about their lawsuit against him as “ridiculous.”

They’ve launched legal action claiming the use of the band name on his current tour, focusing on CCR’s trio of 1969 albums, has suggested they’re on the road with him – which Clifford recently said would never happen.

Fogerty responded to the case this week by saying: “No lawyers, lawsuits or angry ex-band members will stop me ever again from singing my songs. I am going to continue to tour, and play all my songs every single night I am our on the road.”

But the other surviving members say in their own statement: “We have never objected to John Fogerty performing any song he ever wrote, or performing any song recorded by Creedence Clearwater Revival. That idea is ridiculous.”

Instead they claim, they “encouraged him to perform them whenever and wherever he wanted” at a time when the singer had “publicly called for a boycott of CCR music.”

They continue: “The facts are that Mr Fogerty, while proclaiming joyful rebirth in the press, repeatedly has his lawyers threaten us with lawsuits. Last week, the threats and demands left us with little doubt that a lawsuit would be filed against us for the second time. This situation required us to take unpleasant preemptive legal action.”

They insist that Fogerty’s current use of the band name infringes a previous agreement. “The trademark is not owned by him, but by the Creedence Clearwater Revival Partnership,” they state.

“We have a business relationship with him and, under prevailing circumstances, chose not to be bullied.”

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Not only is one-time online news editor Martin an established rock journalist and drummer, but he’s also penned several books on music history, including SAHB Story: The Tale of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, a band he once managed, and the best-selling Apollo Memories about the history of the legendary and infamous Glasgow Apollo. Martin has written for Classic Rock and Prog and at one time had written more articles for Louder than anyone else (we think he's second now). He’s appeared on TV and when not delving intro all things music, can be found travelling along the UK’s vast canal network.