Watch John Fogerty Delight David Letterman With Creedence Medley
John Fogerty delivered a roaring medley of classic Creedence Clearwater Revival cuts — “Travelin’ Band,” “Proud Mary” and “Fortunate Son” — on The Late Show Wednesday night to the delight of departing host David Letterman.
Strapped with a blue-and-white plaid-print guitar that matched his flannel, Fogerty and his band began with a frantic rendition of “Travelin’ Band,” with drummer Kenny Aronoff setting a blistering pace that carried the quartet into “Proud Mary.” Though that performance was short and sweet, Fogerty fittingly delivered the song’s famous first line — “Left a good job in the city, working for the man every night and day” — with a point in Letterman’s direction.
Finally, the band kicked out an invigorating version of “Fortunate Son” replete with screaming guitar riffs, Aronoff’s propulsive drumming and Fogerty’s howls, still charred with as much righteous vitriol as the original recording.
Fogerty is set to hit the road this summer for a North American tour that will find him primarily performing songs he wrote while a member of Creedence Clearwater Revival. He’s also prepping for the October 6th release of his memoir, Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music.
As for Letterman, The Late Show host continues to roll out the big names as he prepares to step down from his post on May 20th. Along with welcoming the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Jerry Seinfeld and Paul Rudd (and his Letterman-shaped sponge) to the couch, Letterman’s recent musical guests have included Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, as well as Future Islands, who followed up their viral performance of “Seasons (Waiting On You)” with a new track, “The Chase.”