John Fogerty the Storyteller

John Fogerty hasn't started writing his memoirs yet, but stories from his life in music were flowing last night during an interview at L.A.'s Grammy Museum.

Fogerty spoke in depth about his earliest musical experiences and why Creedence Clearwater Revival don't appear in the movie Woodstock, illustrated on guitar the differences between his CCR song "Run Through the Jungle" and his later solo composition "The Old Man Down the Road" -- as he'd once done in court to defend himself against charges of plagiarizing himself -- and offered an almost mystical explanation why he finally began performing his CCR songs again after refusing to sing them for over two decades.

The occasion was the opening of the museum's John Fogerty: Wrote a Song for Everyone exhibit, which features a large main display case filled with clothing, instruments and other memorabilia flanked by eight display kiosks examining such topics as his "early years," his CCR days, his dark post-Creedence period, his "fight for artistic freedom," his return to the charts with Centerfield and "the comeback" that has taken place since his Grammy-winning 1997 album, Blue Moon Swamp. In addition, his story is told via eight video screens, featuring interviews and live performances from throughout his career.

He finished the evening by announcing that he'd be getting to work on the memoirs very soon and then performing a solo acoustic version of "Have You Ever Seen the Rain," followed by solo electric versions of "Proud Mary" and "Fortunate Son."