Michael Pietsch, publisher of Little, Brown and Company, announced today that Little, Brown has acquired rock and roll legend John Fogerty’s memoir for publication in 2014.In his long-awaited memoir, John Fogerty—one of rock’s most important artists and a national treasure who’s sold over 100 million albums—will recount his remarkable life. Fogerty’s private and professional journey is one of the great sagas in American music, and his book will interweave the facts of his life with the music that emerged from his personal joys and battles. This includes his time as the lead singer, songwriter, and guitarist for one of the most beloved and successful rock bands of all time, Creedence Clearwater Revival. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Fogerty wrote hit after hit, including “Proud Mary,” ”Have You Ever Seen the Rain,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Down on the Corner,” ”Who’ll Stop the Rain,” “Fortunate Son,” “Up Around the Bend,” “Run Through the Jungle,” “Long as I Can See the Light,” “Born on the Bayou,” and so on—distinctly American songs that coalesced the strong emotions running through a nation at war in Vietnam. His solo career includes the album Centerfield, as well as Grammy Award–winning records and award-winning tours. John Fogerty sits beside a handful of musical songwriting legends. He was a hit maker, and he is one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time.Fogerty will write about the pressures of sudden fame, his tumultuous relationships with his bandmates—including his brother, Tom—and his long and costly battle for creative freedom from his record label, a battle that was taken all the way to the Supreme Court. Crushed by how the record label victimized him, he was forced to walk away from it all while they were the number one band in the world. “I want to tell the story of how I fought—hard—to maintain my artistic integrity in the face of opposing forces.” He will also discuss his inspirations, including meeting his wife, Julie, and eventually building a family with her, which brought him back to music. He will also look forward to where his journey will take him next, including his forthcoming album Wrote a Song for Everyone, due in 2013, and upcoming collaborations with the Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket, Keith Urban, Brad Paisley, Kid Rock, and Dawes.John Fogerty said, “The kid from El Cerrito wanted to be the best musician in the world—my promise to myself. I accomplished that goal against all odds, only to have it fall apart on top of me. The songs and the music stopped; you didn’t hear from John Fogerty for years. All of this took its toll on me. I couldn’t write a song, sing a song. And it was so hard on me, all of the lawsuits and betrayals. I was personally fading away. My story will share the ups and downs and how it all affected me. The road back was a bumpy one, and I knew that it would take years to come out of it, but I did. Happily, I did, with my dear wife, Julie, by my side.“I have come to a place where I can look back and reflect on those stories and share what really happened. I am the guy who lived it, and you will hear me tell the story for the first time.”Michael Pietsch said, “John Fogerty’s musical originality and determination have nourished us all for years. It is an honor to work with him to bring the full story of his music and his life to his millions of admirers at last. I can’t wait.”Little, Brown acquired world rights from Laura Nolan at Paradigm Agency. The audiobook will be read by John Fogerty and published simultaneously by Hachette Audio. The book will be edited by Little, Brown executive editor John Parsley.
