Rock legend John Fogerty recalls flight with Al Davis
John Fogerty is a Raiders fan who once had season tickets with his brother Bob in its days in Oakland. But the rock legend never had a chance to meet the team’s iconic owner, Al Davis, until they happened to be on the same plane in the days the team played in L.A.
“I happened to be on a flight in 1990, and I had this joyful experience of sitting next to Al Davis,” Fogerty said during an interview in the green room of Encore Theater, where Fogerty is headlining this weekend and next. “I remember the A’s were playing the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. I was so impressed by Al Davis, who was actually talking on a phone on an airplane. I was impressed. I was like, ‘Look at this guy!’ I was thrilled to be next to Al Davis.”
Fogerty said he was reluctant to start a conversation. “I didn’t want to be that guy saying, ‘Hey, Al, let’s start talking about football,’ ” Fogerty said. “But at some point, I think when we were about to land, I said to him, ‘I know who you are, and I’m a big Raiders fan. I even used to have season tickets.’”
Davis said, “What do you mean, used to?”
Fogerty said, “Well, you moved and I moved.”
The rocker didn’t tell Davis he was actually co-founder of one of the greatest rock bands ever.
“I didn’t feel the need to do that, and he didn’t recognize me anyway,” Fogerty said. “A lot of people don’t recognize me. I was just excited to talk to him.”
Fogerty is attending his first Raiders game Sunday, playing the halftime show as the team hosts the Indianapolis Colts at Allegiant Stadium. The gig was set up by Brad Phinney of the Raiders’ crack entertainment team, authorized by CCR fan (and, generally, a classic-rock fan), team owner Mark Davis.
“I was so happy that the team moved to Las Vegas, it is absolutely right,” Fogerty said. “The city has a global audience, and I think the Raiders do, too. I think the stature and the personalities of both the team and the city, with the pirate logo and all that, fits the right mood.”
Fogerty is coming with the classics from his CCR days and solo career at the Encore Theater show. “Up Around The Bend,” “Born On The Bayou,” “Midnight Special,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” and “Fortunate Son” are in the hit parade.
Fogerty’s residency production is once more a family endeavor. His sons Shane and Tyler are both onstage on guitar and vocals. The Fogerty brothers’ bandmates from their psychedelic-rock project Hardy Are are in the Vegas roster, with Richie Millsap on drums and Jesse Wilson on bass. Veteran keyboardist Bob Malone and Vegas sax great Rob Stone also return.
Fogerty turned 77 in May, but he’s no old fogey, to spin a phrase. He gave up smoking in the 1970s, took up jogging and continues to rock like a teenager. He’s been energized throughout his Vegas residency, which his wife, Julie, originally suggested and helped arrange.
“My frame of reference for Las Vegas was always the Rat Pack, and whatever you thought of them as a young rock ‘n’ roller, you knew they could entertain,” Fogerty said. “I didn’t have a lot in common with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin or Sammy Davis, any of those guys. I wasn’t up there in a tuxedo and telling dinnertime jokes. But I understood what they were about.”
As Fogerty spoke, several black-and-white photos of the Rat Pack were displayed on the room’s bookshelves.
“There is an element of connecting and being deferential to your audience that I recognized, and I could really appreciate about them,” Fogerty said. “That’s just being a good entertainer, and that’s what I’m after.”
Cool Hang Alert
Ever-rocking Vegas native Franky Perez heads up the entertainment lineup for Jammin’ 4 Hope, a benefit for HopeLink of Southern Nevada, at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) Saturday at Fremont Country Club at 601 Fremont Street. David Tatlock’s Soul Juice Band, and Chicks Who Rock also perform.
Perez has donated furniture for at least 30 families for his new business venture, Liquidation Nation discount furniture store. “My partners are like, they love charity and philanthropy, but they’re like, “‘You know, we do need to sell some of this stuff, right?’” Perez says with a laugh. “I’m like, I know, we will, but let’s help my city first.”
The show is free; it was originally a $60 ticket, which has since been waived. So get there. And to support, go to link2hope.org.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.