All ATX, whose thematic all-star compilations benefit HAAM, SIMS, AMF, and Black Fret, fundraise this year by revisiting Austin’s outlaw Eighties. “Back to the Armadillo” stars Creedence Clearwater Revival great John Fogerty, who proved jovial by phone from L.A. on Monday.:
Austin Chronicle: So did CCR play the Armadillo World Headquarters?: John Fogerty: Umm [chuckles], I’ll have to plead fuzzy memory. I don’t remember, but it’s possible.:
AC: Any memories of CCR playing Austin at all?: JF: Mmm … no. I’ve come to Austin in the years since then. Austin’s a wonderful music town and a wonderful town. I think I was at the first South by Southwest, because I remember it being pretty quaint, walking up and down Sixth Street. It was 10 or 11 at night and there was nobody around, so we stopped in a few clubs and saw a few bands. It was one of the first dates with the woman who is now my wife. She brought eight pair of shoes [laughs].:
AC: What was it like to come to Texas back in the day? Just how primitive was it?: JF: Well, I didn’t think of it that way [laughs]. I was really excited because Texas was the capital of Western swing, or some call it Texas swing – you know, Bob Wills and all that. I’d grown up listening to a lot of music that came from Texas. There was also Lightnin’ Hopkins. There was a very rich musical heritage across the board. Even though the Leadbelly song “About a Mile From Texarkana” wasn’t geographically correct, it was a cool verse.: Full Q&A at
austinchronicle.com/daily/music.