Country Rock Gets A New Twist With Creedence Clearwater Remixed!

In 1969, only one band on the planet had more hits, more performances, and sold more records than The Beatles. No, it wasn't The Who, or Led Zeppelin, or The Rolling Stones. It was Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), a band whose sound mixed Rock & Roll with Southern R&B, even though its members were from El Cerrito, CA.

“They blended these genres with John Fogerty’s gravely voice to carve out their own place in the music industry,” said Vaden Thurgood, who created Creedence Clearwater Remixed!, a high-energy tribute to the pioneering country rock band.

Thurgood’s passion to create Creedence Clearwater Remixed! emerged from the walls of his childhood home, where his mother would constantly play their music. So, when he started performing as a professional artist at music conferences with shows like The Jersey Tenors, Thurgood quickly realized that no one was promoting a CCR show.

"I thought this was a hole that desperately needed filling,” said Thurgood. “Upon doing some research, I realized that the band’s story was wild, which only added to my fascination."

In just four years, CCR released fourteen consecutive Top 10 singles, five Top 10 albums, performed at Woodstock...and then dramatically broke up. Creedence Clearwater Remixed! tells the tale of the band's tumultuous journey, interwoven with more than a dozen of CCR's greatest hits, including “Down on the Corner,” “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son,” and “I Heard it Through the Grapevine."

“I personally guarantee that, no matter who you are, you will recognize 75% percent of the songs in this show,” said Thurgood.

But Creedence Clearwater Remixed! won’t present CCR classics with the same exact sound that can be heard on the radio. Thurgood has created musical arrangements that highlight each song’s tone or theme, giving audiences a new way to experience CCR’s music.

“I didn’t want to create a carbon copy of their sound,” said Thurgood. “We’ve taken many of the hits and turned them into a cappella songs, acoustic songs, mashups of similar songs, or just simply added rich four-part harmony. CCR’s story has staggering highs and heartbreaking lows, and I thought the music should reflect that.”

Creedence Clearwater Remixed! has toured across the country since 2018, with audiences calling the show “Fantastic,” “Stupendous,” and “Wonderful.” But Thurgood is excited to bring his creation to FST, where he has previously been seen in The Jersey Tenors (2017) and The Jersey Tenors: Part II (2022).

“Coming back to Sarasota feels a bit like coming home,” said Thurgood. “FST's Cabaret is a great place for a show like this because the performers will get to really connect with the audience and see firsthand how CCR's music resonates with each and every person."

Creedence Clearwater Remixed! begins playing August 22 in FST's Court Cabaret. For tickets and more information, click here.

Header Image: Vaden Thurgood, Adam Machart, Krista Buccellato, and Dan Faber. Photo Courtesy of The Grapevine Group.