Original CCR Rhythm Section Creedence Clearwater Revisited Announce Retirement From Touring

After performing thousands of concerts delivering CCR hits live to millions of fans, Creedence Clearwater Revival rhythm section and co-founders, Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford have announced they are taking their hard charging touring band Creedence Clearwater Revisited off the road after the band's 25th anniversary.

"We have had so much fun with Creedence Clearwater Revisited. We've been amazed, humbled and thrilled by the reception from old and new generations of fans at our shows. We've been able to take the music seriously but not ourselves and travelled the world in a drama-free band. We recorded another platinum album. This decision is very difficult and bittersweet," Stu and Cosmo said in a joint statement. "It's actually hard to imagine not touring. It's not like we're going to be disbanding, but we are definitely going to be relaxing."

Stu and Cosmo have nearly done it all during their careers in the music business. From the time they met on the first day of home room in the 7th grade some 60 years ago and formed their first band, to the meteoric launch of Creedence Clearwater Revival 51 years ago and headlining Woodstock 50 years ago, to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, to their conception of their Creedence Clearwater Revisited project, and onto what will be 25 years of non-stop worldwide touring, Doug and Stu's unique friendship and partnership in rock and roll has endured. Now they're going to do some hanging with the grandkids.

After Cosmo and Stu were first ballot inductees with CCR into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Los Angeles suffered the Northridge earthquake in 1994 and Stu's house was badly damaged. Doug was living at Lake Tahoe and talked Stu into moving to Tahoe. Of course, the hand in glove tight rhythm section started jamming together again.

"Despite the continued popularity of the CCR hits, no one was playing them live for the fans," Stu explains. "We decided that it only made sense that since Doug and I love little more than performing together, if we could find the right musicians to join us, we'd put a band together and hit the road. It was actually kind of a pioneering concept at the time. Not many classic rock bands toured without all original members, except maybe The Beach Boys. Now it seems like every group is doing it."

Cosmo and Stu soon found the right players for their new band. Elliot Easton (now a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer himself), from the great American band The Cars, joined on lead guitar. Johnny "Bulldog" Tristao, who had a number one single "I Love You" with the band People, joined them on lead vocal and rhythm guitar. Virtuoso multi-instrumentalist Steve "Captain" Gunner came on board to perform live all the overdubs from the records and hit the high harmonies.

Doug and Stu named their new group Creedence Clearwater Revisited. "We chose to take the high road by keeping the original group Creedence Clearwater Revival's name sacred," Cosmo recounts. "Even with Creedence Clearwater Revival we felt like the underdogs of rock and roll. But we always seemed to be able to beat the odds. We've travelled the world with our new group."

Along with non-stop touring, the group recorded and released the double live CD Recollection. The searing performances embodied on Recollection drove remarkable sales and the CD was ultimately certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. Elliot Easton subsequently left the group to start his project The New Cars and Johnny "Bulldog" Tristao retired. In their stead, renowned veteran touring and recording lead guitar player Kurt Griffey and pitch perfect lead singer Dan McGuinness stepped onto the stage and Creedence Clearwater Revisited kept on rocking, never missing a beat.

While other shows are pending, the current schedule is:

Creedence Clearwater Revisited "Final Revival Tour" Dates

April 27 - Zacatecas, Mexico @ Plaza de las Armas

June 13 - Del Mar, California @ San Diego County Fair

June 14 - Sahuarita, Arizona @ Desert Diamond Casino

June 15 - Maricopa, Arizona @ Harrah's Phoenix Ak-Chin

June 20 - Ridgefield, Washington @ Ilani Event Center

June 21 - Snoqualmie, Washington @ Snoqualmie Casino

June 22 - Canyonville, Oregon @ Seven Feathers Hotel & Casino

June 27 - Mayetta, Kansas @ Prairie Band Casino & Resort - Great Lakes Ballroom

June 28 - Mahnomen, Minnesota @ Shooting Star Casino - Showroom

July 18 - Chicoutimi, QC Canada @ Festival Bieres du Monde de Saguenay

July 20 - Sherbrooke, QC Canada @ Fete du Lac des Nations

July 25 - Enoch, AB Canada @ River Cree Resort & Casino

July 26 - Calgary, AB Canada @ Grey Eagle Event Center

July 27 - Medicine Hat, AB Canada @ Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede

August 9 - Biloxi, Mississippi @ IP Casino Resort Spa - Studio A

August 10 - Vinton, Louisiana @Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel

September 13 - Brookville, New York @ Tilles Center for the Performing Arts

September 14 - Frederick, Maryland @ Great Frederick Fair

September 25 - Solana Beach, California @ Belly Up

September 26 - Bakersfield, California @ Kern County Fair

September 28 - Yakima, Washington @ Central Washington State Fair

Stay tuned for new dates www.creedence-revisited.com

Photo by Nick McCabe (2017)