Dale Hawkins was juggling multiple bands as a music producer when John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival called him.
Fogerty asked Hawkins to swing by the studio. CCR was about to record “Susie Q” for its first album and the group wanted Hawkins there to help. Hawkins had written the song, after all. But he couldn’t go. He was busy with three other bands, all on the charts. He declined.
Later, he ran into Fogerty and said it was lucky he didn’t make it. While CCR landed a hit in 1968 with “Susie Q,” they also changed the lean 1957 rocker into a sprawling, 8-minute-plus swamp-rock opus.
“I might have messed your session up,” Hawkins remembered telling Fogerty.
“It’s kind of hard to mess up ‘Susie Q,’ ” Fogerty responded.
On Saturday night, Hawkins plans to play at the Anchor Pub in downtown Everett. Along with his only big hit as a recording artist, “Susie Q,” he may play material from his 1999 album, “Wildcat Tamer,” which earned a four-star review from Rolling Stone magazine.
“I’m still cooking just as good as ever,” the 71-year-old said. “You got some ribs?”
Hawkins’ career has been marked by ups and downs, hits and misses, but his legacy may be “Susie Q.” The song came out when rock ‘n’ roll was an infant and gave Hawkins a flash of recognition early in his career.
He worked on the song for about four months, writing through a process of trial and error. He ended up recording five takes at a Shreveport, La., radio station, at 1 a.m., while the station was off the air.
“People came up and stood around and clapped their hands,” he said. “We had a good time. Everything was in tune.”
The song — also listed as “Suzie Q” or “Suzy Q” — landed in the Billboard 100. It was later recorded by the Rolling Stones and Bobby McFerrin, but it didn’t make Hawkins a fortune. He shared writing credits with Stan Lewis and Eleanor Broadwater.
“They got tacked on to get the royalties,” Hawkins said. “They even tried to get the other third of mine.”
Hawkins, widely credited for the song, said it didn’t earn him millions. It did earn him a reputation, however, which still translates into live shows today.
Since expanding in 2007, the Anchor has been trying to bring in more bands. Landing Hawkins was a dream for music director Dean Giles.
“A lot of his old recordings are real basic,” Giles said. “That’s what made the sound back then so raw. It was almost like garage punk for its day.”
While the Anchor frames itself in part as a rockabilly bar, Hawkins brushes aside that label.
“I’m about as much a rockabilly as I am a horny toad,” the Arkansas resident said in his usual drawl. “It’s roots American music. And it’s real music. Live music.”
And yes, Hawkins loves performing live.
The guitarist said he’s recovering from liver and colon cancer, after being diagnosed in 2005. Playing shows helps keep his spirits up.
“You can lay around and the next thing you know you just feel depressed about everything,” he said. “But if you’ve got something, and you still want to do as good a show as you possibly can, that’s important. I love to entertain. I love to work a crowd. That’s what I do.”
Reporter Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455 or e-mail arathbun@heraldnet.com
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