John Fogerty Explains How “Proud Mary,” His Signature Creedence Clearwater Revival Hit, Was Inspired by a Classical Music Piece.

Before a recent performance, John Fogerty took some time to discuss the inspiration behind the song “Proud Mary,” a classic from the Creedence Clearwater Revival. On his YouTube page, the 79-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer shared a video of himself narrating the story.

He shared some fascinating anecdotes, such the fact that a well-known classical composition served as inspiration for the song’s iconic opening riff. [Get Tickets for John Fogerty’s Concert] As Fogerty began assembling the tune that would eventually become “Proud Mary,” he mentioned that he had “occasionally been working on the… riff [featured in] Beethoven’s Fifth [symphony.” “My mum always liked Beethoven, so that stuck in my head,” he continued. After playing the riff on his Rickenbacker guitar, Fogerty explained that he “had the timing wrong” and ended up playing the riff that would eventually become “Proud Mary.” [RELATED: John Fogerty Remembers Creating “Proud Mary” and Other Classic CCR Songs and the “Euphoric” Feeling He Had] He said, “Well, that was such a great groove.” Fogerty Recalls the