Don McLean - Spotlight

Promotional graphic for Don McLean. Text Reads: "Don McLean." Image shows a performer holding an acoustic guitar and pointing toward the viewer against a background featuring stylized American flag elements.

Don McLean

Don McLean's 2nd album cover American Pie. Text reads: “Don McLean American Pie.” A close-up of a large hand giving a thumbs-up, with the thumb painted like the American flag. In the background, Don McLean is partially visible leaning forward in low lighting. The overall image has a dark, moody tone with the painted thumb as the focal point.
Don McLean. (1971). American Pie [Album cover]

From delivering newspapers as a boy to being inducted as a Member of the Songwriter Hall of Fame, Don McLean has become one of the most influential and enduring voices in American music.

Don McLean was born in 1945 and raised in New Rochelle, New York. At an early age he was influenced by Frank Sinatra and Buddy Holly, and as a teenager folk music, particularly the Weavers’, became his gateway into a lifelong passion for songwriting and performance. He would often miss school for long periods due to his asthma, which provided him time to grow his love for music. At 16, he bought his first guitar and started networking within the industry. One of the friends he made was Fred Hellerman, a folk singer from the Weavers. Hellerman and McLean quickly became friends and Hellerman became big fans of McLean’s work. Hellerman valued McLean’s remarkable music memory and knew he was meant to be a musician. 

In 1969 in Berkeley, California Don McLean recorded his first album Tapestry. He was rejected by 72 music labels before his album was released by Mediarts, a new record label. It wasn’t until Mediarts was bought out by United Artists Records that he was able to secure promotion of a major label for his second album, American Pie. This album produced two number one hits for him, “Vincent” and “American Pie”. American Pie’s success made McLean an international star and piqued interest in his first album, which charted more than two years after its initial release. 

Don McLean Tickets

 

Honors & Awards

Member of the Songwriter Hall of Fame
Over 50 Million Albums Sold Worldwide

  • 2x – #1 Hits “American Pie” & “Wonderful Baby”
  • 5x – Top 10 Singles “Vincent”, “Dreidel”, “Crying”, “Since I Don’t Have You”, “Castles In The Air”
  • 1x – #1 Album
  • 4x – Grammy Nominee
  • “American Pie” voted #5 in top 365 songs of the century by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts
  • Nashville Walk of Fame Honoree (2023)
  • Musicians Hall of Fame Inductee (2022)
  • The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s “American Pie” documentary released on Paramount+ (2022)
  • Hollywood Walk of Fame Honoree (2021)
  • 50th Anniversary of “American Pie” (2021)
  • “American Pie” collaboration between Don and Home Free spent 8 weeks at #1 on the Country music video chart
  • Las Vegas Walk of Fame Honoree (2019)
  • “American Pie” was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry (2017)
  • BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient (2012)

 

This production is sponsored by Randall and Janell Lewis

 

Don McLean points to his name before the 7th Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Concert and Induction Ceremony at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tenn.
Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean

 

Sneak Peek!

 

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