Don McLean

Don McLean is a GRAMMY Award honoree, a Songwriter Hall of Fame member, and a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. His smash hit “American Pie” resides in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry and was named a Top 5 Song of the 20th Century by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA). A New York native, Don McLean is one of American history’s most revered and respected songwriters. After paying his dues in the New York club scene in the late 1960s, he went on to score mega-hits like “Vincent (Starry, Starry Night),” “Castles in the Air” and many more. His catalog of songs has been recorded by Madonna, Garth Brooks, Josh Groban, Drake, “Weird Al” Yankovic, and countless others. In 2015, McLean’s handwritten manuscript of “American Pie” lyrics was auctioned by Christie’s, selling for just over $1.2 Million. 2019 honored Don with a star on the Las Vegas Walkway of Stars, and his song “And I Love You So” was the theme for Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s wedding. Don landed a new recording contract with Time Life in 2020, with whom he released a catalog of recordings and a new album ‘Still Playin’ Favorites’. In 2021, Don’s “American Pie” was featured in the Avengers’ ‘Black Widow’ and the Tom Hanks movie ‘Finch’. McLean received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, celebrated the 50th anniversary of “American Pie,” and recorded a version of the song with a cappella group Home Free. In 2022, McLean received six Telly Awards for his collaboration with international heavyweight Tyson Fury, released ‘American Pie: A Fable’ children’s book, and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. In 2023, the Telly award-winning documentary ‘The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie’ was released on DVD and Blu-Ray. McLean was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame during a public ceremony along with Darius Rucker, Joe Galante, and Duane Eddy in Nashville, Tennessee in 2023. In 2024, President Yoon of South Korea sang “American Pie” for a delighted audience of White House guests in Washington, D.C. Later that year McLean was invited to attend a State Dinner at the White House honoring President Ruto of Kenya. His latest album, ‘American Boys,’ was also released in 2024 as well as another award-winning children’s book based on his hit song “Vincent.”