Don McLean
Playing his beloved classics:
* Vincent (Starry Starry Night) * And I Love You So * Castles in the Air * Crying * Tapestry * Since I Don’t Have You * American Pie *
Famed for his perennial "American Pie," an elegiac eight-and-a-half-minute folk-pop epic inspired by the tragic death of Buddy Holly, Don McLean is a legendary recording artist known for his impeccable live performances. Just as his iconic hit song was inspired by a musician he admired, McLean was himself the inspiration for Lori Leiberman’s “Killing Me Softly” after she saw him perform at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. “Killing Me Softly” later became a #1 hit for Roberta Flack in 1973 and reached #2 when The Fugees recorded the song again in 1996.
McLean has proven his versatility and longevity across the decades; 1980's Chain Lightning became a Top 30 album, spawned a Top 10 smash with its cover of Roy Orbison's classic "Crying," and his original songs "Castles in the Air" and "Since I Don't Have You" both also reached the Top 40. “American Pie” was inducted into the Grammy® Hall of Fame in 2002 and Don McLean was inaugurated into the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2004.