Biography
Who is Don McLean?
Early life and education
Don McLean grew up in New Rochelle, New York. He delivered newspapers as a boy. His father and grandfather were of Scottish descent. His mother, Elizabeth Bucci, came from an Italian family in Abruzzo. Don struggled with asthma as a child, which caused him to miss school. This gave him time to focus on music. At age 16, he bought his first guitar.
He graduated from Iona Preparatory School in 1963. He attended Villanova University but left after four months. Later, Don attended night school at Iona College. He earned a business administration degree in 1968. He declined a scholarship to Columbia University Graduate School to pursue music.
Musical start and influences
Don was influenced by Buddy Holly and Frank Sinatra. He became interested in folk music through The Weavers. He befriended folk singers Fred Hellerman and Erik Darling. He performed at several venues in New York, such as the Gaslight Cafe and The Bitter End. He also played at the Newport Folk Festival and the Troubadour in Los Angeles.
Pete Seeger became a mentor to the musician. Don joined Seeger on a 1969 boat trip up the Hudson River to highlight pollution. He co-edited a book about the First Clearwater Crew. He and Seeger also sang Shenandoah on a 1974 album.
Rise to fame
Don recorded his first album, mix, in 1969 in Berkeley, California. He faced 72 rejections from record labels before Mediarts released it. The song Castles in the Air became a success on the Easy Listening chart. Perry Como had a number one Adult Contemporary hit with And I Love You So in 1973.
His second album, American Pie, brought him international fame. The title track and the song Vincent both reached number one. American Pie was recorded on May 26, 1971. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1972. The song was inspired by youth culture and the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson.
Career achievements and disputes
American Pie was certified six times Platinum by the RIAA. It was the longest song to hit number one until 2021. In 2001, the RIAA and National Endowment for the Arts ranked it fifth among the Songs of the Century. Don sold the original manuscript for the song at a 2015 auction for over one million dollars.
He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. In 2018, BMI noted that American Pie had five million airplays. Vincent had three million.
Birthday and age
Don McLean was born on October 2, 1945, which makes Don 81 years old today. That birthday falls under the Libra sign. Don shares the date with 35 other famous people.
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