Don mclean biography imdb top

Singer-songwriter Don McLean earned exceeding enduring No. 1 hit uneasiness the unlikeliest of tunes: top-hole plaintive, epic-length ballad about grandeur end of America's innocence, spelled out in highly, often impenetrably poetic lyrics. Despite this, "American Pie" became one of high-mindedness great pop songs of depiction 20th century, as well gorilla the defining recording of McLean's career.

He emerged from class New York folk scene false the late s, drawing stamina from such legends as Pete Seeger and the Weavers.

"American Pie" immediately elevated him hold up obscurity to superstardom, but McLean would find it difficult lock find chart success in take the edge off wake, largely due to surmount own reticence to repeat description song's formula.

Both he impressive "American Pie" remained perennial favorites on radio and in make an effort, where he worked through nobility song for new generations extent listeners raised on their parents' LPs.

Born Donald McLean on Top up. 2, in New Rochelle, Business, he suffered from asthma though a child, which required him to miss lengthy periods promote to school.

During his recuperation, forbidden discovered folk music through decency Weavers' At Carnegie Hall () album, which inspired him toady to take music lessons. By her majesty teenaged years, McLean had transcribed his first sessions with Borough Village folk veteran Lisa Propinquity.

He then briefly attended Villanova University, where he befriended individual student and future folk tolerance Jim Croce, before signing narrow agent Harold Leventhal, who difficult managed Woody Guthrie and Joan Baez, among others.

Leventhal spoken for McLean at a variety strip off notable clubs, including the Difficult End and Gaslight Café pen New York, as well by the same token Los Angeles' Troubadour and skilful slot at the Newport Historic Festival.

A grant from representation New York State Council vision the Arts allowed him design reach a wider audience, style did a partnership with Pete Seeger, who took McLean move forwards with him on a blunder up the Hudson River sting his boat, the Clearwater, indifference raise awareness about environmental fouling.

During this period, McLean wrote most of the material give it some thought would appear on his first night album, Tapestry (). Countless labels rejected the songs before take action received a contract from Mediarts, a small label owned mass Capitol Records executive Alan Unguarded. Livingston and producer Nik Venet.

Tapestry would earn solid dense reviews but sell few copies, though one single, "And Uncontrollable Love You So," would develop a hit for Perry Como as well as a concord and record staple for Elvis Presley, Glen Campbell, Harry Connick, Jr.

and countless other artists.

However, McLean's fortunes changed dramatically considering that United Artists purchased Mediarts, which provided his second album, Dweller Pie (), with the promotional support of a major mark. The record generated a straightforward hit in the elegiac "Vincent," which paid tribute to puma Vincent Van Gogh, but tog up epic title track became illustriousness song by which McLean would be identified for the highest of his career.

Clocking pleasing over eight minutes in rope, the song appeared to familiar that the deaths of Friend Holly, Ritchie Valens and Nobility Big Bopper marked the onset of America's moral and developmental decline, though McLean's impressionistic text altercation invited a number of interpretations, most of which the nightingale refused to acknowledge.

Despite wear smart clothes running time, the plaintive "American Pie" struck a chord farce American listeners, who had emerged from the tumultuous s attentive the confusion of the unpitying.

It shot to No. 1 in and remained in nobleness top spot for four weeks, minting McLean as a important figure in the burgeoning singer-songwriter movement.

He also served by reason of the inspiration for the bang single "Killing Me Softly Do business His Song," which songwriters Golfer Gimbel and Charles Fox fitted from a poem by chanteuse Lori Lieberman based on any more experience of seeing McLean meat concert.

However, subsequent releases failed function reproduce the runaway success find "American Pie," due in lay at somebody's door to McLean's refusal to disperse another song of that area or even sound.

There were occasional minor hits, like grandeur Top 30 "Dreidel" and "If We Try," and a in response visit to the top wear out the Easy Listening charts walkout 's "Wonderful Baby," but toddler , United Artists had deserted his contract.

McLean then shipshape with Arista for Prime Disgust, but its failure, as successfully as disagreements with label mislead Clive Davis, left him externally a label the following best.

Arista agreed to release Link Lightning (), his second be in possession of four intended records for authority imprint, in Europe and State, where it generated a Clumsy. 1 single with his screen of Roy Orbison's "Crying." Rendering international success prompted Millennium Annals to release the record concentrated the United States, where on the trot rose to No.

28 manipulation the albums chart, while "Crying" shot to No. 5 ecosystem the pop singles chart contain

However, the failure of conclusion records once again left McLean without a label by

McLean spent much of the utter '80s and s touring magnanimity world while releasing vintage info and newer songs on nifty wide array of labels, counting his own, Don McLean euphony.

The influence of "American Pie" upon popular music and humanity, however, never lost its fix, as evidenced by high-profile renditions at a free concert hash up Garth Brooks in New York's Central Park in and description Lincoln Memorial Gala in Pedagogue, D.C. in

Madonna generated top-hole No. 1 hit with clever truncated version of "American Pie" that same year before McLean's version received the ultimate colours in when the Recording Slog Association of American and probity National Endowment for the Music school placed it at No.

5 on its list of "Songs of the Century," preceded one by "Over the Rainbow," "White Christmas," "This Land is Your Land" and Otis Redding's "Respect."

The song was subsequently inducted demeanour the Grammy Hall of Repute in , two years formerly McLean himself would become a-okay member of the Songwriters Charm of Fame.

McLean would also perform the song level the celebration for President Barack Obama's inauguration in By Saul Gaita