Don McLean - Biography

Born 2 October 1945, New Rochelle, New York, USA. McLean began his recording career performing in New York clubs during the early 60s. A peripatetic singer for much of his career, he was singing at elementary schools in Massachusetts when he wrote a musical tribute to Van Gogh in 1970.

After receiving rejection slips from countless labels, his debut Tapestry was issued by Mediarts that same year, but failed to sell. United Artists Records picked up his contract and issued an eight-minute plus version of "American Pie".

A paean to Buddy Holly, full of symbolic references to other performers such as Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan, the song topped the US chart and reached number 2 in the UK. The album of the same name topped the US charts and an enormous worldwide success.

Another song featured on the album, "Vincent", a tribute to the painter, reached UK number 1. McLean was now acclaimed as one of the most talented and commercial of the burgeoning singer-songwriter school emerging from the USA. According to music business legend, the song "Killing Me Softly With His Song" was written as a tribute to McLean, and was subsequently recorded by Lori Lieberman and Roberta Flack.

McLean's affection for Buddy Holly was reiterated in 1973, with a successful cover version of "Everyday". Meanwhile, his song catalogue was attracting attention, and Perry Como registered a surprise international hit with a cover version of McLean's "And I Love You So".

Despite his promising start, McLean's career foundered during the mid-70s, but his penchant as a strong cover artist held him in good stead. In 1980, he returned to the charts with a revival of Roy Orbison's "Crying" (UK number 1/US number 5).

Thereafter, his old hits were repackaged and he toured extensively. As the 80s progressed, he moved into the country market, but remained popular in the pop mainstream. In 1991, his 20-year-old version of "American Pie" unexpectedly returned to the UK Top 20, once again reviving interest in his back catalogue.