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Don McLean elected to National Academy of
Popular Music Songwriters' Hall of Fame
"Game Over, I Win." After 40 years in the business. Don McLean's reaction to
being elected to the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.
 Famed
for his perennial 1971 #1 classic “American Pie,” an elegiac
eight-and-a-half minute folk-pop epic inspired by the tragic death
of Buddy Holly, singer/songwriter Don McLean rose to fame through
the folks clubs of New York City during the 60's. His follow-up to
“American Pie,” “Vincent’” was also a smash success, and McLean even
became the subject of the Roberta Flack hit “Killing Me Softly With
His Song;” however, to his credit, he refused to let the success of
“American Pie” straitjacket his career. McLean enjoyed a renaissance
with the 1980’s “Chain Lightning,” a Top 30 album, which spawned a
Top Ten smash with its cover of Roy Orbison's classic, “Crying,” and
his original "Castles In The Air," reaching the Top 40.
"Don McLean his work, like the man himself is very deep and very
compassionate. His pop anthem American Pie is a cultural phenomenon, and people
are still trying to decode it after 35 years! He wrote other great songs like,
And I Love You So, If We Try, Wonderful Baby, Winterwood, and my personal
favorite Empty Chairs, which just kills me as a fan and a songwriter.” Garth
Brooks' tribute as Don McLean is inaugurated into the National Academy of
Popular Music Songwriters' Hall of Fame, June 10th 2004.
Other inductees in 2004 were: Charles Fox, Al Green, Daryl Hall & John Oates,
Barrett Strong & Norman Witfield.
Links:
Washington Times Feature on Don McLean
Songwriters' Hall of Fame
Fan Tribute to Don McLean
To mark Don's inauguration into the Hall of Fame, fans from around the world
submitted their congratulations and thoughts on a remarkable career. The
sizeable job of compiling these tributes into a single book for presentation to
Don fell to British fan, Annie.
Read Annie's
personal story of the production of the tribute book and her meeting with
Don in Dublin in August 2004.
Post a Comment:
Comments:
Rene - 5/7/2008 3:33:31 AMI hope the "Solo" live concert of Don McLean is available in DVD. I've been looking for it ever since. I watched it on TV several times during 70's. For me it's one of the best concerts I've seen, coz to be moved by the music of real artist and poet like Don is a rarity nowadays. Can't wait to have a DVD copy of it. Paul Keller - 2/3/2008 7:00:20 PMDon you are simply the greatest. Please play one extra concert in Townsville QLD. We are missing out Alec Stevens - 2/1/2008 4:07:06 PMLong overdue Jeffery Roitenbergc - 1/26/2008 10:51:22 AMMr. Mclean thanks you for the song. And all the times your song got me layed. Pete Clark - 11/16/2007 4:33:06 AMI first saw you perform at the Hull New Theatre in the UK some twenty years ago - it still rates in my top two concerts (the other being John Denver, Sheffield city hall) bear in mind i've seen many, many live acts among them U2, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, Queen, David Bowie. American Pie & Tapestry were the first albums i put on my iPod and will be there till the day i lose my hearing, and each time i hear "Till Tomorrow" i am truly blown away - great talent, thanks for being there, thanks for writing, recording & performing - you lighten the load buddy, seriously, you do! ralph - 10/2/2007 12:50:07 AMi love your songs and lyrics and i dont wanna die before i undestand the meaning of american pie !!!!!!I live in Buenos Aires South America, Don can you tell me something about this song ?
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