Editing Don McLean (section)

==Recording career==

===Early breakthrough===
McLean recorded ''[[Tapestry (Don McLean album)|Tapestry]]'' in 1969 in Berkeley, California, during the student riots. After being rejected 72 times by labels, the album was released by [[Mediarts]], a label that had not existed when he first started to look for one. He worked on the album for a couple of years before putting it out.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.songwriteruniverse.com/don-mclean-interview-2017.htm|title=Special Interview With Don McLean, Renowned Singer/Songwriter Of "American Pie" and Other Classic Songs|date=July 3, 2017|work=Songwriter Universe|access-date=February 25, 2018}}</ref> It attracted good reviews but little notice outside the folk community, though on the Easy Listening chart "[[Castles in the Air (song)|Castles in the Air]]" was a success, and in 1973 "And I Love You So" became a number 1 Adult Contemporary hit for [[Perry Como]].

McLean's major break came when Mediarts was taken over by [[United Artists Records]], thus securing the promotion of a major label for his second album, ''[[American Pie (Don McLean album)|American Pie]].'' The album launched two number one hits in the title song and "[[Vincent (Don McLean song)|Vincent]]". ''American Pie''{{'}}s success made McLean an international star and piqued interest in his first album, which charted more than two years after its initial release.

==="American Pie"===
{{Main|American Pie (song)}}
McLean's "[[American Pie (song)|American Pie]]" is a song inspired partly by the deaths of [[Buddy Holly]], [[Ritchie Valens]] and [[The Big Bopper|J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper)]] in a plane crash in 1959, and developments in American youth culture in the subsequent decade. The song popularized the expression "[[The Day the Music Died]]" in reference to the crash.

The song was recorded on May 26, 1971, and a month later received its first radio airplay on New York's WNEW-FM and WPLJ-FM to mark the closing of [[Fillmore East]], the famous New York concert hall. "American Pie" reached number one on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] from January 15 to February 5, 1972, and remains McLean's most successful single release. The single also topped the ''Billboard'' [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Easy Listening]] chart. With a total running time of 8:36 encompassing both sides of the single, it was also the longest song to reach number one until [[Taylor Swift]]'s "[[All Too Well]]" broke the record in 2021.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Trust|first=Gary|date=November 22, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's 'All Too Well (Taylor's Version)' Soars In at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-all-too-well-hot-100-debut-1235001340/|access-date=November 23, 2021|magazine=Billboard|language=en-US}}</ref> Some stations played only part one of the original split-sided single release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1193|title=American Pie by Don McLean Songfacts|website=Songfacts.com|access-date=February 25, 2018}}</ref>

[[WMVP|WCFL]] DJ Bob Dearborn unraveled the lyrics and first published his interpretation on January 7, 1972, four days after the song reached number 1 on rival station [[WLS (AM)|WLS]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wls720103.htm|title=89WLS Chicagoland HitParade|publisher=WLS|date=January 3, 1972|access-date=May 10, 2020}}</ref> six days before it reached number 1 on WCFL,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldiesloon.com/ilc/wcfl011372.htm|title=WCFL All Hit Music in the Midwest|publisher=WCFL|date=January 13, 1972|access-date=May 10, 2020}}</ref> and eight days before it reached number 1 nationally (see "Further reading" under "[[American Pie (song)|American Pie]]"). Numerous other interpretations, which together largely converged on Dearborn's interpretation, quickly followed. McLean declined to say anything definitive about the lyrics until 1978.<ref>However, [[Casey Kasem]] confirmed the main outline of what Dearborn had said and seemed to indicate that McLean agreed with that outline, on the January 15, 1972, edition of ''[[American Top 40]]'', when "American Pie" had just ascended to number 1 on the Hot 100.</ref> Since then McLean has stated that the lyrics are also somewhat autobiographical and present an abstract story of his life from the mid-1950s until the time he wrote the song in the late 1960s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.don-mclean.com/americanpie.asp|title=Don McLean's American Pie|work=Don McLean Online - The Official Website|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061222185354/http://www.don-mclean.com/americanpie.asp|archive-date=December 22, 2006}}</ref>

The original [[United Artists Records]] inner sleeve featured a [[free verse]] poem<ref>{{cite web|last=Fann|first=James M.|title=Understanding AMERICAN PIE|date=December 10, 2006|access-date=April 3, 2013|url=http://understandingamericanpie.com/hoppy.htm|archive-date=October 16, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016143326/http://understandingamericanpie.com/hoppy.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> written by McLean about [[William Boyd (actor)|William Boyd]], also known as [[Hopalong Cassidy]], along with a picture of Boyd in full Hopalong regalia. This sleeve was removed within a year of the album's release. The words to this poem appear on a plaque at the [[hospital]] where Boyd died. The Boyd poem and picture tribute do appear on a special remastered 2003 CD.<ref>inner sleeve, 2003 Capitol Records CD remaster (72435-84729-2-9)</ref>

In 2001, "American Pie" was voted number 5 in a poll of the 365 [[Songs of the Century]] compiled by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] and the [[National Endowment for the Arts]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=MARK KENNEDY AP Entertainment |date=2022-07-18 |title=Don McLean looks back at his masterpiece, 'American Pie' |url=https://kmph.com/news/entertainment/don-mclean-looks-back-at-his-masterpiece-american-pie-top-five-songs-of-the-century-recording-industry-association-of-america-national-endowment-for-the-arts-the-day-the-music-died-the-story-of-don-mcleans-american-pie-paramount-plus-garth-brooks |access-date=2025-04-09 |website=KMPH |language=en}}</ref>

On April 7, 2015, McLean's original working manuscript for "American Pie" sold for $1,205,000 (£809,524/€1,109,182) at Christie's auction rooms, New York, making it the third highest auction price achieved for an American literary manuscript.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.christies.com/salelanding/index.aspx?intSaleID=25290|title=Don McLean's "American Pie": The Original Lyrics|website=Christies.com|access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref>

In the sale catalogue notes, McLean finally revealed the meaning in the song's lyrics: "Basically in American Pie things are heading in the wrong direction. ... It [life] is becoming less idyllic. I don't know whether you consider that wrong or right but it is a morality song in a sense."<ref name="telegraph4915">{{cite news|title=American Pie: 6 crazy conspiracy theories|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11518980/American-Pie-6-crazy-conspiracy-theories.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/11518980/American-Pie-6-crazy-conspiracy-theories.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|first=Rupert|last=Hawksley|date=April 7, 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The catalogue confirmed some of the better-known references in the song's lyrics, including mentions of [[Elvis Presley]] ("the king") and [[Bob Dylan]] ("the jester"), and confirmed that the song culminates with a description of the [[killing of Meredith Hunter]] at the [[Altamont Free Concert]], ten years after the plane crash that killed Holly, Valens and Richardson, and that the song broadly depicts how the early rock innocence of the 1950s, and a bygone simpler age, had been lost;  overtaken by events and changes, which themselves had been overtaken by further changes.<ref name="telegraph4915" />

[[Mike Mills]] of [[R.E.M.]] reflected on the song, that "'American Pie' just made perfect sense to me as a song and that's what impressed me the most. I could say to people this is how to write songs. When you've written at least three songs that can be considered classic that is a very high batting average and if one of those songs happens to be something that a great many people think is one of the greatest songs ever written you've not only hit the top of the mountain but you've stayed high on the mountain for a long time."<ref name="skydoc">{{cite AV media|title=Don McLean: An American Troubadour|medium=Television production|publisher=Sky Arts 1|location=UK|year=2013}}</ref>

When asked about his record broken by [[Taylor Swift]] in a ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' interview, Don McLean said, "there is something to be said for a great song that has staying power. 'American Pie' remained on top for 50 years and now Taylor Swift has unseated such a historic piece of artistry. Let's face it, nobody ever wants to lose that No. 1 spot, but if I had to lose it to somebody, I sure am glad it was another great singer/songwriter such as Taylor."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hussey |first=Allison |title=Taylor Swift Sets New Record for Longest No. 1 Song With "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/taylor-swift-sets-new-record-for-longest-no-1-song-with-all-too-well-10-minute-version/ |access-date=September 1, 2021 |website=Pitchfork |date=November 22, 2021}}</ref> When Swift broke McLean's record, she sent him flowers and a handwritten note that read "I will never forget that I'm standing on the shoulders of giants".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gariano |first=Francesca |title=Taylor Swift sends flowers, note to Don McLean after breaking his record for longest song |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/taylor-swift-sends-flowers-note-don-mclean-after-breaking-his-t242099 |access-date=January 2, 2022 |website=Today |date=December 5, 2021}}</ref>

==="Vincent"===
{{Main|Vincent (Don McLean song)}}
"[[Vincent (Don McLean song)|Vincent]]" is a tribute to the 19th-century Dutch painter [[Vincent van Gogh]]. The inspiration came to McLean one morning while looking at a book about Van Gogh. As he studied a print of Van Gogh's painting ''[[The Starry Night]]'', he realized that a song could be written about the artist through the painting.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://don-mclean.com/2007/04/11/vincent-starry-starry-night/|title=Don McLean: Official Website|website=Don-mclean.com|date=April 11, 2007|access-date=January 5, 2019|archive-date=April 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424030552/https://don-mclean.com/2007/04/11/vincent-starry-starry-night/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The song argues that Van Gogh had a psychiatric illness, as opposed to being insane.<ref name="telegraph.co.uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandpopfeatures/7264618/Don-McLean-interview-Why-I-had-to-write-Vincent.html|author=Helen Brown|title=Don McLean interview: Why I had to write "Vincent" - Telegraph|date=February 24, 2010|work=Daily Telegraph}}{{Subscription required}}</ref> It reached number 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and it proved to be a huge hit worldwide, including reaching number 1 in the UK Singles Chart. [[Mike Mills]] of [[R.E.M.]] said "You can't change a note in that song".<ref name=skydoc/> The song was performed by [[NOFX]] on their album ''45 or 46 Songs That Weren't Good Enough to Go on Our Other Records'' and appears on the [[Fat Wreck Chords]] compilation ''Survival of the Fattest''. "Vincent" was sung by [[Josh Groban]] on his [[Josh Groban (album)|2001 debut album]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joshgroban.com/node/78|title=Official Website For Josh Groban|website=Joshgroban.com|date=February 24, 2007|access-date=August 25, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303181718/http://www.joshgroban.com/node/78|archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref> In 2018, singer-songwriter [[Ellie Goulding]] recorded a new, stripped back, acoustic guitar-driven version of the song.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/ellie-goulding-don-mclean-vincent/|title=uDiscovermusic|website=Udiscovermusic.com|date=February 14, 2018|access-date=January 5, 2019}}</ref>

===Subsequent recordings===
[[File:Don McLean 1976.JPG|thumb|McLean in a publicity photo, 1976]]
Personnel from the ''[[American Pie (Don McLean album)|American Pie]]'' album sessions were retained for his third album ''[[Don McLean (album)|Don McLean]]'', including the producer, Ed Freeman, [[Rob Stoner|Rob Rothstein]] on bass, and [[Warren Bernhardt]] on piano. The song "The Pride Parade" provides an insight into McLean's immediate reaction to stardom. McLean told ''Melody Maker'' in 1973 that ''Tapestry'' was an album by someone previously concerned with external situations. ''[[American Pie (Don McLean album)|American Pie]]'' combines externals with internals, and the resultant success of that album makes the third one (''[[Don McLean (album)|Don McLean]]'') entirely introspective."

Other songs written by McLean for the album include "Dreidel" (number 21 on the Billboard chart) and "If We Try" (number 58), which was recorded by [[Olivia Newton-John]].<ref>''[[The Great Olivia Newton-John]]'', Festival Records, 1999.</ref> "On the Amazon" from the 1920s musical ''[[Mr. Cinders]]'' was an unusual choice but became an audience favorite in concerts and featured in ''Till Tomorrow'', a documentary film about McLean produced by Bob Elfstrom (Elfstrom held the role of Jesus Christ in Johnny and June Cash's ''Gospel Road)''. The film shows McLean in concert at Columbia University as he was interrupted by a bomb scare. He left the stage while the audience stood up and checked under their seats for anything that resembled a bomb. After the all-clear, McLean re-appeared and sang "On the Amazon" from exactly where he had left off. Don Heckman reported the bomb scare in his review for ''[[The New York Times]]'' titled "Don McLean Survives Two Obstacles".<ref>''[[The New York Times]]'', December 12, 1971</ref>

The fourth album ''[[Playin' Favorites]]'' was a top-40 hit in the UK in 1973 and included the Irish folk classic, "Mountains of Mourne" and Buddy Holly's "[[Everyday (Buddy Holly song)|Everyday]]", a live rendition of which returned McLean to the UK Singles Chart. McLean said "The last album (''[[Don McLean (album)|Don McLean]]'') was a study in depression whereas the new one (''[[Playin' Favorites]]'') is almost the quintessence of optimism."{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

The 1974 album ''[[Homeless Brother]]'', produced by [[Joel Dorn]], was McLean's final studio recording for United Artists. The album featured fine New York session musicians, including Ralph McDonald on percussion, [[Hugh McCracken]] on guitar and a guest appearance by [[Yusef Lateef]] on flute. The [[The Persuasions|Persuasions]] sang the background vocals on "[[Crying in the Chapel]]", and [[Cissy Houston]] provided a backing vocal on "La La Love You". The album's title song was inspired by [[Jack Kerouac]]'s book ''[[Lonesome Traveler]]'', in which Kerouac tells the story of America's "homeless brothers" or hobos. The song features background vocals by [[Pete Seeger]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/homeless-brother-mw0000046874|title=Homeless Brother: Don McLean {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits|website=AllMusic|access-date=February 25, 2018}}</ref>{{Better source needed|date=July 2021}}

The song "The Legend of Andrew McCrew" was based on an article published in ''The New York Times''<ref name=bio/> concerning a black Dallas hobo named Anderson McCrew who was killed when he leapt from a moving train. No one claimed him, so a carnival took his body, mummified it, and toured all over the South with him, calling him "The Famous Mummy Man". McLean's song inspired radio station WGN in Chicago to tell the story and give the song airplay in order to raise money for a headstone for McCrew's grave. Their campaign was successful, and McCrew's body was exhumed and buried in the Lincoln Cemetery in Dallas.<ref>''Ellensburg Daily Record'', May 24, 1974.</ref>

[[Joel Dorn]] later collaborated on the McLean career retrospective ''[[Rearview Mirror: An American Musical Journey|Rearview Mirror]]'', released in 2005 on Dorn's label, Hyena Records. In 2006, Dorn reflected on working with McLean:<ref name=bio/><blockquote>Of the more than 200 studio albums I've produced in the past 40 plus years, there is a handful; maybe 15 or so that I can actually listen to from top to bottom. ''[[Homeless Brother]]'' is one of them. It accomplished everything I set out to do. And it did so because it was a true collaboration. Don brought so much to the project that all I really had to do was capture what he did, and complement it properly when necessary.</blockquote>

In 1977 a brief liaison with [[Arista Records]] that yielded the album ''[[Prime Time (Don McLean album)|Prime Time]]'', and in October 1978, the single "It Doesn't Matter Anymore". This was a track from the album ''[[Chain Lightning (album)|Chain Lightning]]'' that should have been the second of four with Arista.<ref name=bio/> McLean had started recording in Nashville, Tennessee, with [[Elvis Presley]]'s backing singers, the [[The Jordanaires|Jordanaires]], and many of Presley's musicians. However the Arista deal broke down following artistic disagreements between McLean and the Arista chief, [[Clive Davis]]. Consequently, McLean was left without a record contract in the United States, but through continuing deals, ''[[Chain Lightning (album)|Chain Lightning]]'' was released by EMI in Europe and by Festival Records in Australia.

In April 1980, the Roy Orbison song "[[Crying (Roy Orbison song)|Crying]]" from the album began picking up airplay on Dutch radio stations and McLean was called to Europe to appear on several important musical variety shows to plug the song and support its release as a single by EMI. The song achieved number 1 status in the Netherlands first, followed by the UK and then Australia.

McLean's number 1 successes in Europe and Australia led to a new deal in the United States with Millennium Records, which issued ''[[Chain Lightning (album)|Chain Lightning]]'' two and a half years after it had been recorded in Nashville and two years after its release in Europe. It charted on February 14, 1981, and reached number 28, and "Crying" climbed to number 5 on the pop singles chart. Orbison himself thought that McLean's version was the best interpretation he'd ever heard of one of his songs. Orbison thought McLean did a better job than he did and even went so far as to say that the voice of Don McLean is one of the great instruments of 20th-century America.<ref name="skydoc"/> According to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, "McLean's voice could cut through steel – he is a very pure singer and he's up there with the best of them. He's a very talented singer and songwriter and he deserves his success."<ref name=skydoc/>

McLean had further chart successes in the United States in the early 1980s with "[[Since I Don't Have You]]", a new recording of "Castles in the Air" and "It's Just the Sun". In 1987, the release of the country-based album'' [[Love Tracks (Don McLean album)|Love Tracks]]'' gave rise to the hit singles "Love in My Heart" (a top-10 in Australia), "[[You Can't Blame the Train]]" (U.S. country number 49), and "Eventually". The latter two songs were written by [[Terri Sharp]]. In 1991, [[EMI]] reissued "[[American Pie (song)|American Pie]]" as a single in the United Kingdom, and McLean performed on ''[[Top of the Pops]]''. In 1992, previously unreleased songs became available on ''[[Favorites and Rarities]]'', and ''Don McLean Classics'' featured new studio recordings of "[[Vincent (Don McLean song)|Vincent]]" and "[[American Pie (song)|American Pie]]".

McLean has continued to record new material, including ''River of Love'' in 1995 on [[Curb Records]], and more recently, the albums ''You've Got to Share'', ''Don McLean Sings Marty Robbins'' and ''The Western Album'' for his own Don McLean Music label. ''Addicted to Black'' was released in May 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.don-mclean.com/?p=320 |title=Don McLean Online |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123224947/http://www.don-mclean.com/?p=320|archive-date=November 23, 2012}}</ref>

===Other songs===
McLean's other well-known songs include the following.
*"[[And I Love You So (song)|And I Love You So]]" featured on McLean's first album ''[[Tapestry (Don McLean album)|Tapestry]]'' first released in 1970.  The song was later recorded by [[Elvis Presley]], [[Helen Reddy]], [[Shirley Bassey]], [[Glen Campbell]], [[Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)|Engelbert Humperdinck]], [[Howard Keel]], [[Claude François]], and a [[1973 in music|1973 hit]] for [[Perry Como]]. The song was performed at the Royal Wedding reception of [[Prince Harry]] and [[Meghan Markle]] in 2018.
*"[[Castles in the Air (song)|Castles in the Air]]", which McLean recorded twice. His 1981 re-recording was a top-40 hit, reaching number 36 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in late 1981.<ref name="Whitburn">[[Joel Whitburn|Whitburn, Joel]] (2004). ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits'', 8th edition. (Billboard Publications). p. 416.</ref>
*"[[Wonderful Baby]]", a tribute to [[Fred Astaire]] that Astaire himself recorded. Primarily rejected by pop stations, it reached number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Easy Listening chart.<ref>Hyatt, Wesley (1999). ''The Billboard Book of #1 Adult Contemporary Hits''. Billboard Publications. p. 166</ref>

The ''American Pie'' album features a version of [[Psalm 137]], titled "Babylon". The song is based on a canon by [[Philip Hayes (composer)|Philip Hayes]]<ref>Hayes, Philip. ''The Muses Delight: Catches, Glees, Canzonets and Canons''. London, 1786.</ref> and was arranged by McLean and [[Lee Hays]] (of The Weavers).<ref>''American Pie'' album song credits</ref> "Babylon" was performed in the ''[[Mad Men]]'' [[Babylon (Mad Men episode)|episode of the same name]] despite the fact that the song would not be released until 10 years after the time in which the episode is set.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/house/article/mad-men-fridays-season-1-episode-6-babylon|title=Mad Men Recap: Season 1, Episode 6, "Babylon" |work=Slant Magazine|access-date=February 25, 2018}}</ref>

In 1981, McLean had an international number one hit with a version of the Roy Orbison classic "Crying". It was only after the record became a success overseas that it was released in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Don-McLean-Crying/release/751196|title=Don McLean - Crying|website=Discogs.com|date=December 3, 1980 |access-date=February 25, 2018}}</ref> The single hit reached number 5 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in 1981.<ref name="Whitburn"/> Orbison himself once described McLean as "the voice of the century",<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.festivalsearcher.com/artists.aspx?artist_id=Don_McLean|title=Don McLean Live Tour Festivals 2015|website=Festivalsearcher.com|access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> and in a subsequent re-recording of the song, Orbison incorporated elements of McLean's version.

For the 1982 animated movie ''[[The Flight of Dragons]]'', produced by [[Jules Bass]] and [[Arthur Rankin, Jr.]], McLean sang the opening theme. However, no soundtrack has ever been released.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Another hit song associated with McLean (though never recorded by him) is singer-songwriter [[Lori Lieberman]]'s "[[Killing Me Softly with His Song]]"; Lieberman was inspired by hearing McLean in concert performing his song "Empty Chairs".<ref name="Daily News">{{cite news |last=O'Haire |first=Patricia |url=http://www.don-mclean.com/i/kill.jpg |title=A Killer of a Song |newspaper=Daily News |location=New York |date=April 5, 1973 |page=6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514165758/http://www.don-mclean.com/i/kill.jpg |archive-date=May 14, 2013 }}</ref> Afterwards she shared her reaction with her manager, [[Norman Gimbel]], who had long been searching for a way to use a phrase he had copied from a novel translated from Spanish, "killing me softly with his blues".<ref>{{cite book|last1=Davis|first1=Sheila|title=The Craft of Lyric Writing|publisher=Writers Digest Books|year=1984|page=13|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uVePZ1Qwtb0C&pg=PA13|access-date=September 22, 2010|isbn=0-89879-149-9}}{{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Gimbel passed the lyrics to his songwriting partner [[Charles Fox (composer)|Charles Fox]], who in turn composed the music to "Killing Me Softly with His Song".<ref name="Billboard Magazine 1974. Page 53">''Billboard'' magazine, June 22, 1974, p. 53.</ref> Lieberman recorded the song (now credited to Gimbel and Fox) and released it in 1972. This initial version was heard by [[Roberta Flack]], who recorded it with slight changes to create a number-one hit. Two decades later it was recorded by [[the Fugees]], who had another hit.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/02/arts/l-the-true-source-of-killing-me-softly-836680.html|title=The True Source Of 'Killing Me Softly'|date=March 2, 1997|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=February 25, 2018|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

===Later career===
''The Don McLean Story: Killing Us Softly With His Songs'' was published in 2007. Biographer Alan Howard conducted extensive interviews for this, the only book-length biography of the often reclusive McLean to date.

McLean attended the opening dinner service of [[Hell's Kitchen (American TV series) season 18|''Hell's Kitchen's eighteenth season]] as one of the red diners who had their food cooked by the rookies.

McLean is credited as a co-writer on [[Drake (musician)|Drake]]'s song "Doing It Wrong", featuring Stevie Wonder.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/12100360-Drake-Take-Care|website=Discogs|title=Drake – Take Care|access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref> The song includes lyrics from two McLean compositions – "The Wrong Thing to Do" and "When a Good Thing Goes Bad" – both of which were featured on his 1977 album ''[[Prime Time (Don McLean album)|Prime Time]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://donmclean.com/drake-doing-it-wrong/|website=Don McLean.com|title=DRAKE – DOING IT WRONG|date=November 11, 2011|access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref>

In a July 2022 documentary, titled ''The Day The Music Died'', McLean discussed for the first time in 50 years the meaning of the lyrics in "American Pie".<ref name="forbes.com">{{cite web |title=Don McLean Discusses The Day The Music Died ('American Pie') |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimclash/2022/09/01/don-mclean-discusses-the-day-the-music-died-american-pie/?sh=3b2a98c53be4 |website=Forbes}}</ref><ref name="NY Times">{{cite news |title='The Day the Music Died' Review: 'American Pie,' the Life of a Hit |work=The New York Times |date=July 19, 2022 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/19/movies/the-day-the-music-died-review.html |access-date=September 9, 2022 |last1=Kenny |first1=Glenn }}</ref>

In February 2022,  McLean recorded a performance of "Vincent" at the Immersive Van Gogh exhibit in Los Angeles in honor of Van Gogh's birthday and the 50th anniversary of the song.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Don McLean Toasts Van Gogh's Birthday & 50th Anniversary of 'Vincent' With Performance at Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/don-mclean-celebrates-van-gogh-birthday-american-pie-1235052295/ |magazine=Billboard}}</ref>

In April 2022, [[Tyson Fury]] teamed up with McLean to remake "American Pie".<ref>{{cite web |title=TYSON FURY TEAMS UP WITH DON McLEAN TO REMAKE CLASSIC SONG "AMERICAN PIE" |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tyson-fury-teams-don-mclean-140400836.html? |website=Yahoo Finance}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tyson Fury hooks up with Don McLean for unlikely American Pie update |url=https://www.punk-rocker.com/alternative/tyson-fury-hooks-up-with-don-mclean-for-unlikely-american-pie-update/ |website=Punk Rocker |date=April 20, 2022 |access-date=September 30, 2022 |archive-date=September 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220930225553/https://www.punk-rocker.com/alternative/tyson-fury-hooks-up-with-don-mclean-for-unlikely-american-pie-update/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> McLean won six Telly Awards for the [[Tyson Fury vs. Dillian Whyte|Fury-Whyte]] fight opening.<ref>{{cite web |title=Don McLean Wins Six Telly Awards For Fury/Whyte Fight Opening |url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/news/don-mclean-tyson-fury-american-pie-telly-awards/ |website=udiscovermusic|date=May 24, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=DON MCLEAN Telly awards |url=https://www.tellyawards.com/?s=don+mclean |website=tellyawards.com}}</ref>[[File:Don McLean Wins Six Telly Awards For Fury-Whyte Fight Opening.jpg|thumb|Don McLean won six Telly Awards for the Fury-Whyte fight opening.]]

In June 2022, McLean published a children's book titled ''American Pie: A Fable''. The story follows the emotional journey of a newspaper delivery boy in the late 1950s who discovers the joy of friendship and music, eventually learning that when you recognize what truly makes you happy, you are never&nbsp;really alone.<ref>{{cite web |title=Don McLean on His New Children's Book Based off His Iconic Hit 'American Pie' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/don-mclean-childrens-book-based-175137219.html |website=Yahoo Entertainment|date=July 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909220237/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/don-mclean-childrens-book-based-175137219.html |archive-date=September 9, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Front Cover AmericanPie CMYK.jpg|thumb|Children's Book American Pie: A Fable]]

McLean led a wave of dropouts from the [[National Rifle Association of America]] (NRA) convention after the mass shooting in [[Robb Elementary School shooting|Uvalde, Texas]], saying it would be "disrespectful and hurtful" to perform days after 19 children and two adults were killed in a mass shooting in the state. McLean was first among performers who announced they would no longer perform at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting in Houston.<ref>{{cite news |title=Singer Don McLean leads wave of dropouts from NRA convention after Texas shooting |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/05/26/don-mclean-drops-out-nra-texas-shooting/ |author=Timothy Bella |newspaper=[[Washington Post]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526224046/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/05/26/don-mclean-drops-out-nra-texas-shooting/ |archive-date=May 26, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In October 2022, McLean called rapper [[Kanye West]] an "attention-seeking fool" over his antisemitic rants. The "American Pie" singer, who briefly lived in Israel, said he stands with his Jewish friends.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kaufman |first1=Gil |title=Don McLean Calls Kanye West an 'Attention-Seeking Fool' Over Antisemitic Rants |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/don-mclean-criticizes-kanye-west-antisemetic-rants-1235162731/ |magazine=Billboard |date=October 28, 2022}}</ref> "Lately, a flood of antisemitic invective has been triggered by the ranting of a stupid attention-seeking fool we all know," McLean wrote in the statement that did not mention Ye by name. "I want to say I stand with my Jewish friends and I stand with the state of Israel. When this kind of thing happens, we should realize why the state of Israel must be respected and protected." McLean lived in Israel on-and-off from 1978 to 1982, and he "grew to love the country and the people. Living there changed [his] life forever."<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 8, 2022 |title=Don McLean Issues Statement Condemning Antisemitism {{!}} Don McLean |url=https://donmclean.com/don-mclean-issues-statementcondemning-antisemitism/ |access-date=2025-03-09 |language=en-US}}</ref>