Don McLean is world-famous for creating the song, “American Pie”. In our five questions, he answers if I’m wrong for liking Vincent more than American Pie as well as others.
I loved learning that whenever he performs American Pie he tries to make it different each time.
MS) I actually loved the song Vincent much more than American Pie. Am I wrong?
DM) Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Go to my YouTube channel and listen to the 11 albums just released through Time-Life. Once you listen to those, you may find music you like even more.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8211Zt_HQJWDD0Bj6cenQw
MS) American Pie is the kind of song that stood for a generation. Are there other songs that you can think of that have had that impact for other generations?
DM) Of course, The Beatles and Bob Dylan songs from the 1960s.
MS) You have an American Pie musical coming out in 2022. How involved are you in the production?
DM) I will be totally involved, however, others will be doing most of the work. I will be making sure there is nothing in there that I don’t like or left out.
MS) I’ve read an interview with Sting where he said he sometimes views the recording of a song as the starting point and loves to have it evolve over the years. Is American Pie the same song to you or is it something you would change over the years?
DM) I never sing any song the same way twice. There is a jazz influence in my work and phrasing.
MS) You’ve said recently that American Pie is about the death of your father. Is this a death you ever get over, all the years later?
DM) The beginning of American Pie starts with the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper’s plane crash. The reference about my father was regarding the depression that came over me for years after that, which found its way into my work during 1970s, including American Pie.