Grammy-award honoree, Songwriters Hall of Fame member, and BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Don McLean will be bringing his 50th Anniversary Tour to a city near you! In 2022, McLean celebrated the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic songs in history “American Pie,” and now in 2023, off that same album 50 years ago came “Vincent” (Starry, Starry Night). McLean is set to entertain fans from coast-to-coast proving that “bye-bye, Miss American Pie” will forever remain a classic staple in music.
Still, it’s worth remembering that the 77-year-old composer has written and sung numerous other melodic and harmonic successes in his decades-long career with “Castles in the Air,” “And I Love You So,” and “Cryin’,” all of which will be heard and reveled in along with newer pieces on the upcoming tour.
Upcoming Fall Tour Dates include:
Thu, Aug 24 - Oakland, CA - Yoshi’s Oakland
Fri, Aug 25 - Fresno, CA - Tower Theatre
Thu, Aug 31 - Flint, MI - Capitol Theatre
Fri, Sep 01 - St Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre
Sat, Sep 02 - Muncie, IN - Canan Commons Park
Sat, Sep 09 - Beverly Hills, CA - Saban Theatre
Sun, Sep 10 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up (SOLD OUT)
Fri, Sep 15 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - Coach House
Sat, Sep 16 - Ojai, CA - Libbey Bowl
Sun, Sep 17 - Arroyo Grande, CA - Clark Center
Sat, Sep 23 - Ocean City, MD - Ocean City PAC
Fri, Sep 29 - Eau Claire, WI - RCU Theatre – The Pablo Center at the Confluence
Thur, Oct 05 - Parker, CO - PACE Center
Sat, Oct 07 - Hamilton, MT - Hamilton PAC
Fri, Oct 13 - Rutland, VT - Paramount Theatre
Sat, Oct 14 - Concord, NH - Chubb Theatre
Thu, Oct 19 - Florence, SC - Francis Marion University PAC
Fri, Oct 27 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse
Sat, Oct 28 - Union, NJ - Kean University – Wilkins Theatre
Sat, Nov 04 - Phoenix, AZ - Musical Instrument Museum (SOLD OUT)
Sun, Nov 05 - Phoenix, AZ - Musical Instrument Museum (SOLD OUT)
Fri, Nov 10 - Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
Sat, Nov 11 - Warren, PA - Struthers Library Theatre
Fri, Nov 17 - Minneapolis, MN - Dakota
Sat & Sun, Dec 02 & 03 - Honolulu, HI - Blue Note Hawaii
The eight-and-a-half-minute ballad “American Pie” has been making history since its release in 1971. Alongside songs by other icons such as Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Woody Guthrie, and Aretha Franklin, McLean’s composition was also voted “Song of the 20th Century”. Handwritten lyrics to the song were auctioned off for more than $1.2 million in 2015, and the composition was added to the Library Of Congress National Recording Registry two years later. Here, you’ll only find a few selected evergreens, such as “Somewhere Over The Rainbow”. So much for the cultural significance of Don McLean and his 1971 stroke of genius!
Over the years, the song has been covered again and again by music icons like Madonna and Garth Brooks. Rapper Drake repeatedly sampled McLean's tunes and hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur also cited him as an important influence.
The legendary and still active singer/songwriter has had a significant career selling over 50 million albums worldwide. Among other things, Don McLean has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was a 2022 inductee into the Musicians Hall of Fame, received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame, and was recently the focus of a Paramount+ documentary 'The Day The Music Died.' There's no slowing down for this troubadour!
