Reporter scores interview with legendary rocker
By EMMA QUASNY
American singer-songwriter Don McLean is back on tour after 18 months of absence. His 2022 American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour is the first time he will hit the stage since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year marks the 50th anniversary from when “American Pie” landed on the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Reporter had the privilege of speaking with McLean on April 18 about his chart-topping legendary hit, as well as his upcoming tour across North America.
American Pie, released in 1971, was McLean’s second album, and the title track sported a running time of eight-and-a-half minutes. According to McLean, the original single of “American Pie,” with a running time of three minutes, instantly became a hit and led to the eight-minute song holding the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 song in terms of its running time from 1972 until last year. In 2021, Taylor Swift passed “American Pie” with her 10-minute song “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version).”
When McLean originally released the single, he did not expect it to become popular.
“I was virtually unknown, so the likelihood of having what happened to me happen was next to zero in terms of statistical probabilities for a whole lot of reasons,” McLean said. “I thought it would just be one more song that I sent, but it turned into one of the most iconic songs of my career.”
The chart-topping single is still regarded as one of the most influential songs recorded in rock history. (Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)
Now McLean has been on over 10 world tours and featured in many media related aspects.
Although it has been over a year since McLean performed live, he has used his time to work on personal projects and rejuvenate from the last 50 years.
“The first year of the pandemic I really enjoyed that because I didn’t have to catch a plane and didn’t have to travel anywhere, so it was really nice to sort of sit back,” McLean said. “[The] second year, by that time, I started getting into doing a whole lot of things that I’d wanted to do for a long time.”
During this time McLean worked on a children’s book, American Pie: A Fable, that integrates themes from the song along with experiences from his early life. Along with publishing a book, he is currently filming a documentary that will explain how “American Pie” came to be a hit song and the meaning behind it.
McLean and his team ultimately decided to go back on tour because of the 50th anniversary of “American Pie” and the worldwide hit it became.
“The song has sold millions and millions of copies around the world, so millions and millions of people know all those 10 songs and many more,” McLean said. “It gave me a repertoire and a basis for touring the world which I did, and I am doing right now.”
McLean will tour throughout North America and Europe until November. He says he is thrilled to be back on the road doing what he loves.
“I feel normal again … I feel totally like I did before,” McLean said. “I feel better physically, and I have energy … I have plans and I’m doing things.”
As for the future, McLean is moving ahead one step at a time. He continues to write songs and bring attention to his music by making media appearances.
“The future takes care of itself if you take care of today,” McLean said. “I just put one foot in front of the other and soldier on. I have a lot of things to do, and I just do them one at a time rather than think about the future”
To learn more about Don McLean and his American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour, visit donmclean.com.