Don McLean

Don McLean plays multiple venues in Ireland this Summer

Legendary singer/songwriter, Don McLean, has amassed over 40 gold and platinum records world-wide and was inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in 2004.
Forever associated with his classic hits “American Pie” and “Vincent” (Starry, Starry Night), Don McLean is the original American Troubadour.
Following two sell out performances in 2015, University Concert Hall is delighted to welcome Don McLean back to Limerick in June 2018!

Don McLean’s first album had been turned down by several labels because of his insistence on retaining his own publishing, but Tapestry ’70 was issued on Media Arts, soon taken over by UA; of the songs “And I Love You So” was covered by Perry Como for a Top 30 hit ’73, while his performance of “Empty Chairs” inspired “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox) a Grammy winner and a huge hit for Roberta Flack ’73.

Second album American Pie ’71 incl. irresistibly catchy title track, said to have been inspired by the death of Buddy Holly, but also a sentimental song about America that could be embraced by everybody as the USA reeled from Vietnam and Watergate: the 8.5 minute track as a two-sided single was no.1 for seven weeks and even pulled the first LP into the charts. “Vincent/Castles In The Air” from the same LP was a no. 12 hit and “Vincent” (no.1 in the UK) was being played daily in the entrance to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. The rest is music history….

In 2004 Don McLean was inaugurated into the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. His award was presented by Garth Brooks who paid this tribute: “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.”

In 2011 Don performed on the Pyramid Stage at the Glastonbury Festival (“The veteran singer-songwriter’s take on “American Pie” , with multiple extra choruses, was another heartwarming, communal high” – The Independent).

Also in 2012 Don was awarded the BBC Folk Music Lifetime Achievement Award.