Don began playing guitar at the age of 16 and dropped out of university to become a musician. His early career saw him playing the Newport Jazz Festival and the legendary Troubadour club in Los Angeles and learning the art of performing from his mentor, Pete Seeger, with whom he appeared in 1969 to raise awareness about environmental pollution.

By the time Don’s second album, American Pie, was released, his record label had been taken over by United Artists, so for the first time he had major promotion for his songs. The title track, an abstract story of his life set against the development of American youth culture, was partly inspired by Don’s memory of hearing of the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. The song became an international hit despite being more than eight and a half minutes long. ‘American Pie’ was ranked number five in the RIAA list of the Songs of the 20th Century and the original manuscript of the song sold for more than $1.2 million in 2015, the third highest price ever paid for an American literary manuscript.

Don would continue to draw on his influences throughout his career. His 1972 single ‘Vincent’, inspired by the painter Vincent van Gogh, went to number one in the UK, and he covered the Buddy Holly songs ‘Everyday’ and ‘It Doesn’t Matter Anymore’. His version of Roy Orbison’s ‘Crying’ was praised by the Big O himself. 

Nearly all of the Foundation guitars based on Buddy Holly’s original Gibson J-45 bear the titles of songs written, recorded or performed by Buddy. Don McLean’s is one of the very rare exceptions. At the special request of Maria Elena Holly, Don’s guitar is called ‘American Pie’. 

Mike Read