Thanks For The Music

Grammy-award honoree, Songwriters Hall of Fame member, and BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Don McLean has been nominated for a 2023 MTV Movie and TV Award in the Best Music Documentary category for The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie. Other nominees include Halftime, Love, Lizzo, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, and Sheryl. The MTV Movie and TV Awards will be hosted by Drew Barrymore and airing live on Sunday, May 7 at 8 PM ET/PT from the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California. America Pie was released in 1971 and spent four weeks at No. 1 in 1972. In 2001, thirty years later, the Recording Industry of America named it the fifth greatest song of the 20th century.

“Thank you, MTV for selecting my documentary as a nominee for Best Music Documentary at this year's awards,” shares McLean. “I didn’t realize until I made this movie that my song, ‘American Pie’ really took ten years to write. It was a journey from 1960 to 1970 as I learned about where I was headed and where America was headed. In some ways, they were the ten best years of my life."

With a narrative running deeper than a catchy tune and cryptic verses, “American Pie” is a musical phenomenon woven deep into the history of American culture, entertaining audiences around the world for over 50 years. In THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED: THE STORY OF DON McLEAN’S “AMERICAN PIE,” McLean powerfully reveals and shares the secrets behind his iconic song. In addition, the documentary highlights cultural moments in America’s history that are as relevant now as they were in 1971 when the song was released. The film tells stories of the people who were a part of this moment from the beginning and shows the point of view of a new generation of artists who are motivated by the same values and ideas that inspired the song’s creation.

“This documentary is something that will make people think, especially since so many throughout the years have asked me what certain lyrics meant or whom I was referring to, but now I finally can solve many of those mysteries,” says McLean. “Everyone from Madonna to Garth Brooks to Weird Al Yankovic has recorded ‘American Pie’ and made it their own. So many people have their own interpretation of the song, and I love it.”

To help bring the documentary to life, McLean enlisted music producer and songwriter Spencer Proffer, CEO of media production company Meteor 17. In a collaborative vision, Proffer and McLean tell the story of this special and unique song by using contemporary audio/visual storytelling techniques to artistically reimagine the music for a modern audience.

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED: THE STORY OF DON MCLEAN’S “AMERICAN PIE” is produced by Spencer Proffer and executive produced by Bruce Gillmer.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES: Fri, April 7 - Gold Coast, Australia - Twin Towns Sat, April 8 - Gold Coast, Australia - Twin Towns Sun, April 9 - Gold Coast, Australia - Twin Towns Wed, April 12 - Harbor, Australia - Coffs Harbor Ex Services Fri, April 14 - Tamworth, Australia - Town Hall Sat, April 15 - Newcastle, Australia - Concert Hall Sun, April 16 - Canberra, Australia - Llewellyn Hall Thurs, April 20 - Hurtsville, Australia - Entertainment Centre Fri, April 21 - Chatsworth, Australia - The Concourse Sat, April 22 - Sydney West, Australia - Coliseum Mon, April 24 - Hobart, Australia - Wrest Point Wed, April 26 - Launceston, Australia - Princess Theatre Fri, April 28 - Wollongong, Australia - WIN Entertainment Centre Sat, April 29 - Melbourne, Australia - The Palais Sun, April 30 - Geelong, Australia - Costa Hall Tues, May 2 - Nelson, New Zealand - Trafalgar Centre Thurs, May 4 - Invercargill, NZ - Civic Theatre Fri, May 5 - Christchurch, NZ - Town Hall Sun, May 7 - Palmerston, NZ - Regent Theatre Tues, May 9 - Auckland, NZ - Town Hall Fri, June 2 - Napa, CA - Blue Note Napa Summer Sessions at Silverado Resort Thurs, July 13 - Stephenville, TX - Birdsong Amphitheater Fri, July 21 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere Sat, July 22 - Orkney Springs, VA - Shenandoah Valley Music Festival Mon, August 7 - Ocean City, NJ - Ocean City Music Pier Fri, August 18 - Newark, OH - Midland Theatre Sat, August 19 - Nashville, IN - Brown County Music Center Thurs, August 31 - Flint, MI - Capitol Theatre Fri, Sept 1 - St Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre Sat, Sept 9 - Beverly Hills, CA - Saban Theatre Sun, Sept 10 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Fri, Sept 15 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach House Sat, Sept 16 - Ojai, CA - Libbey Bowl Sat, Sept 23 - Ocean City, MD - Ocean City PAC Fri, Sept 29 - Eau Claire, WI - RCU Theatre Thurs, Oct 19 - Florence, SC - Francis Marion Univ PAC Sat, Dec 2 - Honolulu, HI - Blue Note Hawaii Sun, Dec 3 - Honolulu, HI - Blue Note Hawaii

About Don McLean Don McLean is a legendary singer-songwriter known for his timeless classics that have captured the hearts of audiences worldwide. With a career spanning several decades, he has left a lasting impact on the music industry and continues to inspire new generations of artists. McLean's songs are known for their poetic lyrics and emotional depth, reflecting universal themes of love, loss, and the American experience. His music has a timeless quality that appeals to listeners of all ages, transcending cultural and generational divides. Don McLean's contributions to the world of music will always be remembered and celebrated, and his songs will continue to be cherished for generations to come.

Don McLean is a Grammy award honoree, a Songwriter Hall of Fame member, and a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, his smash hit “American Pie” resides in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry and was named a top 5 song of the 20th Century by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA). A New York native, Don McLean is one of the most revered and respected songwriters in American history. After paying his dues in the New York club scene in the late ‘60s, he went on to score mega-hits like “Vincent (Starry, Starry Night),” “Castles in the Air” and many more. His catalog of songs has been recorded by Madonna, Garth Brooks, Josh Groban, Drake, “Weird Al” Yankovic and countless others. In 2015, McLean’s handwritten manuscript of the lyrics to “American Pie” was auctioned by Christies, selling for just over $1.2 Million. 2019 honored Don with a star on the Las Vegas Walkway of Stars and his song “And I Love You So” was the theme for Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s wedding. Don landed a new recording contract with Time Life in 2020, with whom he released a catalog of recordings as well as a new album Still Playin’ Favorites. 2021 brought Don’s “American Pie” features in the Avengers’ Black Widow and the new Tom Hanks movie Finch. Don received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, celebrated the 50th anniversary of “American Pie,” recorded a version of the song with a cappella group Home Free, a children’s book has been written, and much more! And when you think things are slowing down, not so for Don McLean!

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