Don McLean to embark on ‘American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour’
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From staff reports
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Grammy award honoree, Songwriters Hall of Fame member, and BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Don McLean is set to embark on his 2022 “American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour” with 20 additional cities throughout the United States and Canada. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of one of the most iconic songs and albums ever, McLean will entertain fans across the continent throughout nearly 30 cities from Honolulu to Toronto and everywhere in between, proving that “bye-bye, Miss American Pie” will forever remain a classic staple in American music.
“After spending the past 18 months at home, I am thrilled to be getting back on the road with my band,” McLean said in a news release. “2022 marks the 50th anniversary from when ‘American Pie’ landed at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard chart, and we will be celebrating on tour all year long. We will be performing all the songs from the ‘American Pie’ album plus many of the other hits that fans will be expecting to hear.”
As tragic as the backstory behind the song “American Pie” is with the much too early death of the new rock’n’roll-hope, Buddy Holly, the track is also magnificent and legendary. Still, it’s worth remembering that the 76-year-old composer has written and sung numerous other successes in his decades-long career with “Vincent (Starry, Starry Night),” “Castles in the Air,” “And I Love You So,” and “Cryin’,’’ all of which will be heard along with newer pieces on the upcoming tour.
The 8 1/2-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 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.
Over the years, the song has been covered again and again by music icons like Madonna and Garth Brooks. Rapper Drake repeatedly sampled McLean tunes, and hip-hop icon Tupac Shakur also cited him as an important influence.
Accordingly, the complete discography of the legendary and still active singer/songwriter is also significant. Among other things, Don McLean has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was inducted into the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 2004.
In 2018, McLean released his 19th studio album, “Botanical Gardens,” which received rave reviews.
50th Anniversary ‘American Pie’ World Tour 2022 North American Dates:
January 28, 2022 — Honolulu, Hawaii — Blue Note Hawaii
January 29, 2022 — Honolulu, Hawaii — Blue Note Hawaii
January 30, 2022 — Honolulu, Hawaii — Blue Note Hawaii
February 3, 2022 — Clear Lake, Iowa — Surf Ballroom
February 5, 2022 — Grand Forks, N.D. — Chester Fritz Auditorium
February 11, 2022 — The Villages, Fla. — Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center
February 12, 2022 — Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. — Ponte Vedra Concert Hall
February 14, 2022 — Port Canaveral, Fla. — Rock Legends Cruise
February 15, 2022 — Port Canaveral, Fla. — Rock Legends Cruise
February 16, 2022 — Port Canaveral, Fla. — Rock Legends Cruise
February 17, 2022 — Port Canaveral, Fla. — Rock Legends Cruise
February 18, 2022 — Port Canaveral, Fla. — Rock Legends Cruise
February 19, 2022 — Clearwater, Fla. — Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
February 24, 2022 — Tucson, Ariz. — Fox Tucson Theatre
April 29, 2022 — Kansas City, Mo. — Uptown Theater
May 1, 2022 — Indianapolis, Ind. — Clowes Memorial Hall
May 7, 2022 — Toronto, Canada — John W H Bassett Theatre
May 12, 2022 — Nashville, Tenn. — Ryman Auditorium
May 13, 2022 — Atlanta, Ga. — Atlanta Symphony Hall
May 19, 2022 — St. Louis, Mo. — Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center
May 20, 2022 — Springfield, Mo. — Gillioz Theatre
June 2, 2022 — Albany, N.Y. — The Egg
June 3, 2022 — Boston, Mass. — Shubert Theatre
June 4, 2022 — New York, N.Y. — Town Hall
June 11, 2022 — Baltimore, Md. — The Lyric
June 12, 2022 — Tysons, Va. — Capital One Hall
June 17, 2022 — Grand Rapids, Mich. — DeVos Performance Hall
June 18, 2022 — Milwaukee, Wis. — The Pabst Theater
June 24, 2022 — San Antonio, Texas — Tobin Center for the Performing Arts
June 25, 2022 — Houston, Texas — Cullen Performance Hall
June 26, 2022 — Austin, Texas — Paramount Theatre
July 7, 2022 — Denver, Col. — Paramount Theatre
July 8, 2022 — Grand Junction, Col. — The Avalon Theatre
July 9, 2022 — Phoenix, Ariz. — Orpheum Theatre
For tickets and more information, visit www.donmclean.com.
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