Don McLean in Gateshead

Don McLean is an American folk-rock singer-songwriter, born in 1945 in New Rochelle, New York. He is best known for the 1971 album American Pie, its title song and “Vincent”; he also wrote “And I Love You So,” later recorded by artists including Perry Como and Elvis Presley. In 1969, he joined Pete Seeger aboard the sloop Clearwater, performing for communities along the Hudson River as part of its environmental campaign. In 1999, his concert at the Paramount Theatre in Austin was filmed for the television special and live release Starry Starry Night. The American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour followed in 2022 and included a concert at the London Palladium.