Don McLean (born to Elizabeth and Donald on October 2, 1945 in New Rochelle, New York) is an American singer-songwriter. He is most famous for his 1971 album American Pie, containing the renowned songs "American Pie" and "Vincent".
The McLean clan traces its roots to the Isle of Mull in the Scottish Hebrides. Both Dons grandfather and father were named Donald McLean which sometimes led to confusion as Don was also christened Donald McLean. Dons mothers family, the Buccis, came from Abruzzi in southern Italy. They left Italy and settled in Port Chester, N.Y. at the end of the 19th century. "American Pie" is a folk rock song by singer-songwriter Don McLean.
Recorded and released on the American Pie album in 1971, the single was a number-one U.S. hit for four weeks in 1972. A re-release in 1991 did not chart in the U.S., but reached number 12 in the UK. The song is an abstract story surrounding "The Day the Music Died"--the 1959 airplane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Giles Perry (The Big Bopper) Richardson, Jr. The importance of "American Pie" to America's musical and cultural heritage was recognized by the Songs of the Century.