Since the release of his debut album, Tapestry, in 1970, Don McLean has had a singular career of incredible breadth and scope. He has over 40 gold and platinum records worldwide, including the number one hit, “American Pie,” which has become a bedrock recording in the history of American popular music. This was recently affirmed when it was voted the fifth greatest song of the 20th century in a joint poll done by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment For The Arts. “American Pie” along with other McLean hits, “Vincent,” “Empty Chairs” and “And I Love You So” have been played more than three million times on American radio over the last 35 years, while his songs have been recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Madonna, George Michael, Guns & Roses, Josh Groban, Perry Como and Fred Astaire to name but a few.
In 2005, Don McLean continues to steadily tour and record. This Fall will be no exception. In September, he’ll launch a string of U.S. tour dates that will stretch through the year’s end. And on October 11th, almost to the day of his 60th birthday on October 2nd, HYENA Records will release, Rearview Mirror, the first ever Don McLean retrospective of its kind. A stunning collection of Don’s timeless body of work, the album is comprised primarily of rarities and never before released recordings from his own personal archive. The 18 tracks on Rearview Mirror feature the original hit recording of “American Pie,” a previously unreleased “live” version of “Vincent,” studio tracks from Don’s self-produced “cowboy” albums, a duet with Nanci Griffith on “And I Love You So” and Don’s brand new song, “Run Diana Run.” Rearview Mirror is produced by Don along with Grammy Award-winning producer Joel Dorn, who previously worked with McLean on his 1974 album, Homeless Brother. Rearview Mirror will also include a bonus DVD that provides never before seen home video footage of McLean rehearsing with the legendary vocal group, The Jordanaires, for their annual Christmas Concert at Carnegie Hall in 1984. Also included on the DVD is the video for “Headroom,” the only video Don has ever made.
Don McLean’s concert appearances in Fall 2005 include:
September 9 / Utah State Fair / Salt Lake City, UT
September 10 / The Bosque River Stage / Waco, TX
September 24 / Central Missouri State University / Warrensburg, MO
October 1 / Lackawanna Junior College / Scranton, PA
October 6 / Ameristar Casino / Saint Charles, MO
October 14 / St. George Theater / Staten Island, NY
October 15 / Biggs Theater / Ada, OH
October 27 / Arcada Theater / St. Charles, IL
October 28 / Weill Center / Sheboygan, WI
October 29 / Edison College Lee Campus / Ft. Myers, FL
November 12 / Freemont Street Experience / Las Vegas, NV
December 3 / Paramount Theater / Peekskill, NY
December 16 / The State Theater / Falls Church, VA
December 17 / Bergen Performing Arts Center / Englewood, NJ
