Don McLean, born in New Rochelle, New York is a revered singer-songwriter whose poetic lyrics and haunting melodies helped define the folk-rock sound of the 1970s. He rose to fame with the release of his 1971 landmark album American Pie, which featured the title track an 8½-minute epic chronicling the cultural shifts of a generation.

“American Pie” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks and became one of the most analyzed songs in rock history, eventually earning a place in the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry.