I grew up watching Madonna’s music video for American Pie and I know all the words. When I found an invitation to interview the original singer-songwriter Don McLean, I made it happen! Always check your junk mail! Don McLean and I agree that social media is basically an archive. I’ve shared the audio from our conversation above and you can find the transcript below.
The music industry has changed a lot since you released hit songs in the 70s. How did you react when social media came along and how has it changed your life?
Don McLean: I think it brought everybody up to date on me and what I’ve done in fifty years. I mean, there are hundreds and hundreds of performances from television shows all over the world and interviews and concert footage. Stuff I did in Israel and Germany and Australia and all throughout England and Ireland, you know, everything is on there. And if you dig a little deeper, you will find that there are many television specials that I did for the BBC.
So, all of a sudden people can have fun. If they say, I’m going to get into Gordon Lightfoot this weekend, they can wander around the internet and find so much on someone who’s been around even longer than I have. So, it’s been a terrific thing for artists like me.
Yeah, I agree. Switching gears, your song Vincent is really iconic and it started a conversation about mental health before that became mainstream. How do you think the entertainment industry can support people with mental health issues?
Well, I think that if I may say something here that’s a little bit crazy. I think that America’s mental health has gone down the tubes. We are entertaining so many what I would say insane notions today that people are willing to think that I questioned the mental health of the whole country [with] a lot of the stuff that’s flying around out there.
I would also say, as far as that goes, that I think the more that you handle on your own and you know with the help of your family or whatever, and then you learn to get through hardship and adversity. Then you become a stronger person. And of course, there are people who do need some help, but I think seeking help all the time is not exactly the right thing, necessarily. Now, I know that this is going to not be the answer that you want to hear, but that’s what I really think.
Yeah, it’s not really what I was expecting, but it’s interesting. Let’s come back to what you’re working on now. You must be excited about your new tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of American Pie. You’re coming to Toronto soon and you have an amazing legacy. How do you measure success now?
Wow, that’s interesting. I never thought of success. All I ever thought was if I could make a living that would be a success. Jack Nicholson – I saw him in an interview and he said, “I just won three Oscars.” He said, “I feel I’m a success as an actor because I never had to take a day job.” And I would go with that one. I’ve never worked for anybody in my life. I have always found a way to live and be happy making music and I would make enough money to pay rent somewhere, or later on, I was able to buy a small home. And then as time went by, I made a lot of other moves, both financial and otherwise and [became a] wealthy man. But it was a long, long process.
One of the things about being successful is that you have to know how to do things at the right time. I saw a little interview with the great singer-songwriter Brook Benton who was one of my favorite singers. And Brook said that when you have your hit record, you have to be ready for that. You have to be ready to get on stage and perform. And you have to be able to showcase that hit record. You just can’t go on stage to say oh, what do I do now? You know what I mean?
Success is something that you have to prepare for and you have to be ready for. When I became successful around the world almost overnight, I had at least 10 years of nightclub work. I’m talking about doing three shows a night so that I was prepared for arduous concert tours. But had I not had that, that would never have happened and I would not have been able to have had a career.
I appreciate how you drew from interviews with other famous people who inspire you. Before we wrap up, do you have any memories of Toronto to share?
I have very good memories of Toronto. I remember I would open shows in the 60s at Massey Hall. I opened shows to Blood, Sweat and Tears and the James Gang and the audience was always really good to me. They really liked what I did, so I liked that. And then later on, I was playing Massey Hall and playing in different festivals in Toronto through the years. I played [Ontario Place] for like 14 years in a row. I like Canada!
That’s great. It sounds like you had some good times here. I hope you have fun in Toronto and this was a great opportunity. I’m excited to see everything that’s next for you.
Thank you for the good wishes and I wish you a very good day to you.
Don McLean is currently on the road for the 2022 American Pie 50th Anniversary Tour and he’ll be in Toronto on May 7 at the John Bassett Theatre. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.