Latest news with #DonMcLean
Yahoo
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & Big Bopper Exhibit Launches at Final Venue From the Night They Died
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & Big Bopper Exhibit Launches at Final Venue From the Night They Died originally appeared on Parade. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were tragically killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, after playing at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. Just after take off, their plane crashed in a field a few miles north of Clear Lake, and all three musicians plus the pilot were killed instantly. That date came to be known as "the day the music died," immortalized in Don McLean's hit song "American Pie." The Surf Ballroom announced on Wednesday, August 6, that on what would have been Buddy Holly's 88th birthday, the venue is debuting a first-of-its-kind tribute to the rock 'n roll icons called Not Fade Away: The Immersive Surf Ballroom Experience. The opening activities start on Thursday, September 4, with a book signing, and then on Sunday, September 7 (Holly's birthday), the exhibit will open with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The exhibit will be in the newly completed Music Enrichment Center (MEC). It is described as a "transformative, multi-sensory journey through the birth of rock 'n' roll and the timeless sound that changed American music forever," using "immersive digital storytelling, historic artifacts, restored audio, and original archival materials."The never-before-seen artifacts on display include: Les Paul innovations: One of only two existing prototypes for the solid body electric guitar called 'The Log,' hand-built by Les Paul in approximately 1937 Les Paul's original handwritten plans for the very first 8-track tape recording device Les Paul's original 8-track console, which revolutionized modern recording 1970 custom Gibson guitar owned and played by Les Paul Les Paul's signature groundbreaking 'Paulverizer,' one of only three in existence Celebrity musician artifacts: Guitar signed by Buddy Holly while on the 1959 Winter Dance Party Tour Les Paul guitar owned and played by Slash, former lead guitarist of Guns 'n' Roses Les Paul guitar owned and played by Warren Haynes, formerly of the Allman Brothers Stratocaster signed by legendary blues guitarist Buddy Guy BB King signed "Lucille" guitar Willie Nelson signed guitar Don McLean signed American Pie LP and guitar Accordion owned and played by Lawrence Welk Leather top hat worn by Slash Personal effects of Holly, Valens, and Richardson: Microphone used by Buddy Holly at his last performance at The Surf Ballroom in 1959 Red corduroy jacket Buddy Holly wore during his last performance in San Antonio, TX Original camera that was used to take the Pulitzer-nominated photos of the fatal plane crash on Feb 3, 1959, that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. 'The Big Bopper' Richardson Hand-tooled leather wallet owned by Ritchie Valens and recovered from the crash Briefcase owned by J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson and recovered from the crash A pair of cufflinks owned by Buddy Holly and recovered from the crash Ritchie Valens original Del-Fi Gold Record for "La Bamba" and "Donna" Upright bass from the final performance of Buddy Holly's band, The Crickets'Not Fade Away reflects the power of public-private partnership and our shared commitment to preserving and promoting Clear Lake's unique place in American music history,' said Clear Lake Mayor Nelson Crabb in a statement. 'This project brings national attention, educational opportunity, and cultural significance to our community. It's an investment not only in heritage, but in our future.' 'This is a moment years in the making,' added Brian Luallen, CEO of the Surf Ballroom & Museum. 'We've combined cutting-edge technology with the soul of rock 'n' roll to tell a story that is as moving as it is unforgettable. 'Not Fade Away' honors the legacy of the artists who helped define a generation—and reminds us why their music still matters today.' 'This isn't just about music,' said Jeff Nicholas, President of North Iowa Cultural Center and Museum's Board of Directors. 'It's about memory, emotion, and the voices that continue to echo across generations. With 'Not Fade Away,' we're creating a space where history comes alive — and where our children and grandchildren can understand just how powerful one song, one show, or one moment can be.' For tickets and more information about the exhibit, check out the official website. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens & Big Bopper Exhibit Launches at Final Venue From the Night They Died first appeared on Parade on Aug 6, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
The Irish Sun
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘I can't come over to this bloodbath' – Irish gig promoter reveals top music stars' fears of playing gigs here in 70s
A CONCERT promoter has told of the huge battle to convince terrified global stars to come to Ireland during the brutal 1970s. While Advertisement 6 Peter Aiken has told of the battle to convince global stars to come to Ireland in the 70s Credit: Darragh Kane 6 Violence here — including the 1974 Dublin bombing — persuaded many to stay away Credit: AP Photo/Peter Winterbach 6 Don McLean said 'I don't want to go to Belfast, there's a war up there' Credit:for Lighthouse Immersive and Impact Museums A new podcast from The first episode of Fields of Dreams reveals how Ireland's huge 1970s youth population started to turn their backs on the stifling Church/State combo which had ruled their parents' lives. But he was certainly up against it. Advertisement Read more in News Listen to Fields Of Dreams on Peter said: 'In the north at that time, which was the nearest thing you could get to civil war, without it actually being civil war — and in a lot of people's eyes, it was — an awful lot of very, very innocent people died for nothing. 'There was very little scene in 'But when Rory came in 1972, the concerts were at 11 o'clock in the day, so people would be home by 4pm. People were terrified. The whole of Belfast, there was a ring of steel all around it. Advertisement Most read in Irish News 'You got searched getting into the town. And at five o'clock, that all shut down. So anything that was inside the city was shut. 'All the cinemas were gone at that time too. We had Willie Nelson coming one time and he read something in his local paper and he actually rang the office himself and said, 'I can't come over to this bloodbath'. 'You had to have power of persuasion, and he'd been with the manager of Don McLean and he said, 'You have to come to Belfast'. 'THERE'S A WAR UP THERE' 'But he said, 'I don't want to go to Belfast, there's a war up there'.' Advertisement American Pie singer McLean did come under Aiken's watch, as did But when it came to going north of the border, there were often obstacles and headaches. He said: 'I remember Dad telling me that he was bringing in Merle Haggard one time, I think 1978, and I happened to be there in the Europa Hotel in Belfast. 'AT LEAST WE'RE TOP OF SOMETHING' 'I wouldn't say it was with pride, but you're saying, 'Do you know the hotel you're staying in is the most bombed hotel in the world?' At least we're top of something!' Advertisement In the course of our podcast, future musicians, including Tom Dunne from Something Happens, Steve Wall from The Stunning, The Radiators from Space star Pete Holidai, Sharon Shannon and Fiachna O'Braonain from the Hothouse Flowers, outline their first steps into music in a country that was then rooted firmly in the past. Dunne said: 'The early Seventies, there was nothing. A combination of the Church and the State, and a lack of radio had really kept the Sixties out of Ireland. 'It's really remarkable that when bands like the Beatles and the Stones were having number ones worldwide, we were getting 'Limerick, You're A Lady' and really weird songs about funerals. Ireland was like this sad nation.' GROWING REBELLION The whiff of growing rebellion was inspired by folk, punk and rock music. Advertisement The Showbands era was coming to an end by the mid-70s as new technologies began opening the country up to outside influences. Dunne said: 'I wouldn't have given them the time of day. I couldn't see any real distinction between the worst of country and western and the showbands. It was just all palaver, you know, men dressed as Indians. 'It was just a pile of sh*te, and it never, even for a second, beeped on my radar. 'PART OF SOME MAD VISION' 'It was part of some mad vision of Ireland that had got nothing to do with me whatsoever.' Advertisement Dunne was among those who credited Celtic rock band The Horslips with saving Ireland's youth during a decade which slowly began to take shape. 'In the north at that time, which was the nearest thing you could get to civil war, without it actually being civil war — and in a lot of people's eyes, it was — an awful lot of very, very innocent people died for nothing." Peter Aiken Horslips were the first Irish band to really take control of their own affairs, from album covers to production, and blazed a trail for others to follow. But they went further than that. Bass player and singer Barry Devlin said: 'There was a funky fun club where you got a joke record at Christmas. And you know, if you wrote in to the lovely 'Samantha', who was the secretary who took care of all these things, you would get a reply. LETTER WRITERS 'You always got a reply. But the lovely 'Samantha', unfortunately, was me and Eamon Carr. Advertisement 'And so we spent a lot of time writing return letters to lovesick teenage boys!' The Fields of Dreams podcast is presented by Irish singer-songwriter Róisín O, who introduces her Mary, who thought everybody could sing until she went to school and realised she might have real talent, said: 'On a Sunday afternoon, after the pubs closed and Daddy had come over, and all the men and the neighbours had come in, singing sessions and musicians all — Daddy always had instruments in our house. 'PUSHED AT THE FRONT' 'We didn't have a lot, but we always had plenty of instruments. Advertisement 'I was always the one pushed at the front to sing.' Promoter Philip Flynn put on Ireland's first weekend outdoor folk festival in a field in 'The early Seventies, there was nothing. A combination of the Church and the State, and a lack of radio had really kept the Sixties out of Ireland." Tom Dunne It was an early template for the major events of the future which would become summer staples, like Forbidden Fruit and Electric Picnic. 'THERE WAS NOTHING' The Boys of Ballisodare Festival founder said of his 1977 event: 'We didn't need planning permission, we didn't need a licence, we needed nothing because there was nothing. Advertisement 'What you did need in Ireland at the time was a dance licence, but that only applied if you wanted to do dancing. 'I have a significant memory of Christy Moore standing on the hill in Ballisodare with myself and my brother Kevin on the Monday after the first festival, just saying how great it was. 'He said every parish will be at this now. And he was right. 'People, when they see something, think they can replicate it. And they have an overblown view. People thought I was a millionaire.' Advertisement The first two episodes of Fields Of Dreams are available on 6 Willie Nelson said 'I can't come over to this bloodbath' Credit:6 Rory Gallagher was happy to perform despite the Troubles Credit: Mark Sullivan/Contour by Getty Images 6 Tom Dunne from Something Happens joined our podcast to outline his music journey
CBC
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Flashback: A taste of American pie
A taste of American pie Singer/songwriter Don McLean 2 days ago Duration 1:33 A music hall in Prince Edward Island has pioneered a genre that uses "pop songs as a vehicle for historical storytelling," freelancer Hillary LeBlanc wrote for CBC Arts last week. Co-owner Mike Ross calls the format a "docu-concert." Ross and company are about to debut a work that delves into Gordon Lightfoot's The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, and LeBlanc says their first docu-concert included "a line-by-line breakdown" of the 1971 Don McLean song American Pie. When he was a guest on the CBC concert series Sounds Good in 1976, McLean ended the show with a performance of that song. In an interview during the program, McLean said most of his work had "some root in my own experience." A part of our heritage Queen Elizabeth drops puck at hockey game in 2002 2 days ago Duration 0:29 There were two days of "pomp and ceremony" across Ottawa fora visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla this week, according to CBC News. Among his other duties, Charles launched a street hockey demonstration with a "ceremonial puck drop." When visiting Canada in 2002, Queen Elizabeth appeared to be pleased to drop the puck at a National Hockey League match in Vancouver. Wayne Gretzky, who had recently retired from playing in the NHL, was there beside her. "Every country's different and we grew up in this one with the Royal Family as part of our heritage," said Gretzky in reply to an American reporter's question at a press conference after the ceremony, according to a Globe and Mail account. Into the twilight zone Role-playing group brings fantasy to life in 1985 2 days ago Duration 3:41 The Fantasy Field Trip Society in Halifax shows a CBC reporter a campaign in live-action role playing. A British man wore a Super Mario costume while running a marathon in Copenhagen this month. According to Canadian Running magazine, he set a Guinness World Record "for the fastest marathon dressed as a video game character." In 1985, a Halifax group calling itself the Fantasy Field Trip Society also put on costumes to evoke fictional figures. A CBC crew followed members through a live-action role-playing scenario drawn from a science fiction novel as a games master (who doubled as a wizard) sent them to "the twilight realm" to seek a magic sword. "It's a lot of fun to get dressed up and see what your imagination will let you do," said a participant, whose role as a 'fire and ice sister' was to confuse the seekers. She said her day job was as a clerk for the federal government. A bigger boat fleet Clothing-optional beach at Hanlan's Point officially approved in Toronto 2 days ago Duration 2:03 In a debate with a few dissenters, Toronto's city council agrees to make clothing optional on a city beach that must be reached by ferry. Aired May 12, 1999 with reporter Adam Vaughan. Toronto city council has approved the purchase of two new electric ferries, said a report last week from CBC News. In 1999, CBC reporter Adam Vaughan said the city might need extra boats after a vote to make a Toronto Island beach clothing-optional. Ice dream The Minnesota Frost have beaten the Ottawa Charge to win the Professional Women's Hockey League championship, reports the Associated Press. Back in 1987, CBC reported on what it said was the first international women's international hockey tournament. Out with outports Resettlement in Newfoundland: is it good for the people? 56 years ago Duration 23:29 When Take 30 goes to Newfoundland to ask former Placentia Bay outport residents if the move to Arnold's Cove was a good one, the responses vary widely. Last week CBC News reported on the town of Tilt Cove, N.L., whose four residents will soon be relocating to a town on the same coastline. In 1969, the CBC show Take 30 examined outport resettlement in the province, calling it "migration on a vast scale." The bird is the word Starting later this year, new episodes of Sesame Street and "select past episodes" will run on Netflix in addition to PBS, the Associated Press has reported. There was a familiar feathered face out of context in 1985 when Big Bird was on CBC's Midday.
Fox News
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
'American Pie' singer Don McLean critical of 'very bad lyric writing' in modern music
"American Pie" singer Don McLean isn't too impressed with modern songwriters. On the red carpet at the MovieGuide Awards, the musician told Fox News Digital the biggest change he's seen over his career is "very bad lyric writing and no melodies. Two important things in a song, lyrics and melody." McLean has remained a prolific performer and artist, re-releasing three of his albums, "Believers," "Chain Lightning" and "Prime Time," on vinyl and CD, as well as releasing two children's books and continuing to tour. "I got tons of stuff going on. I took some time off, and I'll start rolling sometime around this summer and then go, really go all through next year," he said. The 79-year-old also recently marked the 66th anniversary of "The Day the Music Died," when Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson died in a plane crash. The tragedy served as the inspiration for McLean's iconic hit, "American Pie," a song that has become an integral part of the pop culture landscape. But McLean says he never "planned" for the song to take off. "People chose the song 'American Pie.' It wasn't something that was planned. The minute it came out, they started to play Buddy Holly, and there wasn't any reference to him in the song," he said. He continued, "And a few years after that, all these radio stations started going to oldies, playing songs from the '50s and '60s because they realized how much people missed this music. They miss it more now, I'm sure." The creation and impact of "American Pie" has been chronicled in the 2022 documentary, "The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's American Pie," on Paramount+ and Amazon. WATCH: DON MCLEAN ON 'THE PEOPLE' CHOOSING TO MAKE 'AMERICAN PIE' ICONIC McLean has honored the passing of those music legends through song and acknowledgment of what has become an "unofficial holiday." "Then the whole 'The Day the Music Died' started about 10 years ago, I guess. It's sort of an unofficial holiday commemorating this solemn occasion, and the song, of course, deified that moment in a certain way," he explained. "I was trying to write a big song about America, and so that's how that all happened, but again, it all happened from the people," he added. McLean can be seen presenting the best documentary category at the MovieGuide Awards airing March 6 on Great American Family.
The Guardian
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Surreal, dreamlike, confusing: a night watching 18 Champions League ties
Raspberry Beret by Prince, Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees, American Pie by Don McLean, All I Want is You by U2, the theme tune to Sesame Street: these are all in their different ways excellent pieces of music. But as part of playlists broadcast without end and at high volume, all have been used by the US army in psychological warfare – demonstrating that too much of a good thing is not just possible but, at extreme levels, absolutely excruciating. Watching the manic conclusion to the Champions League group stage on Wednesday brought those playlists to mind, as I debated whether I was being entertained or encouraged to run screaming from my house. The trend in sport for many years has been to make competitions bigger, longer, more drawn out, and at first the new 36-team Champions League format felt like another step on this tiresome journey. But the widely acknowledged need for the final games of a group stage to be played at the same time forced tournament organisers into a temporary swerve in a very different direction. If you watched the final round of fixtures traditionally, soberly, one game at a time, even without breaks or pauses it would take you one entire day and five additional hours, including stoppage time. I tried to watch it as Uefa intended, crammed into two hours on a Wednesday evening. And it was very compelling, in a Lynchian way: dreamlike, surreal, at times extremely confusing. I consumed it with a creeping sense of dread that this might actually be seen as a success. If others run with the idea it is only a matter of time before the FA Cup third-round draw involves a single ball being drawn on each of 64 television stations at the same time, followed by a pause of several days while everyone tries to make sense of it. Some fans at PSV Eindhoven's Philips Stadion are forced to watch games from behind a clear Perspex screen, and as Liverpool prepared to take the penalty that opened the scoring there, just under half an hour into the game, they were shown beating their hands against it. I very strongly sympathised, my own screens saved from similar violence only by the fact I was by then experiencing some kind of catatonic reaction to extreme substance abuse, the substance involved being football. Later, early in the second half as Manchester City flirted for a while with elimination, every time the camera cut to Pep Guardiola he seemed to be displaying symptoms of extreme distress: on one occasion he was pacing about, head in hands, muttering to himself; on another he was viciously assaulting an icebox. Again, I sympathised. Watching a dozen games, monitoring another six, I had a vague and sketchy idea of what was happening in lots of places without having a genuinely clear idea of what was happening anywhere, least of all my own head. 'I hope you've got your popcorn ready, this will be a night like no other,' said Matt Smith as TNT Sports' broadcast commenced an hour before the real action started. 'Eighteen games kicking off at the same time, and the only place to see it all is right here.' Right there was, in fact, the place to see only one of them: seeing the rest would involve accessing a further 17 places while for the exasperated there was a 19th where an attempt was being made to keep abreast of everything. To cope with this unique challenge it looked a bit like TNT had just spread pundits around a big, shiny house full of cameras. Owen Hargreaves and Martin Keown discussed Arsenal on a sofa while Joe Cole and Peter Crouch sat at a table to talk about Liverpool, Ally McCoist and James Horncastle discussed the night's possibilities while perched around an island on bar stools and Rio Ferdinand and Joleon Lescott stood outside to opine about City. You half expected a disembodied Geordie voice to tell you that Michael Owen was in the diary room. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion I ranked the games in likely order of interest and positioned them around my various screens on that basis, with a key so I could find them when I needed them: Inter v Monaco was in the top right of one screen, Barcelona v Atalanta on the bottom left of another, Stuttgart v PSG on my phone, Aston Villa v Celtic on a tablet. Desperately trying not to miss anything important my eyes skimmed across the scene in a constant state of fear and panic. Inevitably I missed a lot of important things: I didn't see City fall behind on the stroke of half-time, but immediately promoted them from the bottom left of screen three to the top left of screen two and relegated Liverpool in their place, as a result of which I also didn't see Liverpool falling behind on the stroke of half-time. Gradually the situation simplified. With 15 minutes to go I reached a state of sweet, sweet clarity: only four games were still competitive and potentially crucial, at City, Sporting, Dinamo Zagreb and Barcelona. City scored a third and it was down to three. Final whistles started to sound. Soon it was all on Dinamo and how many goals they could score in the closing minutes against 10-man Milan, which turned out to be none. They finished outside the playoffs on goal difference, and at the Etihad Brugge, one place above them, finally celebrated. Mateo Kovacic, player of the match in that game, was asked about City's task in the playoffs. 'It doesn't matter,' he said. 'Everything in the Champions League is tough.' And don't I know it.
