Don McLean

Donald McLean III (born October 2, 1945) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known for his 1971 song "American Pie", which was a number-one US hit for four weeks in 1972 and stayed put at 2 for 3 weeks in the UK, as well as a hit for Madonna in 2000. McLean\'s other well-known songs include: "And I Love You So", sung by Elvis Presley, Perry Como, Helen Reddy, and Glen Campbell, among others; "Vincent", a tribute to the 19th-century Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh; "Crying", a cover of the Roy Orbison song and a surprise number 1 hit in the United Kingdom in 1980; and "Castles in the Air", which McLean recorded twice. In 2004, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.\n', '

McLean\'s grandfather and father, both also named Donald McLean, had roots originating in Scotland. The Buccis, the family of McLean\'s mother, Elizabeth, came from Abruzzo in central Italy. They left…