80-Year-Old Legend Behind Iconic ’70s Song Announces Farewell Tour

Musician Don McLean is saying bye bye to touring.

At least in the UK.

The 80-year-old Songwriters Hall of Famer announced on Instagram last week that he’ll be returning to the UK in May in what will be a farewell tour.

McLean is scheduled to play eight shows between May 11 and May 22, commencing at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall and finishing at the London Royal Albert Hall. Some fifty-years ago, McLean made his UK debut at the London Royal Albert Hall, which is not lost on him.

“I love these audiences. They have kept me going for 55 years and given me a career I could not have had anywhere else,” McLean said in a statement released announcing the tour.

The tour is titled: Don McLean The UK and Ireland Farewell Tour.

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McLean is most well known for his 1971 classic, “American Pie,” which reached number one on the Billboard chart. The song, which has a run time of more than eight minutes and 30 seconds, has been certified platinum six times. “American Pie” is such a cult-classic that the song spawned a 2022 documentary, The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie, released on Paramount+. Additionally, the song was named a Top 5 Song of the 20th Century by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA).

Throughout his career, McLean, a native New Yorker, has released 22 albums, including 2024’s “American Boys,” which is his most recent release. In total, McLean’s sold more than 50 million albums worldwide.

McLean’s been nominated for four Grammy Awards, had two singles that reached number one, “American Pie,” and “Wonderful Baby,” and a handful of other songs that have placed in the top 10, including: “Vincent”, “Dreidel”, “Crying”, “Since I Don’t Have You”, and “Castles In The Air.”

Before McLean tours for the last time next spring – at least in the UK – he’ll play several shows in the US and Australia, including stops in Illinois, California, New Jersey, Florida and elsewhere.