Don McLean, portrait sculpture
Don McLean (1945 – ) Portrait bronze by Zenos Frudakis. One of America's most enduring singer-songwriters, Don McLean is widely known classics such as "American Pie," "I Love You So," and "Vincent (Starry, Starry Night)." The sculpture, a life-size bronze portrait of McLean, was completed in 1989 and finished with a light golden patina. A photograph of the sculpture was subsequently used for the cover of the Classics album, which was first released by Curb Records in 1992. McLean's portrait from this work is also incorporated into the wall of Frudakis's larger Freedom sculpture in, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
⭐America 250—Don McLean’s Continuing Influence in American Culture
Don McLean is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist, celebrated as the “American Troubadour” for his skill in musical storytelling. His 1971 hit “American Pie” is a lyrical journey—an iconic folk-rock ballad that has become a generational symbol of the loss of innocence in the early rock and roll era and the onset of the turbulent cultural and political shifts of the 1960s. Inspired in part by the memories of being a paperboy in 1959 and learning of the death of Buddy Holly—the lyric “The Day the Music Died” has entered the American lexicon. Recognized as one of the top five songs of the 20th century, “American Pie” has been inducted into both the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress. McLean has received numerous honors, including induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the Music City Walk of Fame. His songs continue to tell the story of a changing America, inspiring artists and influencing American culture to this day.
Portrait Sculpture
Size: Life size
Media: Bronze
Created: 1989
Location / Collection: Private Collection