Don McLean admitted he didnβt fully understand the success of his 1971 song βAmerican Pie,β but said it might stem from the fact that itβs partly a childrenβs song.
While he referred to the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper β the tragedy came to be known as βthe day the music diedβ β McLean said his principal inspiration was another shocking moment that took place four years later.
Read More:Don McLean Says βAmerican Pieβ Is Partly a Childrenβs Song