Don McLean admitted he didn’t fully understand the success of his 1971 song “American Pie,” but said it might stem from the fact that it’s partly a children’s song.
While he referred to the 1959 plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper – the tragedy came to be known as “the day the music died” – McLean said his principal inspiration was another shocking moment that took place four years later.
Read More:Don McLean Says ‘American Pie’ Is Partly a Children’s Song