Don McLean

Don McLean is an American singer-songwriter, most famous for his 1971 ballad American Pie. He was born on October 2, 1945 in New Rochelle, New York. McLean graduated from Iona Preparatory School in 1963 but dropped out of Iona College before getting a degree. (Sorry to put this here, but could you check the Discussion pages and Don McLean's web pages for his biographical info. It says he quit attending Villanova, not Iona.) He was a popular folk singer at campus events. With the help of a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, he began reaching a wider public, with visits to towns up and down the Hudson River. He learned the art of performing from his friend and mentor Pete Seeger. McLean accompanied Seeger on his Clearwater boat up the Hudson River in 1969 to protest environmental pollution in the river. The Clearwater campaign was widely credited for improving water quality in the Hudson River. Source: Wikipedia