“Buddy Holly’s death is what I used to try to write the biggest possible song I could write about America. "The song is not about Buddy Holly," he said. The first verse appeared like a “genie out of the bottle.” He wrote the first verse in one sitting, later expanding the track into a rock 'n' roll epic capturing the loss of American innocence. Leading into the 60th anniversary of “the day the music died,” the Register spoke with McLean about Buddy Holly, the song’s legacy and if he’ll one day return to the Surf Ballroom. Read below for excerpts from the interview.īuddy Holly offers a jumping off point for the song, but “American Pie” isn’t about Holly, McLean said. More: Sorry, 'American Pie,' but the music didn't die in Clear Lake. Something about him, really … he was my favorite. “I was crazy about Buddy Holly,” McLean, age 73, told the Register. “the Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens died hours after striking a final note at the Surf Ballroom. The impact killed all four immediately, changing the course of music for decades to come.Īcross the country, a 13-year-old paperboy unfolded the next morning’s headlines to read words that’d leave him devastated.īuddy Holly, J.P. Sixty years ago this Sunday, just after 1 a.m., a plane carrying three rock 'n' roll stars and an Iowa pilot crashed into a frozen field north of Clear Lake, Iowa. “the Big Bopper” Richardson, along with pilot Roger Peterson. 1, 2019, ahead of the 60th anniversary of the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Watch Video: Surf Ballroom's Winter Dance Party honors Buddy Holly, celebrates rock 'n' rollĮditor's note: This story was originally published on Feb.
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