More than half a century after Don McLeanimmortalized "The Day The Music Died" in his heartfelt anthem, "American Pie" will receive an honor like no other.
The Surf Ballroom — the National Historic Landmark where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson performed on February 02, 1959, as part of the Winter Dance Party tour — announced on February 03 that they would install a life-sized bronze statue of McLean as a tribute to the lasting impact of his iconic anthem.
Acclaimed sculptor Zenos Frudakis has carved the statue, having previously worked with McLean to create the bronze portrait used for his Classics album artwork. The new statue will serve as a landmark for visitors to the Surf Ballroom, helping them learn about the history and the final performance of these young rock stars.
Photo Courtesy of Zenos FrudakisPhoto Courtesy of Zenos Frudakis
"The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation is thrilled that one of our most iconic ambassadors is being honored with a statue at The Surf Ballroom, the site of Buddy Holly's final performance," said Rick French, chairman of The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation and a national trustee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in a press release.
"While 'American Pie' was famously inspired by the plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson on February 03, 1959, it has stood for more than half a century as an anthem to the cultural shifts of our country and is as relevant today as it has ever been," added French.
Related: The Mystery Behind 'The Day the Music Died' Gets a New Live Show
Following the show at The Surf Ballroom—an unscheduled stop on the troubled Winter Tour—a frustrated Holly, unhappy with the state of the malfunctioning tour bus, chartered a plane to fly himself and his band to the tour's next stop near Fargo, North Dakota. The Big Bopper, who was dealing with the flu, took the place of one of Holly's bandmates, Waylon Jennings. Valens won his seat on the plane from Tommy Allsup over a coin toss.
The plane took off after midnight on February 03, but crashed soon afterwards, killing all aboard. Twelve years after the tragedy, a young singer-songwriter from New Rochelle looked at America, caught in the throes of political and social upheaval, and wrote a song that captured this transitional period.
"I was conscious of the fact that I was trying to create a rock'n'roll dream sequence," McLean said in a recent interview. "But it was way more than rock'n'roll. It was about an America that was coming apart at the seams."
Related: Don McLean Explains 'American Pie' as America ‘Coming Apart at the Seams’
McLean included the song on his album, American Pie, which he released in October 1971. A month later, he released the eight-and-a-half-minute-long song as a single. Despite its unconventional length, the song resonated with listeners, and "American Pie" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Though unconventional in its eight-and-a-half-minute length, "American Pie" was a hit. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972. In 2017, the Library of Congress selected the song to be preserved in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
Don McLean's management is working with the Surf Ballroom to plan a proper unveiling of the statue upon completion. Until then, McLean will be on the road, playing the following dates across America.
DON McLEAN 2026 TOUR DATES (SUBJECT TO CHANGE): February 06 — Lobero Theatre — Santa Barbara, Calif.February 07 — Saban Theatre — Beverly Hills, Calif.March 20 — Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee — Immokalee, Fla.March 21 — Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts — Melbourne, Fla.March 22 — Savannah Center — The Villages, Fla.March 23 — Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre — Clearwater, Fla.May 16 — Honeywell Center — Wabash, Ind.May 22 — Edmond Town Hall — Newton, Ct.May 28 — Riviera Theatre — North Tonawanda, N.Y.May 29 — Caesars Circus Maximus Theater — Atlantic City, N.J.June 06 — Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino — Las Vegas, Nev.August 01 — Murphy Theatre — Wilmington, OhioAugust 22 — Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center — Indianapolis, Ind.
For tickets and the latest updates, visit DonMcLean.com.
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