The Center for Arts in Natick Holds Their 2009 Benefit 10/3, Features Don McLean

The Center for Arts in Natick 2009 Benefit on Saturday October 3, 2009 - 7:30 PM.  Tickets will cost $150 for the concert & post-show reception, and $100 for the concert only.

The Center for Arts in Natick celebrates its 12th anniversary with a special benefit performance by one of America's greatest songwriters, who recorded such memorable songs as "Vincent" (Starry, Starry Night), "And I Love You So", "Castles In The Air", "Tapestry", "Dreidel", "Crying", and "American Pie", recognized as one of the Top 5 Songs of the Century by the National Endowment of the Arts.

The mission of The Center for Arts in Natick is to bring people together...through the arts. TCAN is an authorized 501(c)(3) Public Charity, incorporated as Natick Performing Arts Center, Inc. in 1997. Contributions to TCAN are tax-deductible, to the amount allowable by law.

 

TCAN provides a cultural center to the MetroWest Boston region, where national and emerging artists present performances, literary events, and art exhibitions in an environment that brings together individuals and families, children and seniors. Classes in music, theatre, dance and visual arts are regularly held for students of all ages.

TCAN's Firehouse venue defines the ideal performance space for music concerts, theatrical and dance presentations, lectures, film programs and special functions in the MetroWest area. This historic (c.1875) Summer Street Firehouse building has been carefully restored as a theatre, art gallery and community center with space to accommodate art exhibits and business offices. For more information on The Center for Arts in Natick, visit www.natickarts.org.  Tickets can be purchased here.

In 1969, Don recorded his first album, "Tapestry", in Berkeley, CA. The student riots were going on outside the studio door as Don was singing "And I Love You So" inside. The album was released by Mediarts and attracted good reviews and achieved modest commercial success. The transition to major international stardom began in 1971 with the release of "American Pie". "American Pie" was recorded on 26th May 1971 and a month later received its first radio airplay on New York's WNEW-FM and WPLJ-FM to mark the closing of The Fillmore East, the famous New York concert hall. However Don's first live public performance of the song had received an indifferent reaction from the audience - he sang the song and the audience was stunned into silence! Little did they know they'd just heard the song that was to become one of the most famous of all time.

Thirty years later, "American Pie" was voted number 5 in a poll of the 365 Songs of the Century compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. "American Pie" was issued as a double A-side single in November 1971 and charted within a month. Very quickly, the attention from media and public alike sent the single to #1 in the USA and Don to superstardom. Every line of the song was analysed time and time again to find the real meaning. Don has always refused to sanction any of the many interpretations, so adding to its mystery.

The second single, "Vincent”, charted on 18th March 1972 going on to reach US#12, UK#1. The "American Pie” album remained at #1 in the UK for 7 weeks in 1972, and in the UK charts for 53 consecutive weeks. In the wake of “American Pie”, Don became a major concert attraction and was able to call upon material not only from his two albums but from a tremendous repertoire of old concert hall numbers and the complete catalogues of singers such as Buddy Holly, and another McLean influence, Frank Sinatra. The years spent playing gigs in small clubs and coffee houses paid off with well-paced performances. Don's first concert at the Albert Hall in 1972 was a triumph. With all this success, "Tapestry” was reissued by United Artists and charted in the USA on 12th February 1972 reaching #111 and the top-15 in the United Kingdom; it includes two of Don's most famous songs: "And I Love You So” and "Castles in the Air”. Â

In 1992, many previously unreleased songs became available on "Favorites and Rarities” while "Don McLean Classics” featured new studio recordings of "Vincent” and "American Pie”. In 1994, Don appeared at the Buddy Holly tributes in the USA and London, and "Guns and Roses” took a replica of Don's version of "Since I Don't Have You” (a US top-20 hit for Don in April 1981) to the UK top-10. 1995 and "American Pie' returns to the top-40; this time in "techno-music” format performed by European artist, Just Luis. In 1996, "Killing Me Softly With His Song"‘, performed by The Fugees, was one of the biggest selling singles of the year.

Don McLean credits his 1997 performance of “American Pie” at Garth Brooksâ€^TM Central Park concert (attended by over 500,000 people) as the beginning of his third career comeback. According to Don, his first "comeback" had been the release of "Vincent" and the second, the release and massive success of "Crying". Two years later Garth Brooks repaid the favour by appearing as a special guest (with Nanci Griffith) on Don's first ever American TV special, broadcast on PBS and now available as the “Starry Starry Night” video, DVD and CD. A month later, Don McLean wound up the 20th century by performing "American Pie" for President Clinton at the Lincoln Memorial Gala In Washington D.C.

In 2000, Madonna recorded a cover version of "American Pie" that upon release in the UK entered the official singles chart at number 1 and made the US top-30 on air play points alone. This prompted EMI to release a new "Best of Don McLean" CD that gave Don his first top-30 album chart entry in almost 20 years.Â

The 21st Century has seen a number of new honours for Don McLean and his music. Iona College conferred an honorary doctorate on Don in 2001 and, in February 2002, "American Pie" was finally inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. In 2004 Don McLean was inaugurated into the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriters' Hall of Fame.  The ceremony took place on June 10th, 2004 in New York City and Don's award was presented by Garth Brooks, who paid a glowing tribute.

In 2007 Don McLean shared his professional life story in Alan Howard's 420-page biography ("The Don McLean Story: Killing Us Softly With His Songs") and hit the international charts with the CD/DVD issue, "The Legendary Don McLean". 

 

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