Don McLean

Don McLean is an American singer-songwriter widely famous for his best-known hit song, American Pie. The song is an 8.5-minute folk-rock that talks about the loss of innocence of rock and roll from the previous generations. He is also known for his other song, Vincent.

The 77 years old, Don is still present in his career from 1969. So, he has surely gathered a hefty amount of money net worth. To find out more about the famous hitmaker and sensational folk musician’s early life, failed marriages, and multimillion net worth, stay tuned with us.

Early Life of Don McLean

Donald McLean III was born on 2nd October 1945 in New Rochelle, New York, the United States. He was raised with a catholic faith, just like his mother, Elizabeth Bucci. While his father, Donald McLean, was a Protestant. McLean’s father and grandfather both had the same name ‘Donald McLean.’ Unfortunately, when Don was 15, his father died.

In order to fulfill his father’s request, Don graduated from Iona Preparatory School in 1963. Following his graduation, the singer-songwriter attended Villanova but dropped out a few months later.

McLean bought his first guitar at the age of 15 and used to attend vocal classes, paid for by his sister. After dropping out of Villanova, Don began performing at different venues and events in Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, D.C.

Later, he attended night school at Lona College and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration (BBA) in 1968. Moving on, McLean even turned down a scholarship from Columbia University Graduate School to pursue a career in the music industry as a singer-songwriter.

Career Highlights

Don McLean released his debut album, Tapestry, in 1969, which attracted good reviews in the folk community. His songs from the album “Castles in the Air” became successful in the Easy Listening chart. His other song, “And I Love You So,” became the number 1 Adult Contemporary hit in 1973. Above all, Don’s breakthrough happened after the release of his second studio album “American Pie.” The album included two number-one hits called “American Pie” and ” Vincent.” “Vincent” which was a tribute to the late artist Vincent van Gogh.

Here is a video of Don discussing his career and performing some of his hits!

Moreover, McLean’s fourth studio album, PLayin’ Favourites, bagged the position in top-40 hits in the UK in 1973. Live performances of the song “Mountain of Mourne” and  “Every day” returned McLean to the UK Singles Chart. In the year 1974, McLean released his album, “Homeless Brothers,” which talked about the “hobo” of the USA. Moreover, famous artists like Madonna, Drake, Garth Brooks, and Josh Groban have recorded the songs written by Don.

Failed Marriages

The American singer-songwriter Don McLean was married twice and both marriages ended up in a divorce. McLean was first married to American crafts scholar Carol Sauvion in the year 1969. The two stayed married till 1976 before Sauvion filed for divorce. McLean, as well as Sauvion, never disclosed the reason behind their divorce to the public.

Again, Don McLean got married for the second time to Patrisha Shnier in 1987. Unfortunately, the two also ended up in a divorce after 28 years of marriage in 2016. McLean and Patrisha have two children; Jackie McLean and Wyatt Mclean.

Don’s second marriage ended on a bad note, even resulting in his arrest. Don attacked and threatened Partisha for hours before she finally called 911. Don was then arrested from his house on the grounds of domestic violence, assault, violence criminal threatening, domestic terrorizing,  criminal restraint, and criminal mischief on January 18, 2016.

Moreover, his second wife also accused him of having “rage” as well as controlling behavior throughout their marriage. For the charges, McLean was fined $3,000 without any jail sentence. Currently, McLean is out of controversies.

Is Don McLean Currently Dating Anyone?

Well, the answer is yes. Don McLean is currently dating Paris Dylan. After Don’s divorce from his second wife was finalized, the two started dating. Paris Dylan, 28, is a former Playboy model and was appointed the job of handling Don’s social media accounts. Soon after she took the job, the two started a love bond. Paris said she used to be a fan of Don and his music.

In spite of the huge age gap of 48 years, it seems the fact doesn’t bother the couple or their relationship. Furthermore, the couple is vacationing all around the world and spending fortunes on their lavish vacations.

Net Worth

Don McLean has made around $50 million net worth from his career as a singer-songwriter as of 2023. McLean once said,

My degree from Iona College and my smart business manager helped my money to last and grow.

Only on April 25, 2015, he sold the main manuscript for his greatest hit “American Pie” for $1.2 million. Moreover, Don still makes more than $300,000 a year as royalties from “American Pie.” He rides a BMW that costs around $58,900.

Furthermore, he still tours, and in 2019, he visited around 85 cities over the world with his girlfriend, Paris Dylan. Reportedly, McLean spent $270,000 on holidays in 2019. To add more, he and his girlfriend, Paris, spent $8 million of his net worth on luxurious hotels, fancy restaurants, and her $44,000 closet. McLean has a 300-acre estate in Maine and many luxurious mansions in California. Furthermore, American musician & actor Bill Hudson has an estimated net worth of $2 million.

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