This is the perfect time to hear from a basically happy person. Someone who loves America and loves his life. We are talking about singer, songwriter Don McLean.
These days McLean is characterized as a "one hit wonder," but that facile description is wrong. McLean’s first hit was such a colossal success that it over–shadowed all his subsequent hit records. And that hit was "American Pie" (1971).
It took months for the song to gain momentum. First of all, it was very, very long, coming in at eight minutes, thirty-six seconds.
Top 40 station music directors didn’t want a song that long on their airwaves.
They were afraid listeners would change stations.
Those radio station gurus were wrong.
"American Pie" went to number one in January of 1972.
It has never left the airwaves in the 50 years since.
To give you an idea of how popular the song remains today, it is estimated that McLean makes between $300,000 and $500,000 per year in royalties — at even this late date.
The song tells the story of "the day the music died" in the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie Valens.
According to the Daily Telegraph, "the song broadly depicts how the early rock innocence of the 1950s, and a bygone simpler age, had been lost; overtaken by events and changes, which themselves had been overtaken by further changes."
In a lengthy interview with Fox Digital, McLean explained that he still loves the America of the 1950s and 1960s, "So many people today make it sound like the America of the ‘50s was some horrible White racist country, and it’s disgusting the way [some] people have characterized our country.
"There was a wonderful civility [back then]; there was trust; doors were open; we had the number-one colleges in the world; and we were number one, for real. We won the Olympics — we didn't send some dumb 'Dream Team' with professional athletes over to the Olympics.
"The Olympics were really the Olympics. Guys didn't have multi-million contracts and trainers . . . [The athletes in the Olympics] were everyday Americans. That's gone now."
McLean looks back over his life and he’s satisfied.
There were no stints in rehab or other pitfalls so many other stars fell into. "I made the right decision when I decided at age 15 that I wanted to chuck it all and be a singer and a musician, and I didn't care what happened. That's what I learned. And it was the best thing I ever did."
He went from, "sleeping in the car to sleeping at the Georges Sanc Hotel in Paris . . .This is the story of my life. Quite the dynamic. Really, 99% of the things that have happened to me in my life have been wonderful."
The good things that happened were the product of hard work and a refusal to quit. Before his first album was released ("Tapestry" that came before "American Pie") he was rejected 72 times by different record companies.
It was finally released by a new company that didn’t have an existing catalog of artists.
McLean says he never had a career "Plan B."
Today he’s still touring and in contrast to some other artists with past mega-hits, he doesn’t mind playing "American Pie" for an audience.
His concerts aren’t struggle sessions where he lectures the audience on theirs' and America’s failings. "I might tell a story, but usually I try to remind people that they should be happy — not jingoistic or nationalistic.
"But there's been a concerted effort by the left wing in America this time around to make Americans feel ashamed of their history. And to make them feel embarrassed by their country."
"Yet this is all part of a scheme for them to get more power," said McLean.
"That's all it is."
This means McLean won’t be playing on any regime media late night "comedy" shows, but that doesn’t bother him.
There are plenty of other opportunities: "I'm a career rambler. I've been doing this since I was 16 or 17 years old. You cannot become decadent. You cannot descend into the world of drugs or alcohol. You have to maintain your discipline.
"You have to be, to a degree, stoic. I travel with very little with me . . . I carry my own guitar just like I always did. And I'm always thankful to have work."
Michael Reagan, the eldest son of President Reagan, is a Newsmax TV analyst. A syndicated columnist and author, he chairs The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Michael is an in-demand speaker with Premiere speaker's bureau. Read Michael Reagan's Reports — More Here.
Michael R. Shannon is a commentator, researcher for the League of American Voters, and an award-winning political and advertising consultant with nationwide and international experience. He is author of "Conservative Christian's Guidebook for Living in Secular Times (Now with added humor!)" Read Michael Shannon's Reports — More Here.