EXCLUSIVE The American Pie and Vincent hitmaker praised the singer-songwriter’s work ethics

Don McLean (right) has shared his admiration for Taylor Swift (left) following her ‘classy’ move
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Don McLean has warned Taylor Swift to prioritise her wellbeing as she grapples with the stresses that come with her “galaxy-sized” fame, especially in the wake of a foiled terrorist attack which saw her recent Eras tour dates in Vienna cancelled.

The 78-year-old US singer-songwriter – who is known to fans as the “American Troubadour” or “King of the Trail” – and Swift have history together.

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In 2021, Swift sent him a note and a bouquet of flowers after she broke one of his music records.

It came after her track All Too Well (10 Minute Version) toppled McLean‘s eight-minute classic American Pie (Parts I & II) as the US Billboard Hot 100’s longest-length Number One entry. McLean’s song held the top Billboard position for four weeks in 1972.

“Standing on the shoulders of giants”, the accompanying handwritten card read, inferring that ambitious moves like McLean’s lengthy hit inspired her to do the same.

Don McLean is set to headline this year’s The Long Road Festival in Leicestershire
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McLean called it a “classy” act and has a lot of time for the songstress, who is about to wrap up the European leg of her mega world tour with her final sold out shows at London’s Wembley Arena.

Speaking to the Standard ahead of his headlining slot at The Long Road Festival in Leicestershire on August 24, he said: “She is a person who is an example of what talent and really hard work can accomplish.

“A lot of people think showbusiness is just something ‘oh you’re so wonderful, you should be a star’ well, by the way, Taylor Swift was a star for 15 years before she became a monster star, the size of the galaxy for god sake.

“She’s working all of the time and she does everything that she does better than everybody else, whether it’s a video or a performance or songwriting or records or what ever, she does it all, just way better than everybody else and it’s really interesting because all of those other acts are suddenly old fashioned.”

Don McLean has warned of the pitfalls of fame
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McLean – who has sold over 50 million records since starting out in the late 1960s – knows all too well himself about the traps that can come with huge success and of the shark-infested waters that is the music industry.