Don McLean will be honored with a life-size bronze statue at the Surf Ballroom & Museum in Clear Lake, Iowa in 2027. The Surf Ballroom, a National Historic Landmark where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson performed on February 2, 1959 as part of the Winter Dance Party tour, announced the tribute as “American Pie” turns 55 years old. The statue will stand as a permanent tribute to the songwriter whose work helped carry the story of that night into global cultural memory. The announcement comes on February 3, the anniversary of the 1959 plane crash that claimed the lives of Holly, Valens and Richardson.
The new statue is inspired by an existing life-size bronze portrait created by acclaimed sculptor Zenos Frudakis. Originally completed in 1989, the portrait was featured on the cover of McLean’s album ‘Classics’. Frudakis, a lifelong friend of McLean, is known for his statues of Muhammad Ali, Nina Simone, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He is creating an entirely new statue for public display at the Surf, adding a new landmark for visitors to the historic ballroom and its adjacent museum experiences.
Rick French, chairman of The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation and a national trustee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said “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. While American Pie was famously inspired by the plane crash that claimed the lives of Buddy, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson on February 3, 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.” Peter Bradley Jr., vice chairman of The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, is working closely with McLean, his management team and Jeff Nichols at the Surf Ballroom to plan the unveiling. Bradley noted that “to this day Don remains one of Maria Elena Holly’s closest friends and she was overjoyed to learn a statue is being cast in his honor.” The Surf Ballroom first opened in 1933 and was rebuilt in 1948 after a fire. McLean is currently on tour with dates running through August.
Don McLean Tour Dates:
Fri, Feb 06 – Lobero Theatre – Santa Barbara, Calif.
Sat, Feb 07 – Saban Theatre – Beverly Hills, Calif.
Fri, Mar 20 – Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee – Immokalee, Fla.
Sat, Mar 21 – Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts – Melbourne, Fla.
Sun, Mar 22 – Savannah Center – The Villages, Fla.
Mon, Mar 23 – Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre – Clearwater, Fla.
Sat, May 16 – Honeywell Center – Wabash, Ind.
Fri, May 22 – Edmond Town Hall – Newton, Ct.
Thu, May 28 – Riviera Theatre – North Tonawanda, N.Y.
Fri, May 29 – Caesars Circus Maximus Theater – Atlantic City, N.J.
Sat, Jun 06 – Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino – Las Vegas, Nev.
Sat, Aug 01 – Murphy Theatre – Wilmington, Ohio
Sat, Aug 22 – Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center – Indianapolis, Ind.