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Don McLean Gets a Life-Size Bronze Statue at the Surf Ballroom, Where Rock History Was Made
TAGS: Don McLean, Zenos Frudakis, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson, Maria Elena Holly, Rick French, Peter Bradley Jr., Jeff Nichols, Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Surf Ballroom and Museum,
Don McLean’s “American Pie” turns 55 this year, and the song’s connection to one of rock history’s most sacred sites is about to become permanent. The Surf Ballroom and Museum in Clear Lake, Iowa has announced that a life-size bronze statue honoring McLean will be erected on-site in 2027, standing as a lasting tribute to the songwriter whose eight-minute epic carried the story of February 2, 1959 into global cultural memory for generations.
The Surf Ballroom is the National Historic Landmark where Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson played their final show as part of the Winter Dance Party Tour, the night before the plane crash that claimed all three lives. McLean immortalized that moment in “American Pie,” and the statue will permanently connect his legacy to the place where the story began.
The statue is the work of acclaimed Philadelphia sculptor Zenos Frudakis, a lifelong friend of McLean whose portrait work includes statues of Muhammad Ali, Nina Simone, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. “The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation is thrilled that one of our most iconic ambassadors is being honored with a statue at The Surf Ballroom,” says Rick French, chairman of the Foundation and national trustee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “American Pie 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, confirms he’s working closely with McLean’s team and Jeff Nichols at the Surf Ballroom to plan a major unveiling upon the statue’s completion. Maria Elena Holly, Buddy Holly’s widow and one of McLean’s closest friends, is said to be overjoyed by the honor. First opened in 1933, the Surf Ballroom continues to host concerts and events year-round while expanding its educational and immersive museum offerings.