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Don McLean (c. 1979)

August 17, 2018, 11:00 pm

Don McLean is the revered American songwriter behind mega-hits like “American Pie,” “Vincent (Starry, Starry Night),” “Castles in the Air,” and many more. Studs Terkel brought along his portable tape recorder when he visited the touring troubadour in 1979. Don McLean returns to Chicago on August 19 for a concert at City Winery.

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Meet the Host

Studs Terkel (1912-2008) radically redefined the concept of radio interviews. For 45 years starting in 1952, WFMT was his homebase. His daily radio show was a pillar of WFMT’s programming, with its eclectic and astute mix of music and conversation. Studs juxtaposed interviews with the many of the 20th century’s most significant figures with the voices of uncelebrated, working people from Chicago. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Studs helped established oral history as a popular and socially ambitious literary genre. Some of his titles include: Division Street, Hard Times, Working, Race and And They All Sang (Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey). Studs was also a recipient of the National Book Award.

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Don McLean (c. 1979)