On February 8, 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper Richardson, plunged out of the sky killing all three and creating the backdrop for Don McLean’s ubiquitous “American Pie,” considered a musical masterpiece by the National Endowment for the Arts and a metaphor McLean crafted as America was racked in 1971 by assassinations, anti-war protests and civil rights marches. Those were turbulent days for our country worthy of the documentary just released on Paramount+; but also worth revisiting in light of where America sits today. “Bye-Bye, Miss American Pie…” channeled McLean’s – and our — deep sense of loss, grief, yet hope. America¸ it’s time we reclaim that hope!
Originally posted for the Orlando Sentinel’s Central Florida 100.
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