Don McLean to Return to Bilheimer Capitol Theatre
The GRAMMY honoree and Songwriter Hall of Fame member is known for his hit American Pie.
The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre in Clearwater is set to welcome singer-songwriter Don McLean for a performance, with tickets scheduled to go on sale this week. McLean, a GRAMMY Award honoree, Songwriter Hall of Fame member, and BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, is best known for his hit American Pie, which is held in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry.
The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre presents Don McLean on Saturday, January 30 at 8 pm. Tickets go on sale Friday, August 14 at 10 am.
Don McLean's smash hit American Pie also was named a Top 5 Song of the 20th Century by the Recording Industry of America (RIAA). A New York native, Don McLean is one of American history's most revered and respected songwriters. After paying his dues in the New York club scene in the late 1960s, he went on to score mega-hits like Vincent (Starry, Starry Night), Castles in the Air and many more.
His catalog of songs has been recorded by Madonna, Garth Brooks, Josh Groban, Drake, 'Weird Al' Yankovic, and countless others. In 2015, McLean's handwritten manuscript of American Pie lyrics was auctioned by Christie's, selling for just over $1.2 Million. 2019 honored Don with a star on the Las Vegas Walkway of Stars, and his song And I Love You So was the theme for Prince Harry and Megan Markle's wedding. Don landed a new recording contract with Time Life in 2020, with whom he released a catalog of recordings and a new album 'Still Playin' Favorites'. In 2021, Don's American Pie was featured in the Avengers' 'Black Widow' and the Tom Hanks movie 'Finch'. McLean received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, celebrated the 50th anniversary of American Pie, and recorded a version of the song with a cappella group Home Free. In 2022, McLean received six Telly Awards for his collaboration with international heavyweight Tyson Fury, released 'American Pie: A Fable' children's book, and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame.
In 2023, the Telly award-winning documentary 'The Day The Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's American Pie' was released on DVD and Blu-Ray. McLean was inducted into the Music City Walk of Fame during a public ceremony along with Darius Rucker, Joe Galante, and Duane Eddy in Nashville, Tennessee in 2023. In 2024, President Yoon of South Korea sang American Pie for a delighted audience of White House guests in Washington, D.C. Later that year McLean was invited to attend a State Dinner at the White House honoring President Ruto of Kenya. His latest album, American Boys, was also released in 2024 as well as another award-winning children's book based on his hit song Vincent.
About Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc.
Ruth Eckerd Hall, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, manages and operates the City of Clearwater-owned 2,200-seat Ruth Eckerd Hall, the 200-seat Murray Theatre, the 250-capacity ballroom, Margarete Heye Great Room, the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts, the 750-seat Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, The BayCare Sound located at Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater and Ruth Eckerd Hall On The Road. In 2020, 2023, 2024 and 2025, Ruth Eckerd Hall was awarded a Top Workplaces honor by The Tampa Bay Times. Ruth Eckerd Hall was the only entertainment venue to make the list all four years. In 2022, The Tampa Bay Business Journal named Ruth Eckerd Hall a Top Workplace Honoree. The organization's stated mission is: Changing lives through the performing arts.
The Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, located in downtown Clearwater's Cleveland Street District, was constructed in 1921 and is one of Florida's oldest operating theaters. In 2024, industry trade publication Pollstar named the Bilheimer Capitol Theatre the #1 club venue in Tampa, #1 in Florida, #5 in the United States and #5 in the world, of club venues with 800 seats or less. In 2013, the theater underwent a complete $10 million renovation and is the catalyst for downtown development. In 2019, Nancy and David Bilheimer donated $2.5 million to Ruth Eckerd Hall as part of the theatre's ongoing 'Expanding the Experience' Capital campaign. In recognition of the generous donation, the Capitol Theatre's name was changed to the Nancy and David Bilheimer Capitol Theatre.
Tickets, starting at $52.50, are set to be available through The Raymond James Central Ticket Office at Ruth Eckerd Hall, located at 1111 N. McMullen Booth Road in Clearwater. The Bilheimer Capitol Theatre Box Office is set to open two hours prior to showtime.
