Singer Songwriter Don McLean Comes Home to New Rochelle

Iconic singer/songwriter Don McLean ("American Pie") came home to New Rochelle yesterday to get a look at one of the new #NRNYMurals, “Artistic Creativity,” which includes his likeness. The mural, by French street artist Loic Ercolessi, is located at 134 North Avenue (corner of Bonnefoy Place) and features images of New Rochelle-native McLean and New York’s Alicia Keyes; the artist says he chose to include these musicians to represent the spirit of creativity as well as the link between the energy of Manhattan and New Rochelle.

A deeper listen to McLean’s “American Pie” reveals cryptic references to New Rochelle: For example, many New Rochelleans will tell you that the line “Drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry” refers to a popular bar known either as The Levy or The Barge. And McLean himself confirmed that the line “February made me shiver/with every paper I’d deliver” recalls his New Rochelle paper route. Whatever its origins, the song remains so popular that is was recently selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry as being culturally, historically, or artistically significant.

The #NRNYMurals are linked by a free, downloadable app, “Behind the Wall”, that combines augmented reality content and audio-guide features, making the murals truly interactive. (Students from New Rochelle High School recorded short descriptions of each mural for the app.) The #NRNYMurals join SAM’s Midtown, Larchmont and Mamaroneck murals, forming together a continuous street art belt starting at Grand Central and continuing along the Sound Shore. The free app can be downloaded from http://streetartmankind.org/NRNY

The eight #NRNYMurals were curated for the City of New Rochelle by Street Art for Mankind, which worked with the New Rochelle Council on the Arts. The #NRNYMurals are made possible thanks to the generous support of the City of New Rochelle’s Corporation for Local Development (CLD) as well the New Rochelle Council on the Arts, the Sills Family Foundation, Toyota, Honda and Mazda of New Rochelle, Delta Air Lines, Lordae, Radisson New Rochelle, Watermark Pointe, Metro-North Deals & Gateways and Hand Crafted Catering and Events.