Don McLean offers duet with South Korean president who sang ‘American Pie' to Biden
Don McLean joked that he would sing "American Pie" with South Korean President Moon Jae-in after the leader serenaded US President Joe Biden with a karaoke rendition of the song.
CNN
Don McLean, an American singer-songwriter, joked Thursday that he planned to sing his iconic song 'American Pie" with the South Korean President after the latter entertained US president Joe Biden by singing the song karaoke.
The two leaders were able to meet Wednesday night at the White House State Dinner, which was attended by celebrities like Angelina Jolie as well as Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim who won a gold medal.
Biden, after watching several musical performances told the audience a story of how his sons sang McLean's 1971 hit "American Pie" when driving to school.
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He told Yoon that he knew the song was one of his favorites. The crowd cheered as Yoon began to sing the classic lyrics.
Yoon was praised for his work before Biden gave him a signed guitar by McLean.
Later, the legendary singer told CNN he had grand plans for South Korean leader.
McLean jokingly joked that he would sing the song with South Korea's president next year. McLean joked on Thursday that he wanted him to sing at the White House, but he was in Australia for a tour.
McLean spoke of the legacy that the song left behind. The song was 8 minutes 37 seconds long and held the record as the longest song ever to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 Chart until Taylor Swift released her hit "All Too Well" in 2021.
McLean stated that 'American Pie' has a melody that is hard to find in today's music. The song is eight minutes long and is a rock-and-roll song.
He added, 'I like the fact that it's still alive.' "Musicians deal with alchemy. We work in magic. Some of our efforts fall flat on their faces, while others, if we are very lucky, are magical.
The events of Wednesday mark the second state visit by the Biden Presidency (Biden hosted French president Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron in December 2022).
The two leaders met on Wednesday and announced an important new agreement to deter North Korean aggressiveness, including a US commitment to send a nuclear-armed sub to South Korea for first time since early 1980s.
Yoon addressed Congress on Thursday in a speech, criticizing North Korea for its human rights abuses and condemning war in Ukraine.