Singer Don McLean penned a 14 page series of handwritten lyrics for his classic track ‘Vincent’ which are set to be sold off at auction for an eye-watering asking price of $US 1.5 million.
The song, which was a tribute to Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, was first released in 1971 and begins with the line “starry, starry night” – a reference to the artist’s most famous work, The Starry Night.
Moments In Time, a Los Angeles-based rare artefact dealer has revealed that McLean’s handwritten lyrics are being sold by someone who acquired them from Don McLean himself.
“They are written in pencil,” Moments In Time owner Gary Zimet said. “There are some corrections. They differ very slightly from the final lyrics, which show he really had the song well thought out in his head when he wrote it.”
Zimet added that he hoped that the famous lyrics would be purchased by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, which contains the world’s largest collection of artworks by the 19th-century painter as well as many drawings and letters also made by Van Gough. In fact, McLean’s ‘Vincent’ is often played throughout the museum.
“I am hoping they buy it,” Zimet said of the museum. “They should have it. That would be ideal.”
The famous lyrics by Don McLean were last publicly seen in 2018 when the singer lent them to the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.
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‘Vincent’ is McLean’s most famous song after his iconic track ‘American Pie’, whose lyrics sold for $US 1.2m at auction in 2015, after McLean revealed he felt it was the right time to part way with them.
Don Mclean – now 74 – made headlines back in May 2019 after he had a lifetime achievement award rescinded due to a 2016 incident which saw the musician plead guilty to charges of domestic violence against his wife Patrisha McLean.
Check out ‘Vincent’ by Don McLean:
