DON McLEAN WINS SIX TELLY AWARDS FOR FURY/WHYTE WBC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT OPENING
SIRIUSXM ‘THE BRIDGE’ SET TO AIR ‘DON McLEAN UNABRIDGED’ THROUGHOUT MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND ON SXM CHANNEL 17
The heavyweight champion of the world Tyson Fury joining forces with legendary singer-songwriter Don McLean to create a brand-new rendition of “American Pie” for the WBC Heavyweight Championship bout against Dillian Whyte at Wembley Stadium on April 23rrd proved to be a good thing! Not only did Tyson Fury win in a knockout, but the special musical opening initiated by Universal Music Publishing’s Tom Foster, BT Sport’s Head of Music Pete Kelly, and Director Kevin Evans has won six national Telly Awards.
The latest iteration of the song sees McLean singing the verses to “American Pie”, perfectly articulating Tyson’s comeback story before he’s joined in the chorus by the Gypsy King himself. The Morecambe-based fighter is no stranger to jumping on the mic, having performed it numerous times in the ring. The song has since become synonymous with the boxer who is not afraid to showcase his musical talent.
“I was knocked out this morning when I heard the news we had just won six Telly awards for the Tyson Fury duet of American Pie,” says McLean. “This song has so many meanings to so many people. I was thrilled when I learned how much Tyson loved the song. Now, we get to put another check in the win column for this special version.”
In addition, Don will help celebrate Memorial Day on SiriusXM’s The Bridge channel 17 as he hosts “Don McLean Unabridged,” which will premiere on Thursday, May 26 at 1 pm (ET) with rebroadcasts on Friday, May 27 at 8 am and 8 pm (ET), Saturday, May 28 at 10 am and 10 pm (ET), Sunday, May 29 at 6 am and 6 pm (ET), and Monday, May 30 at 1 pm (ET).
About BT Sport:
Launched in 2013, BT Sport broadcasts in the UK and Republic of Ireland. BT Sport offers five linear TV channels BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2, BT Sport 3, BT Sport ESPN, BT Sport 4K UHD, six interactive BT Sport Extra channels and is available on BT TV, Sky, Virgin, and Talk Talk. BT Sport is also available online and via the App on mobile and large screen devices and operates pay per view channel, BT Sport Box Office.
BT Sport has a track record of innovation, operating from one of the industry’s most sophisticated sports TV studios, and delivering world-firsts around Virtual Reality, Dolby Atmos, 4K UHD, and remote production. Its achievements have been recognized with awards from IBC, Promax, Music Week, and more.
As well as the sole UK rights holder for the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, BT Sport offers live sports programming including the English Premier League, boxing, UFC, WWE, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Heineken Champions Cup, and MotoGP.
About BT:
BT Group is the UK’s leading telecommunications and network provider and a leading provider of global communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities in the UK include the provision of fixed voice, mobile, broadband, and TV (including Sport) and a range of products and services over converged fixed and mobile networks to consumer, business, and public sector customers. For its global customers, BT provides managed services, security, and network and IT infrastructure services to support their operations all over the world. BT consists of four customer-facing units: Consumer, Enterprise, Global, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Openreach, which provides access network services to over 650 communications provider customers who sell phone, broadband, and Ethernet services to homes and businesses across the UK.
For the year ended 31 March 2021, BT Group’s reported revenue was £21,331m with a reported profit before taxation of £1,804m.
British Telecommunications plc is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
For more information, visit bt.com/about.
About Don McLean:
Don McLean is a Grammy award honoree, a Songwriter Hall of Fame member, a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and his smash hit “American Pie” resides in the Library of Congress National Recording Registry and 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 the most revered and respected songwriters in American history. After paying his dues in the New York club scene in the late ‘60s, 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 the lyrics to “American Pie” was auctioned by Christies, 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 as well as a new album Still Playin’ Favorites. 2021 brought Don’s “American Pie” features in the Avengers’ Black Widow and the new Tom Hanks movie Finch. Don received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, celebrated the 50th anniversary of “American Pie,” recorded a version of the song with a cappella group Home Free, a children’s book has been written, and much more! And when you think things are slowing down, not so for Don McLean!
