Page "Don McLean" Paragraph 41

In 1980, McLean had an international number one hit with a cover of the Roy Orbison classic, " Crying ".

It was only after the record became a success overseas that it was released in the U. S. The single hit # 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981.

Orbison himself once described McLean as " the voice of the century ", and a subsequent re-recording of the song saw Orbison incorporate elements of McLean's version.