The 'American Pie' singer denies having a beef with the 'Chasing Pavement' hitmaker, insisting his comments were taken out of context by media to 'get a headline.'
- Sep 2, 2022
AceShowbiz - Don McLean was left fuming after he was rumored to have a feud with Adele. In March, it was reported he had "slammed" the "Chasing Pavements" singer for canceling her Las Vegas residency at the last minute.
"I did an interview and I was talking about artists that don't respect their audience. And somehow it got conflated with a remark I made, which was not a critical remark, about Adele cancelling her show in Vegas," the "American Pie" singer explained to BANG Showbiz in an interview from his home in Palm Springs, California.
"And the thing came out, 'Don McLean Slams Adele.' I didn't slam Adele. I know she didn't want to cancel, I know she's a serious performer - I don't even know the circumstances even of what happened there. That was something a person did to get a headline… I don't do that. I don't go around saying things about other people like that."
Adele's fans were left raging in January they had forked out small fortunes on tickets and booked flights and hotels to attend one of her "Weekends with Adele" concerts in Sin City, only to be told the shows were delayed the day before the run was due to kick off at Caesar's Palace's Colosseum in January.
In stories about Don, 76, apparently slating the 34-year-old, he was quoted as saying on the "Greatest Music of All Time" podcast about modern musicians, "They are all very rich and very spoiled and they don't really care about the audience. They think the audience should kiss their ass and that is the opposite to how I feel."
"I feel honoured to play for people. I know they are spending money and taking time out of their lives. But I come from a different time. Guys like The Beach Boys worked really hard and so does Paul McCartney."
Adele insists she is now working on producing a new Vegas show after telling the new issue of Elle magazine about the reason behind her eleventh-hour cancellation, "There was just no soul in it. The stage set-up wasn't right. It was very disconnected from me and my band, and it lacked intimacy. And maybe I tried too hard to give it those things in such a controlled environment."
She called her revamped plans for the 32 concert dates, due to run from November 18, 2022 to March 25, 2023 "nostalgic" and said it will tell the story of her career.
Adele added, "I want to tell the story of the beginning of my career to now. I'm not gonna give too much away about it, but the show grows. It's all about the music, and it's really, really nostalgic. It's gonna be so beautiful."
Adele, who has Adele has nine-year-old son Angelo Adkins with ex-husband Simon Konecki, 48, had previously promised fans the delayed shows would take place before the end of 2022, saying it needs to happen this year because she has "plans" for next year.
The "Hello" singer, who recently denied rumours she is engaged to her 40-year-old sports agent boyfriend Rich Paul, said during an appearance on "The Graham Norton Show" in February, "Imagine if I have to cancel because I am having a baby!... it has to happen this year because I've got plans for next year."
Don's "50 Years of American Pie" tour is running throughout September and October in the UK, with tickets via donmclean.com.
