Don Mclean grew up in New Rochelle, New York and his youthful adventures to NYC included hearing musicians of the 30s, 40s and 50s, included the legendary American singer, guitarist, songwriter, actor, and civil rights activist Josh White.

Josh White’s early songs were about racial segregation.  Harry Belafonte noted that at that time, he was the only popular black folk singer, through his artistry, exposed America to a wealth of material about the life and conditions of black people that had not been sung by any other artist.