Will McLean was born near Chipley, Florida, where his love of music was nurtured by his grandfather who gave him his first instrument, a gourd and cornstalk fiddle with a horsehair bow. “Away O’ee”, his first song, was written at the age of six.

McLean’s love of Florida developed as he traveled the state from the panhandle’s hardwood hammocks to the vast Everglades – camping in wilderness areas, visiting friends, and absorbing Florida history.

Though he spent his life traveling the state, he found time to appear at concerts, festivals, schools, and even Carnegie Hall. Will McLean was best known as Florida’s premier folk songwriter.

He received the 1989 Florida Heritage Award for outstanding cultural contributions, and the annual White Springs Folk Festival was dedicated to him. In 1996, Will McLean became a member of the Florida Artists Hall of Fame. McLean’s song lyrics, poems, and correspondence reside in the Special Collections Area of the University of Florida George A. Smathers Library.

 

 

Established in 1990, the Will McLean Foundation is a non-profit organization who's goals are to:

• Provide for research, education, performance and training to promote understanding and appreciation of the works of Will McLean and of other Florida artists
• Provide facilities, programs and educational materials to promote involvement in the artistic and educational fields - especially those of Florida folk arts.
• Provide scholarships, grants and sponsorships to encourage artistic production

The Board of Directors and the Executive Committee consist of volunteers who labor tirelessly, donating hundreds of hours every year to fulfill McLean’s dream of passing on the history of Florida to the next generation.

Consider joining the foundation to help support its ongoing mission. Click here to join the foundation