Biography
Harry Chapin (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter whose legacy is built not only on his unique style of folk music, but also on the vast humanitarian influence he had.
Chapin was born in New York, New York. He later joined the Brooklyn Boys Choir where he met John Wallace (“Big” John Wallace on stage), who would be his collaborator throughout his entire career. As a teenager, Chapin played the trumpet before moving to the guitar. He often played music with his brothers, Tom and Steve, who like Wallace would become his future bandmates.
After high school, Chapin did a brief stint at the United States Air Force Academy – later alluded to in his hit song, “Taxi” – and tried to get into the documentary film scene, directing Legendary Champions in 1968. However, in 1971, he turned his focus fully to music.
His first solo album was Heads and Tales, which featured “Taxi.” Afterwards, both Elektra Records and Columbia wanted to sign Harry to their label, with Elektra winning out by giving Chapin the largest new artist recording contract in history.
Chapin released Sniper and Other Love Songs in 1972 and Short Stories in 1973 to less acclaim than his first album. It was his fourth album, however, Verities and Balderdash, that spawned his biggest song and only #1 hit, the wistfully ironic “Cat’s in the Cradle.”
As shown in his youth, he continued to explore other show business avenues. He wrote a musical called The Night That Made America Famous, based on the song of the same name, and the music for the show Cotton Patch Gospel. He served on the board of many Long Island arts associations, including the Long Island Philharmonic. He also continued to release albums, although none received the fame that “Cats in the Cradle” did.
In 1975, Chapin and radio host Bill Ayres founded World Hunger Year (now WhyHunger). Many of his concerts from that point on were benefit concerts, supporting WHY as well as other causes. He often did over 200 concerts a year. He also fought for hunger outside of his musical career, lobbying in Washington D.C. and serving on various committees.
In 1981, Chapin was driving on the Long Island Expressway when he put his hazard lights on for unknown reasons. He then swerved across two lanes before ending up in front of a tractor-trailer. The truck hit the back of his car, causing the fuel tank to explode. However, once at the hospital, his cause of death was determined to be cardiac arrest; whether it occurred before or after the crash is unknown.
Chapin’s legacy as a humanitarian grew after his death. Ken Kragen, Chapin’s manager in the years after the creation of WHY, organized USA for Africa and Hands Across America. The Harry Chapin Award is given to those who fight against hunger, and the Harry Chapin Memorial Run/Walk Against Hunger is held in Croton-on-Hudson annually. His widow, Sandy, runs the Harry Chapin Foundation, which raises money for charity and community programs around the United States.
On December 7, 1987, Chapin was honored posthumously for his philanthropic work with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor Congress gives.
