1. Harry Chapin Songs

Harry Forster Chapin (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter, humanitarian, and producer best known for his and songs, who achieved worldwide success in the 1970s and became one of the most popular artists and highest paid performers. Chapin is also one of the. Chapin, a winning artist and inductee, has sold over 16 million records worldwide and has been described as one of the most beloved performers in music history.Chapin recorded a total of 11 albums from 1972 until his death in 1981.

All 14 singles that he released became hit singles on at least one national music chart.As a dedicated humanitarian, Chapin fought to end; he was a key participant in the creation of the in 1977. Chapin is credited with being the most politically and socially active American performer of the 1970s. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the for his humanitarian work. Early music career (1971–1972)In 1972, there was a bidding war between music business heavyweights Clive Davis at Columbia and Jac Holzman at Elektra over Chapin. He signed a multi-million dollar recording contract with. The contract was one of the biggest of its time. It granted him free recording time, along with many other perks.The same year, he released his debut album,.

The album was an international success, selling over 1 million units. Its success was due to the top 25 hit single, '. The song also became a top 5 hit in Canada. The success of the song in America is credited to American radio personality, who helped promote the song on the radio despite its length, and helped it to stay on the charts for 16 weeks.

It became the number one requested song for 10 weeks in a row. The song was performed on, which received so many calls that Chapin returned the next night. It was the first time in the show's history that a performer had been called back the next night.

It was also one of the first performances on, with hosting.When asked if the song was true, Chapin said 'It's emotionally true, if not literally true. I've been in the film business on and off for a lot of years, and wasn't doing well at one point.

So I went out and got a hack license for bread, and during the month that I was waiting for it to come through, I heard an old girlfriend of mine had gotten married and instead of becoming an actress she married a rich guy. I envisioned some night I'd be driving a cab in the big city streets and this lady would get in the back, and I'd turn and look at her and she'd look at me and know we both sold out our dreams.'

Billboard ranked 'Taxi' as the 85th song of the year. 'Taxi' also earned Chapin a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist of the Year.The follow up album, was also released in 1972. The album's title song, ', is a semi-fictional account of the. The single release from the album, ', charted on the and became a top 40 on. The album was less successful than the last, selling 350,000 units.

The album also contained the Chapin anthem, 'Circle'. In 2004, the double album Sniper and Other Love Songs and Heads & Tales was released.

It contained previously unreleased tracks from both albums.Career peak (1973–1975)In 1973, Chapin released his third album,. The album produced another international hit, '.

Short stories sold over 1 million units. The song is about an aging disc jockey who has given up his entire life and family for his career. The song is sung from the point of view of the disc jockey, who is singing to his ex-wife. It was inspired by American radio personality. Chapin wrote the song when he listened to Connors calling his ex-wife in the studio. The song became a top 40 hit on the, a top 10 in Canada, and top 10 and 20 in various other countries.

Other notable songs from the album, but not released as singles, are ', 'Mail Order Annie', and 'They Call Her Easy'. The song, ',' was loosely based on a pair of New York Times concert reviews of baritone Martin Tubridy - once in 1971 and once in 1972.In 1974, Chapin released his most successful album,. The album sold 2.5 million units. Its success was due to the number 1 hit, '. The song is about a father who doesn't find time for his son during his childhood; and ultimately his son grows up to be just like his father, and not making any time for his dad.

The song earned Chapin another Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and he was inducted into the. Verities and Balderdash peaked at number 4 on the. The album's follow-up single, ', charted at number 7 on. The song is a true story about how he met his wife,. ' is a song that was included on the album but not released as a single. The song also became the number one requested song for a few weeks. It is a semi-fictional account of a truck crash that occurred in, transporting bananas - based loosely on a March 18, 1965 accident involving truck driver Gene Sesky.

Harry Chapin Songs

Other notable songs from the album include 'Shooting Star', 'Halfway to Heaven', and '.In 1975, Chapin released his fifth album,. The album produced a top 40 hit, '. However, the album was less successful than the last. It sold 350,000 units. In addition, he wrote and performed a Broadway play,. The play earned two nominations and two nominations.Later years (1976–1981)By 1976, Chapin was established as one of the most popular singers of the decade.

He released his first live album,. The album sold 2.1 million units.However, underwent a management change and gave almost no promotion for his later albums with Elektra, but they all sold at least 250,000 units each and charted successfully.By the end of the decade, Chapin concentrated more on touring than producing hit singles, but still released one album a year. He earned an estimated $2,000,000 per year (approximately $11,748,515 in 2017) until his death in 1981, making him one of the highest paid artists in the world. In 1980, his recording contract with Elektra expired.

He signed a one-album contract with, and released his ninth studio album,. The album has been described as his fastest breaking album. Three singles were released, with all of them becoming hits. The first single, became a top 25 hit on the. The song is a followup to Taxi.

The second single, Remember When The Music, became a top 50 on the Adult Contemporary Chart. The last single, Story of a Life, became a hit on the Bubbling Under chart. The album sold 500,000 units.Personal life. Chapin resolved to leave his imprint on Long Island.

He envisioned a Long Island where the arts flourished, universities expanded, and humane discourse was the norm. 'He thought Long Island represented a remarkable opportunity', said Chapin's widow, Sandy.In the mid-1970s, Chapin devoted much time and effort to social activism, including raising money to combat hunger in the United States. His daughter Jen said: 'He saw hunger and poverty as an insult to America.' He co-founded the organization with radio personality, before returning to music with. He also released a book of poetry, Looking. Seeing, in 1975. More than half of Chapin's concerts were benefit performances (for example, a concert to help save the in, as well as hunger causes such as food banks), and proceeds from his concert merchandise were used to support World Hunger Year.

Chapin's social causes at times caused friction among his band members. Chapin donated an estimated third of his paid concerts to charitable causes, often performing alone with his guitar to reduce costs. Mike Rendine accompanied him on bass throughout 1979.

One report quotes his widow saying soon after his death — 'only with slight exaggeration' — that 'Harry was supporting 17 relatives, 14 associations, seven foundations, and 82 charities. Harry wasn't interested in saving money.

He always said, 'Money is for people,' so he gave it away.' Despite his success as a musician, he left little money and it was difficult to maintain the causes for which he raised more than $3 million in the last six years of his life. The Harry Chapin Foundation was the result.Death. Harry Chapin's gravestone in the Huntington Rural Cemetery, Huntington, New YorkOn July 16, 1981, Chapin was driving in the left lane on the at about 65 mph (105 km/h) on the way to perform at a free concert scheduled for later that evening at in. Near exit 40 in, he put on his emergency flashers, presumably because of either a mechanical or medical problem. He then slowed to about 15 miles (24 km) per hour and veered into the center lane, nearly colliding with another car. He swerved left, then to the right again, ending up directly in the path of a.

The truck could not brake in time and rammed the rear of Chapin's blue 1975, rupturing the fuel tank as it climbed up and over the back of the car, which burst into flames. Minoru Araki, Nassau County's deputy chief medical examiner, said Chapin's aorta was lacerated by the tremendous impact and he died of massive hemorrhaging into his chest cavity. Araki said a report that Chapin may have suffered a heart attack at the wheel was erroneous. 'He suffered a cardiac arrest as the result of his severe injuries, but the autopsy showed that his heart was in very good condition,' Araki said.The driver of the truck and a passerby were able to get Chapin out of the burning car through a window after cutting the seat belts before the car was engulfed in flames. Chapin was taken by police helicopter to a hospital, where 10 doctors tried for 30 minutes to revive him. In a 2004 interview, many years after his death, Chapin's daughter said, 'My dad didn't really sleep, and he ate badly and had a totally insane schedule.'

Although Chapin was driving without a license – his driver's license having previously been revoked for a long string of traffic violations – his widow Sandy won a $12 million decision in a negligence lawsuit against, the owners of the truck, based on what Chapin would have earned over the next 20 years. An earlier phase of the trial had found Chapin 40% negligent in the accident and Supermarkets General 60% negligent, so the award of $12 million for the financial loss to the family was automatically reduced to $7.2 million.Chapin's remains were interred in the Huntington Rural Cemetery in. His epitaph is taken from his song 'I Wonder What Would Happen to This World'. On December 7, 1987, on what would have been his 45th birthday, Chapin was posthumously awarded the for his campaigning on social issues, particularly his highlighting of hunger around the world and in the United States.

His work on hunger included being widely recognized as a key player in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger (under 39th President ) in 1977 (he was the only member who attended every meeting). He was also the inspiration for the antihunger projects and, which were organized by, who had been Chapin's manager at the end of Chapin's career, after Fred Kewley. Kragen, explaining his work on these benefit events, said, 'I felt like Harry had crawled into my body and was making me do it.'

From around 1975 until the owners changed the format of the station in the late 1990s, 102.7, a NYC radio station with the motto, 'Where Rock Lives' held an annual 'Hungerthon' every Thanksgiving, to benefit Harry Chapin's World Hunger League. During the 24-hour period of the event, little to no music was played, with the exception of the iconic ' by played at noon and 6 pm. For the remainder of the day, during every DJ's four-hour show, guests such as Harry himself, other music stars, and experts on hunger brought to the listeners information about the severity of hunger in America, in New York City, and in the, sometimes in graphic detail. After Harry's death, the 'Hungerthon' continued, and at the 'U.S. Live Aid' concert in at in 1985, was presented with the first 'Harry Chapin Award' for his work for the World Hunger League in fighting hunger in America.

Since WNEW-FM changed formats, other New York stations have continued to do fundraisers for the charity.Chapin had co-operated before his death with the writer of the biography entitled Taxi: The Harry Chapin Story, by Peter M. Coan, released posthumously, from which the family withdrew their support. Some concern existed about the accuracy of the details included in the book. In 2001, Chapin's 'Cat's in the Cradle' was ranked number 186 of 365 on the list of.

Chapin was inducted into the on October 15, 2006.The Lakeside Theatre at in, was renamed Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre during a memorial concert held one month after his death, as a tribute to his efforts to combat world hunger. Other Long Island landmarks named in honor of Chapin include a graduate-student apartment complex at the, a theater in in, and a at the intersection of Columbia Heights and Middagh Street in.On September 27, 2011, former U.S.

Representative wrote an on the internet publication about Chapin's song 'What Made America Famous'.Singer and songwriter Guthrie Thomas has long publicly stated that Chapin's song 'Cat's in the Cradle' is one of the most difficult songs to perform, due to Chapin's master guitar playing and his brilliant syncopation of the lyrics, meaning each word must fit perfectly and in time with the playing. Also, despite seeming social and political differences with Chapin, Dr. James Dobson often quotes the entirety of 'Cat's In The Cradle' to illustrate dynamics of contemporary American families.The village of, New York, has hosted the Harry Chapin, a 10k, 5k, and Fun Run, since 1981.A children's picture book was created using the lyrics of 'Mr. Tanner' and the illustrations of Bryan Langdo; it was published by in May 2017.Family.

Harry's widow Sandy is now chair of the Harry Chapin Foundation, where she continues to pursue Harry's legacy. His son Josh is involved with the foundation, along with family members.Chapin often remarked that he came from an artistic family. His father Jim, brothers Tom and Steve, and daughter Jen Chapin are musicians. His nieces Abigail and Lily Chapin perform under the name the. His paternal grandfather, was an artist who illustrated 's first two books of poetry; his maternal grandfather was the philosopher and rhetorician.Harry Chapin's brothers sometimes performed with Harry at various times throughout his career, particularly during live performances. They played with him before his solo career took off, and were credited on the albums, and Chapin Music! Tom and Steve continued to perform together (often with Harry's former bandmates) from time to time after his death.Country singer is Chapin's.

Awards and recognition. Coan, Peter M. (2001). Harry Chapin: The Gold Medal Collection, album notes, /, 1988.

^ Rockwell, John (July 17, 1981). The New York Times.

Grayeb, Mike; McCarty, Linda (Winter 2005). Retrieved July 27, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2017.

Bruning, Fred, Newsday, archived from on April 15, 2008, retrieved January 18, 2008. ^ ', Boston Globe, February 20, 2004. Retrieved October 21, 2011. Diliberto, Gioia (March 15, 1982). Retrieved March 3, 2013.

Logeman, Henry (July 17, 1981). Retrieved December 5, 2018. Wilmington Morning Star. Associated Press – via Google News Archive Search. Harry Chapin: The Gold Medal Collection, album notes, Elektra/Asylum Records, 1988. (December 2, 1987),., December 21, 1987. Alan Grayson (September 27, 2011).

Huffington Post. Retrieved October 21, 2011. Dan Gilgoff (April 29, 2008).: St. Martin's Griffin. Retrieved June 22, 2018. Retrieved December 15, 2013. July 23, 2011, at the by Mike Grayeb and Linda McCarty, from Circle!

Magazine, winter 2005 issue. Retrieved October 21, 2011.External links.

Taxi Words and Music by Harry ChapinD - Am - D - Am - D - Am - D - Am D Am D AmIt was raining hard in FriscoD Am D AmI needed one more fare to make my nightD Am D AmA lady up ahead waved to flag me downC Bb D D Am/D D Am/DShe got in at the lightD Am/D D Am/DWhere you going to my Lady BlueD Am/D D Am/D D Am/DIt’s a shame you ruined your gown in the rainD Am/D D Am/DShe just looked out the windowC BbShe said, '16 Parkside Lane.' D - Am/D - D - Am/D - C - Bb - D - C - Bb - D - Am/D D Am/D D Am/DSomething about her was familiarD Am/D D Am/DI could swear I seen her face beforeD Am/D D Am/DBut she said, 'I’m sure you’re mistaken.' C Bb D - Am/D - D - Am/DAnd she didn’t say anything more.D Am/D D Am/DIt, took a while but she looked in the mirrorD Am/D D Am/DThen she glanced at the license for my nameD Am/D D Am/DA smile seemed to come to her slowly.C Bb D Am/D - D - Am/DIt was a sad smile just the sameG DAnd she said, 'How are you, Harry?' C G DI said, 'How are you, Sue?G D BmThrough the too many miles and the too little smilesEm7 Em/A D Am/DI still remember you.'