MacQuarrie
12-07-2007, 07:37 PM
He would have been 65 if he'd lived.
If you dont know about Harry Chapin, or don't know anything more than "Cat's in the Cradle" or "Taxi", you're missing out. Not only was he a wonderful songwriter and a great performer, Harry was a tireless champion of the poor. A few highlights:
Harry founded World Hunger Year (http://www.worldhungeryear.org/).
He pestered President Carter into creating the President's Commission on World Hunger, and Carter turned around and appointed him chairman of it.
He talked Kenny Rogers into donating a million dollars to fund the World Hunger Media Awards (http://www.worldhungeryear.org/), now called the Harry Chapin Media Awards.
He gave away half his income every year, performing over 100 of his 200 annual concerts for various charities, and donated 100% of the sale of merchandise at all his concerts to fight world hunger.
After he was killed in an accident in July of 1981, his friends and colleagues were inspired by his example and created Live Aid, Band Aid, USA for Africa, and Hands Across America (the last two were organized by Harry's former manager, Ken Kragen).
Harry was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom 20 years ago today for his humanitarian efforts. On that occasion, his brother Jim said "We can never fill Harry's shoes. The only thing we can do is try to fill our own."
At the memorial tribute concert in his honor, Bruce Springsteen said "Do something. And may his song be sung."
So do something.
http://www.harrychapinmusic.com
If you dont know about Harry Chapin, or don't know anything more than "Cat's in the Cradle" or "Taxi", you're missing out. Not only was he a wonderful songwriter and a great performer, Harry was a tireless champion of the poor. A few highlights:
Harry founded World Hunger Year (http://www.worldhungeryear.org/).
He pestered President Carter into creating the President's Commission on World Hunger, and Carter turned around and appointed him chairman of it.
He talked Kenny Rogers into donating a million dollars to fund the World Hunger Media Awards (http://www.worldhungeryear.org/), now called the Harry Chapin Media Awards.
He gave away half his income every year, performing over 100 of his 200 annual concerts for various charities, and donated 100% of the sale of merchandise at all his concerts to fight world hunger.
After he was killed in an accident in July of 1981, his friends and colleagues were inspired by his example and created Live Aid, Band Aid, USA for Africa, and Hands Across America (the last two were organized by Harry's former manager, Ken Kragen).
Harry was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Freedom 20 years ago today for his humanitarian efforts. On that occasion, his brother Jim said "We can never fill Harry's shoes. The only thing we can do is try to fill our own."
At the memorial tribute concert in his honor, Bruce Springsteen said "Do something. And may his song be sung."
So do something.
http://www.harrychapinmusic.com