Harry Chapin (12/7/42 - 7/16/81)

July 16, 2021 1:38am

Exactly forty years ago today, on July 16, 1981, Harry Chapin was driving on the Long Island Expressway enroute to a meeting before one of his many charity benefit concerts when his 1975 Volkswagen was struck by an 18-wheeler truck. He died in the fiery crash, and the world lost one of the greatest musical artists of all time. Not only did his songs weave beautiful stories that captured the joys and sorrows of life, he was an incredibly humble man who dedicated his life to fighting world hunger.

In 1986, Harry was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his philanthropic work. Also in 1986, I dined at the table with Harry's brother (and band member) Tom Chapin at an awards banquet in Washington, DC the night he presented the Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award to Bob Geldof for Bob's work on the Live Aid benefit concert that raised $127 million for famine relief in Ethiopia.

VH1's episode of "Behind the Music" about Harry Chapin is online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-GgDccwnSg

The epitaph on his grave contains these lyrics:

Oh if a man tried

To take his time on Earth

And prove before he died

What one man's life could be worth

I wonder what would happen to this world

At 38 years old, Harry Chapin was taken from this world much too soon. He is the one artist I wish I could have seen live in concert but never did.

Rest in Peace, Harry. You are still missed.