As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. ", However, Chapin was always committed to keeping politics separate from his music. His epitaph is taken from his 1978 song "I Wonder What Would Happen to This World": Oh if a man tried Harry Chapin - Story Book: Elektra . cache 6h 0m The Queens-Mid Town Tunnel is the ONLY spot on the Long Island Expressway where a toll has ever been collected, otherwise, there are NO TOLLS. He always said, 'Money is for people,' so he gave it away." "30,000 Pounds of Bananas" was included on the album and became the number one requested song for a few weeks, despite not being released as a single. Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries. Mrs. Chapin, who lives in Huntington Bay with four of her five children, said she was relieved that the trial was over. MINEOLA, N.Y. -- Singer-songwriter Harry Chapin's driver's license was revoked at the time he was killed in a collision on the Long Island Expressway in Jericho, state Motor Vehicle Department. His songs always told stories making him one of the best story tellers of all time. On Sunday, Pat Fenton, author of Harry Chapins America, Remember When the Music, will join musician Paul Gomez at Borghese Winery in Cutchogue for a tribute to Chapin from 2-4 p.m. Gomez will perform some of Chapins songs and Fenton will read excerpts from his book. Monday, July 19 th - Harry Chapin 40 year anniversary docu-concert with the Chapin family and celebration of life-featuring Tom Chapin, The Jen Chapin Trio, . [6] In 1971, he began focusing on music. Chapin, who was 38, was trying to drive his apparently disabled car to the shoulder of the highway when it was struck by the truck. With his unruly mop of curly hair and omnipresent acoustic guitar, it was clear from the get-go that . 16,750,000 +. Minnesota officer removes jar from raccoon's head. 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. It began life as a poem written by Harrys wife about the awkward relationship between her first husband and his father. The Lakeside Theatre at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York, 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. However, he left towards the end of the 1980s, which was eventually followed by him, Read More The 10 Best Ricky Martin Songs of All-TimeContinue, Wolves are one of the most misunderstood animals in the world. . Bill Ayers in 1975. He was 38 years old. He was driving on the Long Island Expressway on Thursday July 16, 1981 just after noon, in the left hand fast lane, at about 65 miles an hour, and then for an unknown reason, either because of engine failure or some physical problem (thought to be a possible heart attack) put on his emergency flashers near Exit 40 in Jericho, NY. In 1987 he was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal for his charitable work. Its hard to overestimate the amount of good [Chapin] did, said Sen. Patrick Leahy in an interview with Associated Press. Articles . He then slowed to about 15 miles (24 km) per hour and veered into the center lane, nearly colliding with another car. Chapin's life was cut short in 1981, when he was killed in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway. His father, James Chapin, was a drummer who worked with the bandleaders Tommy Dorsey and Woody Herman, and Harry played the trumpet as a child before taking up the guitar. No charges were filed. In 1972, there was a bidding war over Chapin between music business heavyweights Clive Davis at Columbia and Jac Holzman at Elektra. Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? March 2 (UPI) -- A Minnesota police officer came to the rescue of a raccoon he spotted running around with a jar stuck over its head. 7 min read hollyblog guest blog banner It was a typically sunny, scorching day that. Died July 16, 1981 when his car was hit by a truck in Jericho, New York. He died at 38 in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway in 1981. Heading to 49 rt 110. Chapin was arrested five years ago for driving 80 mph in a 55-mph zone on another Nassau County expressway although his license had been suspended for falsifying the registration application for a Chevrolet van. The original poem started from a preoccupation with numbers, and then it got to be a kind of performance piece that was kind of tragicomedy. Despite his early death, he left behind a strong legacy of philanthropic work fighting world hunger and an abundance of songs enjoyed by millions worldwide. Long known for his charity work, such as the World Hunger Year which he founded in 1975, Chapin was on his way to Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, N.Y. to play afree concert the night of his death. He was killed in the crash, and bananas were strewn all over the place. 'I shall miss him dearly.'. He achieved international success with a string of hits throughout the 70s and 80s. Required fields are marked *, Shapes And Patterns By Swing Out Sister Album Cover Location. March 3 (UPI) -- A Kentucky man who stopped to buy some breakfast said he lost his appetite when he won $50,000 from a scratch-off lottery ticket. Most of my songs are about my own mistakes, my own idiocies, my own stupidities.". Singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and social activist Harry Chapin died in a car crash in July 1981. March 3 (UPI) -- A 7-year-old Louisiana boy with a firm grasp of baseball rules is seeking a Guinness World Record as the world's youngest umpire. 12. Laura Nyro talks about her complex, emotionally rich songwriting and how she supports women's culture through her art. 'Harry Chapin Was a Citizen-Artist' Authors: Ralph Nader / Mark Green Publication: The New York Times Date: Sunday July 26th 1981 To the Editor, He died, July 17, as he lived - en route to a benefit concert and unrecognized for a time after the car crash. Left with the formidable task of keeping Harry's legacy alive, she runs the Harry Chapin Foundation, which tries with . This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Along with Long Island Cares, Chapin also founded the organization World Hunger Year, now known as WhyHunger, with radio D.J. Jul 10. Hewas taken by police helicopter to Nassau County Medical Center where doctors tried for 30 minutes to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at 1:05PM. Harry Chapin Net Worth. She explains how it came about: "That song morphed. Harry was was 38 years old at the time of his death and is buried atHuntington Rural Cemetery in Huntington, NY. [24] Since WNEW-FM changed formats, other New York stations have continued to do fundraisers for the charity. 20ms. To take his time on Earth Both car and truck burst into flames. Famous people who died from a car accident or the result of a car accident. 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. Passers-by managed to help the unconscious Chapin out of his engulfed 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit and he was immediately taken by helicopter to the nearby Nassau County Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 1:05 PM due to internal bleeding. Just a few years later, on July 16, 1981, Harry's life was tragically cut short. But he did it as a spoken song. March 3 (UPI) -- A New Brunswick couple who initially thought a burglar had broken into their home discovered the invader was actually a panicked deer. He was a key participant in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977. See the article in its original context from. Sandy Chapin, who was married to Harry from 1968 until he was killed in a car accident in 1981, doesn't like this song at all. Speaking of trauma, all of America has a "whoa" moment, when Jayne Mansfield lost her life in a collision with the trailer of a semi on June 29, 1967. The hit title track on his last album, 'Sequel,' was meant as a sequel to his greatest hit in 1972, 'Taxi,' the story of a taxicab driver who longed to be a pilot. He was 38 years old. But I'm still a music lover nonetheless. This was his home.. Mr. Chapin organized and appeared in many benefit concerts for causes, including a campaign against world hunger, environmental and consumer issues and the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. Who Makes The Best Doughnuts on Long Island? The medical examiner also said a report that Harry may have suffered a heart attack while he was driving was incorrect. March 2 (UPI) -- A Florida woman earned a Guinness World Record when she completed 23 ultra-marathon runs -- 31.1 miles -- in a 23-day period. Jack & Diane started off as an interracial couple; Mellencamp took race references out of the song at the request of his record company. The success of the song in America is credited to American radio personality Jim Connors, who helped promote the song on the radio despite its length, and helped it to stay on the charts for 16 weeks. Late Friday, Bob Hinkle, a vice-president with Kragen and Co., announced the formation of a foundation to further Chapin's commitment to 'supporting the arts and alleviating world hunger.'. Singer-songwriter Harry Chapin was killed on July 16, 1981, in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway. He was killed in the crash, and bananas were strewn all over the place. [31], 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. Harry Chapin (Harry Forster Chapin), car accident, possibly due to a heart attack suffered while driving; he was 37. In 1981, while on the way to another benefit, Harry's life was tragically ended in an automobile accident on the Long Island expressway. 13. He had two children with her, Jennifer and Joshua, and was stepfather to her three children from a previous marriage, Jaime, Jason, and Jonathan. Ashley McBryde has released a, Read More The 10 Best Ashley McBryde Songs of All-TimeContinue, Metallica and Ugly Kid Joe bands side project The Wedding Band reveals the second show. Sandy Chapin should receive the money in a few days, attorney Anthony Curto said. Chapin donated an estimated third of his paid concerts to charitable causes, often performing alone with his guitar to reduce costs. [33], Harry's widow Sandy is now chair of the Harry Chapin Foundation, where she continues to pursue Harry's legacy. After four hours of deliberations, a jury in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn determined Monday that Chapin, who died in a fiery crash on the Long Island Expressway on July 16, 1981, would have earned $12 million over the next 20 years. I don't know for certain . It contained previously unreleased tracks from both albums. The same year, he released his debut album, Heads & Tales. Lady Diana Spencer, British royal, 1997. Some concern existed about the accuracy of the details included in the book. [29], 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. . He said he was told by lawyers for Supermarkets General, owner of the truck, that there would be no appeal in the case. Detective Donald Wecklein said Mr. Chapin apparently died from the force of the crash. There really hasnt been another voice to fill his void.. Mr. Chapin is survived by his wife, Sandra; five children, Jaimie, Jono, Jason, Jenny, and Josh; his father, James of Long Island; his mother, Elspeth Hart, of Brooklyn; three brothers, James of Queens, and Tom and Stephen, both of Brooklyn; and two half-brothers, Jeb Hart of Brooklyn, and John Hart of Port Jefferson, L.I. Despite being just 38 at the time of his death, he left behind a vast body of work that, over 40 years later, continues to inspire and influence as much as ever. | Harry was killed in a car crash on July 16th, 1981. In W.O.L.D., Chapin sings about an aging disk jockey who moves from place to place in search of happiness (something he thinks hell find by pursuing his dreams in radio), only to find that his life, looks, and voice have all passed him by. The last single, "Story of a Life," became a hit on the Bubbling Under chart. Chapin, who died in 1981 at 38 in a car accident, is best known for his Grammy-nominated mega-selling 1970s hits including "Taxi" and "Cat's in the Cradle." The musical also is expected to. The Europeans first came across bananas when in the early 15th century Portuguese explorers discovered bananas in Western Africa and took them to the Canary Islands. See if you can spot weird but true stories. Chapin recorded a total of 11 albums from 1972 until his death. Harry Forster Chapin was an American singer-songwriter who became one of the most popular singers of the 1970s. Kentucky man stops for breakfast, wins $50,000 lottery prize. March 2 (UPI) -- A Maryland woman scored a $100,000 prize from a scratch-off lottery ticket less than 12 hours after she scored an $11,000 jackpot at a casino. In addition to recording 12 Albums, and performing some 2000 concerts over a 10-year career, Chapin co-founded the International world hunger organization, WHYHunger, with former Catholic Priest and . Curto said Mrs. Chapin planned to use the money to continue Chapins efforts against world hunger. Not exactly. The firefighters decide to let them sweat a little, eventually forcing a plumber to save them instead. .mw-parser-output .awards-table td:last-child{text-align:center}. Feb 16, 2012 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Chapin#Death He was famous for that great song "Cats In The Craddle". Country singer Mary Chapin Carpenter is Chapin's fifth cousin. Araki said a report that Chapin may have suffered a heart attack at the wheel was erroneous. He influenced people to be that way. When he died of a heart attack in 1981 after getting into a car accident, his career was basically down to the level of Lobo or Atlanta Rhythm Section: playing whatever venues would have him. The story of their meeting and romance is told in his song "I Wanna Learn a Love Song." However, Elektra Records 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. In the mid-1970s, Chapin devoted much time and effort to social activism, including raising money to combat hunger in the United States. By 1976, Chapin was established as one of the most popular singers of the decade. Harry Chapin passed away on July 16, 1981 at 38 years old from an auto accident. He was posthumously awarded a Congressional Gold Medal. A spokesman for the medical examiner's office said among the injuries Chapin suffered were massive bleeding in the chest cavity, laceration of the aorta, the main artery of the heart, and fractures. Who Makes The Best Rice Ball on Long Island? I wonder what would happen He is best known for his folk rock songs including "Taxi", "W*O*L*D . March 3 (UPI) -- A sheep spotted wandering loose on a British highway was given a lift back to its owner by a concerned bus driver on her first day on the job. More than half of Chapin's concerts were benefit performances (for example, a concert[16] to help save the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, New York, as well as hunger causes such as food banks), and proceeds from his concert merchandise were used to support World Hunger Year. With 4000-word notes, placing Chapin's career in context, and arguing for his elevation in the cultural hierarchy, by Record Collector contributor, Charles Donovan . "[8] Billboard ranked "Taxi" as the 85th song of the year. On September 27, 2011, former U.S. Representative Alan Grayson wrote an article on the internet publication The Huffington Post about Chapin's song "What Made America Famous". In 2004, the double album Sniper and Other Love Songs and Heads & Tales was released. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. He gave over half of the money he'd make to charities living by the philosophy "I play one night for myself and one night for the other guy." He started an organization called World Hunger Year to help stop people from starving. Very difficult, I thought." [citation needed] His parents divorced in 1950, with his mother retaining custody of their four sons, as Jim spent much of his time on the road as a drummer for Big Band-era acts such as Woody Herman. Mr. Chapin was pronounced dead at Nassau County Medical Center at 1:05 P.M. You have your drivers license and your social security and your credit card, and on and on and on and on. 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.[32]. The Harry Chapin Foundation still provides food relief to afflicted areas of the United States. Arguably Chapins best-known song, Cats in the Cradle is a poignant story about the changing dynamics between a father and son. Over the last few years, many people have realized that '70's singer/songwriter Harry Chapin wasn't as cheesy or terrible as say Bread or Poco. He was 38 years old. Mrs. Chapin and her children originally sued for $25 million. Chapin signed a multi-million dollar recording contract with Elektra Records. The album sold 500,000 units. In addition, he wrote and performed a Broadway play, The Night That Made America Famous. It was also one of the first performances on The Midnight Special, with John Denver hosting. He said burial arrangements have not been completed. The car Chapin was driving, a 1975 VolkswagenRabbit, was hit from behind by a tractor-trailer, according to police reports at the time. The album has been described as his fastest breaking album. One of its best is Circle. The Nassau County Police said that a flatbed tractor-trailer owned by Rickles Home Center of Paramus, N.J., struck Mr. Chapin's car at 55 miles an hour as the car shifted lanes with its emergency lights flashing near exit 40 at Jericho Turnpike at 12:27 P.M. They will also perform on March 8 at The Senate in Columbia, South Carolina. The family spends the night at the plumbers home, concluding that the real heroes are often the people you suspect the least. MTV, a popular TV theme song and Madonna all show up in this '80s music quiz. He briefly attended the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado and was then an intermittent student at Cornell University in New York State, but did not complete a degree. In 1987, singer Kenny Rogers was awarded the first-ever "Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award" from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). The Harry Chapin Archive: An archive of articles, sounds, and photos relating to the late singer-songwriter best known for Cat's in the Cradle. They include: the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Awardnow known as the Music Business Association or MusicBiz,[26] the Harry Chapin Award for Contributions to Humanity by the National Association of Campus Activities (NACA),[27] the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award for Community Service from the Long Island Association,[28] and the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award by Long Island Cares. Suspected burglar inside New Brunswick home was a panicked deer. Was "Ring Of Fire" really used to sell hemorrhoid cream? 7-year-old baseball umpire seeks Guinness World Record. The earliest Chapin to come to America was Samuel Chapin, who was the first deacon of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1636. Harry Chapin was killed in a car crash in Long Island, when his car was hit by a tractor trailer while he was driving to perform a charity concert in East Meadow, New York. He established the first food bank on Long Island, says Pachter. . It follows the Mitchell family on a road trip to save Earth from a global robot uprising. The album sold over 1 million units and produced another international hit, "W.O.L.D.," a song about an aging disc jockey who has given up his entire life and family for his career. On the afternoon of July 16, 1981, Chapin was driving on the Long Island Expressway en route to perform at a free benefit concert at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York, that evening. Harry Chapin: The Gold Medal Collection, album notes. This page is a discography for the singer and songwriter Harry Chapin. As a dedicated humanitarian, Chapin fought to end world hunger. Harry Chapin (December 7, 1942 . Other Long Island landmarks named in honor of Chapin include a graduate-student apartment complex at Stony Brook University, a theater in Heckscher Park in Huntington, New York, and a playground at the intersection of Columbia Heights and Middagh Street in Brooklyn Heights. Here is all you want to know, and more! SCRANTON, Pa. It was a horrific wreck many people still remember, one that inspired a Harry Chapin song. . His legacy continues to live on. "First of all, if anything, I have more foibles than most people. March 3 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Britain responded to a home to rescue a horse that had fallen into its owner's swimming pool and was unable to get itself out. All they know is they got fed because of him and they wouldnt have otherwise, both in this country and abroad.. It's about Harry, a melancholy cabbie, and Sue, the fare he randomly picks up who turns out to be an old flame. He gave more than 100 benefit concerts a year, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charitable, environmental, and political causes. 10. The Machines is a film that was released in 2021. The album sold 2.5 million units due to the number 1 hit, "Cat's in the Cradle." Near exit 40 in Jericho he put on his emergency flashers, presumably because of either a mechanical or medical problem (possibly a heart attack). Long Island Cares provides nutritional food and support services to Long Islanders in need. Anyway I thought of him. Here, we look back at some of his finest moments with our pick of the ten best Harry Chapin songs of all time. And so, while his music made him popular, his charity work lifted him to the degree of legend. 1972 Heads & Tales1972 Sniper and Other Love Songs1973 Short Stories1974 Verities & Balderdash1975 Portrait Gallery1976 Greatest Stories Live1976 On the Road to Kingdom Come1977 Dance Band on the Titanic1978 Living Room Suite1979 Legends of the Lost and Found1980 Sequel, Long Island Expressway Near Exit 40Long Island New York, Your email address will not be published. We were recently at Bethpage ballpark and we were there doing a food drive, says Pachter. He released his first live album, Greatest Stories Live. It was very successful from both a critical and a commercial perspective, so much so that it is still considered to be, Read More Ranking All The Songs From The Watchmen SoundtrackContinue, Your email address will not be published. Harry Chapin Discography: 1972 - Heads & Tales 1972 - Sniper and Other Love Songs Today, Saturday, July 16, marks 30 years since Brooklyn-born folk singer/songwriter Harry Chapin died in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway, but the tireless philanthropic work he. Harry Chapin had a dream to end world hunger and poverty. Initially written as a tribute to New York senator Allard K Lowenstein, who was murdered by Dennis Sweeney in 1980, Remember When The Music took on extra significance when John Lennon was shot and killed that same year. On July 16, 1981 musician activist Harry Chapin (38) died in a fiery car crash on his way to perform a concert at Eisenhower Park not far from his home in Long Island, New York. It was the first time in the show's history that a performer had been called back the next night. Just one year after founding Long Island Cares, Inc., Chapin was traveling in the right lane of Long Island Expressway on his way to a free concert he scheduled at Eisenhower Park when, after passing exit 40 in Jericho, he put on his emergency flashers, presumably because of mechanical issues with his Volkswagen Rabbit. Chapin was a co-founder of the World Hunger Year project, an Oscar nominee for his 1969 documentary film 'Legendary Champions,' and a Tony Award nominee for his multimedia Broadway show 'The Night That Made America Famous' in 1975. Westbound lanes of the expressway were closed to traffic in the area for three hours. (both the above from the book, Food for Thought: Extraordinary Little Chronicles of the World, More songs with units of measurement in the title, More songs inspired by newspaper or magazine articles. Chapin was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame on October 15, 2006. Police said Chapin may have been trying to get across the other two westbound lanes to the shoulder at the right of the expressway. NY, when his car was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. The benefit raised $200,000 for the arts foundation that allowed the bankrupt group to begin working on a fall season. He decided to put music to it. He earned an estimated $2,000,000 per year (approximately $11,75 M in 2017) until his death in 1981, making him one of the highest paid artists in the world. The car Chapin was driving, a 1975 Volkswagen. [21], He was also the inspiration for the antihunger projects USA for Africa and Hands Across America, which were organized by Ken Kragen, who had been Chapin's manager at the end of Chapin's career, after Fred Kewley. No one has come by with that kind of passion and conviction. The Wedding Band includes members of, Read More Metallica cover band The Wedding Band reveals new showContinue, Generally speaking, people dont remember it. 50 Years Ago: Imploding Faces Uncover Timeless Truths in Ooh La La, 30 Years Ago: Living Colours Stain Confronts Inner Demons, 35 Years Ago: Lou Gramm Tries to Sabotage Foreigners Final Hit, 30 Years Ago: Sting Tries (and Fails) to Make an LP That Isnt About Him, Why Dennis DeYoung Never Wanted Mr. Despite Chapins untimely death, his indelible impact on Long Island has been perpetuated by people devoted to keeping his eleemosynary work alive. You might remember his songs "Cat's in the Cradle," "Taxi," "W*O*L*D," and "Circle," to name a few. The album's title song, "Sniper," is a semi-fictional account of the University of Texas tower shooting. The word "banana" is the native word for the fruit in Guinea. The king of Christian worship music explains talks about writing songs for troubled times. Harry Chapin passed away on July 16, 1981 at 38 years old from an auto accident. Chapin's first formal introduction to music was trumpet lessons at The Greenwich House Music School under Mr. Karrasic (sic)[citation needed]. Forty years ago this week July 16, 1981 Chapin, nominee for an Academy Award, an Emmy, a Grammy, winner of a Peabody Award, all before he was 33, died in a fiery crash on the westbound Long. British bus driver stops to give loose sheep a lift. The department records revealed that Chapin had been convicted at least 15 times since 1973 for speeding, improper passing, failure to signal and driving without a license, operating with a suspended license and driving an unregistered vehicle. Today, Eisenhower Park is home to The Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater, while . Videos; Galleries; Newest; Popular; Articles; Gaming; . Hinkle said the Huntington-based foundation, to be called the Harry Chapin Memorial Foundation, was set up with the permission of the Chapin's wife, Sandy. The collision killed all of the front seat occupants, including her dog. Chapin first broke into music during the early 70s. '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. Harry Chapin, in full Harry Foster Chapin, (born Dec. 7, 1942, New York, N.Y., U.S.died July 16, 1981, Jericho, N.Y.), American singer-guitarist who became as well known for his humanitarian effortsparticularly his antihunger crusadeas for his music. The subjects of these songs were often common people with poignant or even melodramatic tales to tell - tales of lost opportunities, cruel ironies and life's hypocrisies. Your email address will not be published. The Nassau County, New York deputy chief medical examiner said Chapins aorta was lacerated by the impact and he died of massive hemorrhaging into his chest cavity. Three singles were released, with all of them becoming hits. (Note: I'm not including professional race car drivers who died behind the wheel as risk is part of the sport.) On July 16th, 1981, when he was on his way to play a free concert that evening, Harry Chapin was killed when his small car collided with a large tractor trailer after he was seen swerving in and out of lanes, perhaps because he was late, we will never know.
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