Harry Chapin

Harry Chapin
Chapin in 1980
Born(1942-12-07)December 7, 1942
New York City, U.S.
DiedJuly 16, 1981(1981-07-16) (aged 38)
Alma materCornell University, no degree
Musical career
Genres
Occupations
Instruments
DiscographyHarry Chapin discography
Years active1950s–1981
Labels
Websiteharrychapinmusic.com

Harry Forster Chapin (/ˈpɪn/; December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and hunger activist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s. Chapin, a Grammy Award-winning artist and Grammy Hall of Fame inductee, has sold over 16 million records worldwide.

Chapin recorded a total of 11 albums from 1972 until his death in 1981. All 14 singles that he released became hits on at least one national music chart. Chapin's best-known songs include "Taxi" and "Cat's in the Cradle."

As a dedicated humanitarian, Chapin fought to end world hunger. He was a key participant in the creation of the Presidential Commission on World Hunger in 1977.[1][2] In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.[3]

  1. ^ Harry Chapin: The Gold Medal Collection, album notes, Elektra/Asylum Records, 1988.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference obitNYT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Congressional Gold Medal Recipients". United States House of Representatives. Retrieved 2021-09-11.