Harry Chapin
Harry Forster Chapin (December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981 NY) 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.In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work.
On the afternoon of July 16, 1981, Chapin was driving westbound on the Long Island Expressway en route to perform at a free benefit concert at Lakeside Theater at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York, that evening. At 12:27 p.m. near exit 40 in Jericho, New YorkChapin had reportedly put on his emergency flashers, decelerated his vehicle’s speed to 15 mph (24 km/h), and had weaved from the far-left lane to the center lane, to the left lane, and then back to the center lane before his vehicle was struck from behind by a semi-trailer truck. The force of the collision crushed the rear of the car, ruptured the fuel tank, and dragged the car several hundred feet on the pavement. Passersby managed to help the unconscious Chapin out of his engulfed 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit. Chapin was immediately taken by police helicopter from the crash site outside Jericho, New York, to the nearby Nassau County Medical Center. He was pronounced dead at 1:05 P.M. at the age of 38 due to cardiac arrest and internal bleeding.