advertisement

Chapin Family to pay tribute to Harry's music at Arcada Sunday

When Nissan execs aired a multimillion-dollar commercial for the Super Bowl this year, they went with a heart-tugging 90-second spot about a race-car driver separated from his family by his career. The only dialogue was a hit “story song” from 1972: “Cat's in the Cradle,” sung by late folk singer Harry Chapin, who died almost 35 years ago.

His words about a busy father who can't find time for his son still resonate, and fans can revisit his musical legacy Sunday, June 26, at a concert by the Chapin Family at St. Charles' Arcada Theatre.

The concert will include Harry's still-performing brothers Tom and Steve; Harry's band members, bass guitarist and singer “Big John” Wallace and drummer Howie Fields; Harry's now-grown daughter, Jen Chapin; Tom's daughter Abigail; and Wallace's son Clark.

“We'll do Harry's best songs and also some of our own stuff,” Tom Chapin said in a phone interview from his home in the Hudson River Valley.

Tom Chapin said the family comes together for four or five shows a year. He also does about 150 concerts a year by himself.

The sons of jazz drummer Jim Chapin, Tom, Steve and Harry started singing together when their mother, afraid they were heading toward delinquency, convinced them to join a church choir in Brooklyn.

“The very things that made Harry great were not the things you'd want in a chorus,” Steve said. “He did, however, spend a lot of time hanging around the girls' choir.”

Tom said their lives changed in the 1960s when they listened to an album by the folk group The Weavers.

“We said, 'We could do that!'”

In 1972, Harry - by then a solo act, with Steve as a bandmate and Tom an occasional addition - hit the Top 40 charts with “Taxi,” a semi-autobiographical “story song” about a cabdriver who once dreamed of becoming a pilot giving a ride to an ex-girlfriend.

A Chapin Family concert Sunday, June 26, at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles will pay tribute to the late Harry Chapin as well as feature music from other family members. COURTESY of SUNDANCE MUSIC, BY PETER BLACKSBERG

Other hit Harry Chapin songs included “Cat's in the Cradle,” which he wrote with his wife, Sandy, when they realized he was spending so much time on the road that his son barely knew him; “WOLD,” about a has-been radio disc jockey who feels like he is “over 45, going on 15”; and “Mail Order Annie,” about a 19th-century settler meeting his prearranged wife for the first time.

“Mr. Tanner” tells about an Ohio tailor who dreams of becoming a big-time singer but is crucified by the only critic who reviews his recital in New York. When Wallace's deep bass voice belts out “Oh Holy Night” as a song-within-a-song, the audience at Chapin Family shows goes wild.

Harry, who was killed in a car accident in 1981, became known for social activism, especially in the fight against hunger. Half of his 200 concerts a year were done for free, to raise funds for a local food pantry or arts society. He persuaded President Jimmy Carter to set up a President's Commission on World Hunger. In honor of his charity and political work, Congress posthumously awarded Harry the Congressional Gold Medal.

Tom Chapin, meanwhile, married Geneva native Bonnie Broecker. He hosted a network TV show for children called “Make A Wish” and made music of his own, both for children and adults. He will be back in the area on July 17 to perform a family-friendly concert at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park with his frequent collaborators Jon Cobert and Michael Mark.

Steve Chapin followed a different path after Harry's death that included a failed dry-cleaning business and personal battles with addiction.

When Harry died, “I not only lost my brother. I lost my job,” Steve said. “I didn't do too well ­- too much whiskey, women and white powder.”

Steve finally straightened out his life with the help of his wife, Angela. He now operates a resort in Nova Scotia and performs several concerts a year with Wallace and Fields.

Steve said those who attended his brother Harry's concerts remember his energetic charisma, singing atop a stool until he grew hoarse, often with the audience singing along. Then he would spend another two hours talking to audience members in the lobby or on the street outside, sometimes moving on to a local radio station to be interviewed for an hour or two about hunger and poverty issues.

“Harry lived so hard,” Steve said, “it was as if he knew he would have only 38 years to live.”

The Chapin Family

When: 5 p.m. Sunday, June 26

Where: Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 962-7000,

www.arcadalive.com

Tickets: Start at $39

Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.