December 7, 1942
Harry Forster Chapin was born in New York City, the second of four children. His parents were Jeanne Elspeth and "Big" Jim Chapin, a legendary percussionist.
No straight lines make up my life;
And all my roads have bends;
There's no clear-cut beginnings;
And so far no dead-ends.
1950
Harry’s parents divorce, with his mother retaining custody. She later remarries.
1958
The Chapin Brothers perform their first public gigs.
1959
While singing on the Brooklyn Boys Choir, Harry meets “Big” John Wallace, who would become his bassist, backing vocalist, and longtime friend.
1960
Harry graduates from Brooklyn Technical High School, and attends the US Air Force Academy for 3 months before dropping out.
1961
Between several short stints at Cornell, Harry begins a career in filmmaking.
1965
The Chapin Brothers begin touring professionally, with their father Jim Chapin on drums.
1968
Legendary Champions, a documentary directed by Harry Chapin, is nominated for an Academy Award.
1968
Harry marries poet Sandy Gaston, and relocates to Long Island with her three children.
1971
Harry and his friend “Big” John Wallace form a band, and open for his brothers on tour.
1971
Harry's daughter Jen is born.
1972
Harry’s first album, Heads & Tales, is released under Elektra. The single “Taxi” is a bona-fide hit.
1972
Sniper & Other Love Songs, his second album, is released. Although less successful than his first album, it contained the hit single “Circle”.
1973
Short Stories, his third album, is released. The single “W.O.L.D” reached #36 on the Billboard Top 100 and remains one of his most popular songs today.
1974
Harry's son Josh is born.
1974
Verities & Balderdash, his fourth album, contains the single “Cat’s in the Cradle”. Co-written with Sandy Chapin, the song is Harry’s highest-charting single.
1975
Harry writes and performs The Night That Made America Famous on Broadway.
1975
Harry founds World Hunger Year (or WHY) with radio host Bill Ayres, as a part of his effort to end world hunger. The non-profit lives on today as WhyHunger.
1976
Greatest Stories Live, Harry’s first live album, is released. The single “A Better Place to Be” charted on the Billboard Top 100, and the extended cut of “30,000 Pounds of Bananas” became a fan favorite.
1978
Harry Chapin is appointed to President Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Commission on World Hunger.
1981
Sequel, Harry’s ninth album, is released under new label Boardwalk Records. It features the single “Sequel”, which continues the story of Harry and Sue from his song “Taxi”, 10 years later.
July 16, 1981
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 was 38 years old.
1981
After Harry’s death, Sandy Chapin creates the Harry Chapin Memorial Fund in order to continue his legacy of philanthropy. The organization continues today as the Harry Chapin Foundation.
1987
On his 45th birthday, Harry Chapin is posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his efforts to end world hunger.
1988
Using material recorded before his death, The Last Protest Singer, Harry’s posthumous tenth album, is released under Dunhill Compact Classics.
1988
The musical The Cotton Patch Gospel, with music and lyrics written by Harry before his death, is released on Broadway.
1988
The Gold Medal Collection, a 2-disc anthology, is released to commemorate Harry’s Congressional Gold Medal.
2006
Harry Chapin is inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame.