Around noon on July 16, 1981, the 38-year-old singer-songwriter Harry Chapin was driving his daughter’s 1975 blue VW Rabbit on the Long Island Expressway heading to perform a free concert that evening at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York. Apparently due to either a heart attack or to mechanical problems, Chapin suddenly put on his flashers and drastically slowed down before his car began swerving.
Chapin’s car was then hit by a tractor-trailer truck, and the Rabbit burst into flames. Chapin was rescued from the car and taken by helicopter to a hospital, where he soon died.
The doctor listed the cause of death as cardiac arrest. But we do not know if the heart attack caused the accident or vice versa. But even with that mystery, maybe we know more about the man by where he was going than how the trip ended.
On his way to give a free concert, Chapin’s death reminded us that he always loved the music, and it reminds us of how he devoted much of his time to philanthropic work, including his advocacy regarding world hunger. He gave us good music and good works, providing some inspiration for later events in the 1980s like Live Aid and Farm Aid.
Behind the Music
I miss when VH1 used to regularly feature Behind the Music episodes. One episode from the show’s first season focused on Harry Chapin. For more on Harry Chapin, check out this episode of Behind the Music from 1998.
I Wonder What Would Happen to this World
Chapin, who was born on December 7, 1942, was buried at Huntington Rural Cemetery in Huntington, New York. His tombstone features words from his song “I Wonder What Would Happen to this World.”
Oh if a man tried
To take his time on Earth,
And prove before he died
What one man’s life could be worth,
I wonder what would happen
to this world.
In this video, Harry Chapin’s daughter Jen Chapin sings her version of the song.
The Harry Chapin Foundation continues some of the good work started by Harry Chapin.
What is your favorite Harry Chapin song? Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
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