Tip: Harry Chapin tributes on LI
Singer Harry Chapin, seen a publicity file photo, was killed in a car accident July 16, 1981, on the Long Island Expressway. Several Chapin tributes are planned to mark the occasion. Credit: Magna Artists Corp.
Anyone listening to the radio in the winter of 1974 couldn't help but hear "Cat's in the Cradle," a No. 1 hit by Harry Chapin. But Chapin was more than a singer-songwriter. He was a Long Islander and a humanitarian.
Chapin died exactly 30 years ago Saturday in an accident on the Long Island Expressway on his way to perform at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow. To mark the occasion, several Chapin tributes are set around the Island.
Musicians and friends will gather at Castello di Borghese Vineyard in Cutchogue tomorrow from 2 to 4 p.m. to sing Chapin's songs and tell stories about the man. A $10 donation is suggested; all proceeds will benefit Long Island Cares -- the Harry Chapin Food Bank. Call 631-734-5111.
On Monday, some of L.I.'s top musicians will tap into the Chapin songbook at Eisenhower Park's Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater, named in his honor two months after he died. The free concert begins at 7:30 p.m.; bring a canned food item to donate; 516-572-0355.
