Harry Chapin

In this exclusive one-on-one interview produced for the classic RBTV program Wild Celery in 1980, Harry Chapin sits down with Virginia Bishop to talk about his life, politics, and his opinions on many issues of the day. Chapin is completely candid with his interviewer, and he gives the viewing audience an authentic taste of his mind. The man, known to many to this day for his classic hit "Cats in the Cradle," poigniantly says, "I have a lot more stories to tell and a lot more living to do." A few months after this interview, however, Chapin died in a brutal and horrendous automobile accident. This exclusive interview was one of his last.

[@Daystarmyson]

I was born in '75. Heard Harry Chapin, for the first time driving with my Dad when I was a waist high guy... and it was not until my twenties that I was able to comprehend how great the man was/ is. I too have chills listening to this video clip for the first time. I love who and what he is... I have been listening to the music more than ever this month and tonight I read the news clip from 07/16/ 81, the day of his accident. Then I heard the first two minutes of this, how he describes his death... He was a great, great man. I am humbled. - Ryan William

[@melodyaycock2137]

Remarkable Man!!!

[@usyungs]

I met him when he came to do a concert at our college in Jonesboro, AR. His band was a no show, but it didn't stop him from playing his guitar and singing his songs for us. I got his autograph afterwards. He was an amazing human being who changed the way I saw things.

[@robertbdesmond]

I love this man. And his music, voice and philanthropy. May Harry Chapin rest in the peace of almighty God. Thanks for your music, Harry!

[@jamesmongan160]

Amazing Man. He is definitely one of God's angels.

[@laurelchapin3960]

love my uncle

[@kidcharlemagne7238]

Wawww Laurel, what a joy being Harry's niece, God Bless Chapins world over, I am so thankful for your Uncle Harry, he inspired me in 1973 Belfast, to become a singer and songwriter, I have his books, poems, albums and I sing his songs, I just loved this man and his legacy for our ever frightened world. Just today I was singing Tangled up Puppet during one of my business English classes in Hamburg.

[@usyungs]

he was an amazing human being. I miss his music so much!

[@melodyaycock2137]

Me too. He was the best!!!

[@rachelblanche2907]

❤

[@mllm1]

I have loved his music for about fifty years but didn’t know much about him. I’m impressed. Very humble, intelligent, forward thinking, unselfish man. We could use more people like that today.

[@bsoz9759]

Harry Chapin was an intelligent, insightful, clear thinking person. He wrote wonderful songs with messages to the public to help us understand the struggles, joys and triumphs of the common man. His personal focus was dealing with hunger within the United States and educating the rest of regarding the policies of our government. He was a human being with a loving heart for his fellow man, a trait which is sadly scarce within those with the means to make a difference.

[@kb1056]

One of the greatest humans ever. Had the profound privilege to meet the man … did not disappoint… as genuine as air we breathe … and I will be forever greatfull to have been in that presence… God Bless Harry

[@kylecrazyford]

Especially how he describes the fuel tanks bursting from behind, followed by "They don't make those obviously". Very Chilling

[@brucethompson5031]

That’s how he died.

[@aarongoldstein7614]

I felt a small chill when he said he had a lot of living to do. As it turned out, he had less than a year to do that living.

[@metalmoto]

Harry was a great man. Wanted to help people. Nothing wrong with that. His death was tragic, and his legacy still lives on today. May God Bless him, RIP Harry!

[@jamesmongan5169]

the second best to listening to Harry sing was listening to Harry talk.

[@jfq7223]

Sometimes hard to tell the difference ;) He was a very good guy!

[@kams7170]

We need you in 2020 Harry. ❤️

[@nkv47]

a movie should be made about this great man!!

[@spookyvegan1402]

The pintos were that kind of car 🚗 they had their gas tank in the back and had a habit of bursting into flames when hit from the back - (thanks Ford) And finally they took them off the road.. It hurts my heart to think how similar to the way he died & how described this - Harry was someone we needed in this world He did so much in his short life He is someone who as a kid and now an adult was a hero of mine 😍

[@littlelotte76]

Am i the only one who finds it eery how closely his own death mirrors his automobile company analogy early on in the interview? O.o

[@dosanchoas]

eery is RIGHT!!! i was employee at nassau county medical center, eating my lunch in cafeteria that looked out upon e.r.'s helicopter landing pad, when ship carrying poor harry flew in...

[@hossmad11]

Listen to Harry at 1:56, he gives an analogy, which is EXACTLY how he died....

[@mrpikey3559]

That was eerie as hell, but I know he was being a goof (although seriously chilling how he foretold it in such a cynical way) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Pinto#NHTSA_investigation In April 1974, the Center for Auto Safety petitioned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to recall Ford Pintos to address fuel system design defects after reports from attorneys of three deaths and four serious injuries in rear-end collisions at moderate speeds. It's pretty widely known in the states if you had boomer parents, notorious death traps.

[@neme8528]

Prophetic...!!!

[@CadillacL]

Wow. Eerie.

[@patrickshetler8277]

Exactly

[@nostalgiainfinita]

So humble and a brilliant story teller and most of all an amazing human being...his songs and his legacy will always be remenber and shared

[@paulmcveigh6762]

My hero nobody comes close to this great man Dr

[@StrikerXI]

interview in 1980 he says "let's say there was an imaginary automobile company that built automobiles, that when hit from behind burst into flame. Now nothing like that would ever happen in the real world, you know that." Ford Pinto 1971-1980

[@MacJackson]

I believe you are mistaken. Harry WAS a God loving person. Besides his lyrics and his musical Cotton Patch Gospel, I have a CD of his conversations from the radio show "On this Rock" where he discusses how his faith and belief contributed to him wanting to better the world. Thus why he was soooo tired recording that interview. He worked nonstop. I've also read where he said he tried pot once in the 60s but never again due to how it hurt his clear thought and creativity. Hope this helps:)

[@MrAmericanworkmule]

Harry appears very fatigued....... his beautiful composure shines through.

[@jfq7223]

You can't say he wasn't a great guy. I've never heard a negative word about him.

[@61dodgelancer]

According to Wikipedia: On July 16, 1981, Chapin was driving in the left lane on the Long Island Expressway at about 65 mph (105 km/h) on the way to perform at a free concert scheduled for later that evening at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, New York. Near exit 40 in Jericho, he put on his emergency flashers, presumably because of either a mechanical or medical problem (possibly a heart attack). He then slowed to about 15 miles (24 km) per hour and veered into the center lane, nearly colliding with another car. He swerved left, then to the right again, ending up directly in the path of a tractor-trailer truck. The truck could not brake in time and rammed the rear of Chapin's blue 1975 Volkswagen Rabbit, rupturing the fuel tank as it climbed up and over the back of the car, which burst into flames. A spokesman for the Nassau County Medical Center said Chapin had suffered a heart attack and died of cardiac arrest, but there was no way of knowing whether it occurred before or after the accident. In a 2004 interview, many years after his death, Chapin's daughter Jennifer said, "My dad didn't really sleep, and he ate badly and had a totally insane schedule. Though Chapin was driving without a license - his driver's license having previously been revoked for a long string of traffic violations - his widow Sandy won a $12 million decision in a negligence lawsuit against Supermarkets General, the owners of the truck, based on what Chapin would have earned over the next 20 years. An earlier phase of the trial had found Chapin 40% negligent in the accident and Supermarkets General 60% negligent, so the award of $12 million for the financial loss to the family was automatically reduced to $7.2 million.

[@CadillacL]

Very deep insights.

[@joannamccloud]

I'm just now seeing this in 2022 but isn't this rather eerie is that not what happened his car was hit from the back and burst into flames I hate this I don't like what happened to him I really loved his music that I found

[@kidcharlemagne7238]

"by the normal methods", I just cracked up :)

[@geoffjoffy]

He wrote some great songs. First time I heard him interviewed.

[@slica111]

Wow, he's so damn smart. I'll have to see if he wrote any books.

[@thetragedian]

It's well known that he was hit from behind. An 18-wheeler hit the Volkswagen Rabbit Harry was driving. It forced him up towards the top of the car and bent his back over until his aorta was severed.

[@StrikerXI]

"Chapin slowed to about 15 miles per hour and swerved in the center lane directly in the path of a tractor-trailer truck. The truck rear-ended Chapin and his car burst into flames."

[@StrikerXI]

Just read his obituary, his death was due to his 1975 VW being hit from behind and bursting into flames... He died from the hit not the fire but this is freaky.

[@MacJackson]

Not to nit-pick but every report I've ever heard of the crash was that he was hit from behind on the L.I.E.by a grocery truck after veering from the far left lane towards the right shoulder causing his car to "explode" as his car lost accelleration just like "flipper man" said. Easy to find on the web and in books such as "Taxi" his Bio. The VH-1 Behind the Music states the same.

[@brucethompson5031]

Ironic how his vehicle exploded on fire from getting hit from behind. Spooky.

[@kevinmcdonald951]

RIP DAD.

[@newipad]

It was not hit from behind.

[@debrapower8673]

OMG…isn’t this how he died ?

[@CadillacL]

Yes. Chilling isn’t it?

[@oicub123]

I just looked up the story on the death of Harry,it is true he was hit from behind by a semi but the driver got Harry out of the car before it burned and the cause of death was cardiac arrest,unknown if before the accident or after.

[@cosmokramer1987]

He suistained a ruptured aorta due to the crash which caused him to have a cardiac arrest due the trauma.

[@flipperMAN2001]

So many wrong statements about Harry's crash. Harry's VW Rabbit rapidly decelerated on the Long Island Expressway. Broken throttle cable? Heart Attack? noone knows. Harry made a bee-line for the curb (he was not hit as he changed lanes - He had already been hit) He died on the road side after being pulled out by the truck driver that hit him. Harry was unlicensed due to being a terrible driver but this played no part in the crash. Sandy received 8 Million for the truck driver being to close.

[@newipad]

Harry wrote songs. Very long songs. Not books.

[@newipad]

Tired? More like baked.

[@pmoosedak]

many naughty things. not that one. That was his deep tired (and asthmatic too)

[@jimsteele2072]

Way to coherant for that assumption...but thanks anyway ✌

[@newipad]

It's a little sad to me that you can't respect his memory by respecting his lack of belief in this god you speak of. Your god didn't "need Harry more in heaven," because there is no god and no heaven, but even if there was, would he be calling atheists to be with him? Harry said, in public, on numerous occasions, that he did not believe in a god. Don't disrespect him by talking of his being called to be with a god in heaven.

[@lonewave1]

I liked Harry's music and got most of his recordings. Saw him 3 times in concert and was amazed at his stamina. But when I found out about his accident settlement and the money that his wife got from the accident I see Harry and wife Sandy as hypocritical. Read the settlement and see what you think. Plus I think Harry started to believe too much in his own image of himself. In other words martyr comes to mind. Sniper still his best song.

[@kittylil_1235]

I have read about the settlement. Now it’s your turn.. You should read about what she did with the settlement. There was no hypocrisy in Harry Chapin.