Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

? Entertainment 5Ek i y JbSM ^ I &^ B W j."* *-** 4^^' ? * milTHlf H _ By JOHN BARTUS All too often the great artists of the world go unrecognized until news of their deaths thrusts them into the spotlight. With the exception of his loyal, hard-core fans, Harry Chapin, who was killed in a car crash last week, was denied the recognition he cer lainiy deserved, hrooaoiy tne greatest tolk artist of the past decade, Chapin was able to move his listeners to intense emotional extremes within the boundaries of his songs. Chapin achieved his greatest commercial success in the early 1970s. "Taxi," his first hit single, was followed closely by his most famous song, "Cat's In the Cradle." These singles, which received a good bit of airplay, revealed the world nf Harrv Chanin tn manv who would later become die-hard fans. These songs, stories about life's many facets, conveyed a sense of honest emotion, a feeling not usually found on AM radio. It is doubtful, however, that Chapin worried much about the commercial success of his tunes; he was a man with a message, and the core of sincerity in his work seemed to transcend anything having to do with dollars and cents. AFTER "Cat's In the Cradle," Chapin turned out albums like "Dance Band on the Titanic," "Portrait Gallery " and "Greatest Stories Live," but these failed to produce the commercial benefits that would elude him for the rest of his life. Many of the songs from this period, however, have become classics. "WOLD," a song about the life of a DJ, and the hilarious 30, (MX) Pounds of Bananas," with its numerous endings, further endeared him to his fans. I - jljuic-i ^iiupm aiuums inciuae "living Room Suite," "On the Road To Kingdom Come," "Legends of the Lost and Found," and his most memorable studio effort, "Sequel." Some of the memorable songs from these include "Corey's Coming." which he would introduce as "the story of an old man with a dream and a young boy who buys it," and the hauntingly beautiful "Stranger With the Melodies." -1' "i . V; ~i':x ^ > K t' " Cr74? ' -- - : BL iff'-""' [:--" Tt-;-L ' ?-v-S-'^}r- '-r:"r :^\- ,-v IvV--v>''-y-' -I-'?-'-; "V"-'>:. -- ? rL:Si-?:(y^^ '^sr'f (fit\\ Harry Chapin, who died last week at the a] beautiful folk songs. His concert at USC in world hunger, for which he raised more BBMHHMHMBMaHBBHMaHHnBBMBMBB 8 CHAPIN once sane " whpn von cino CT? ^ " *t> from the inside, you hope that something shows." His feeling for his art, combined with the sincerity of his lyrics, attracted more and more fans to his ever-growing circle. His live performances were very special, because it was apparent from the very first note that he really cared about his songs and about his audience. His live renditions of his tunes almost always outdid the studio arrangements; they had a certain energy and excitement that thrilled his listeners. m i ' * * * r,ven wnen periorming solo, accompanied only by his own acoustic guitar, Chapin could transfix his audience. The one-man show he brought to Columbia in April of 1980 was a magical event, an outpouring of love from both performer and audience. Like so many of his performances, it was a benefit concert for World Hunger Year. He not only sang about problems throughout the world, Kut -jMi.mlv ~ ?i- -i kui uvu vtijf luun <j i wic in li y nig 10 Cliail^e the world for the better. His benefit concerts raised more than five million dollars for his causes, and through his lobbying efforts and persistence he was able to persuade President Carter to set up a commision on world hunger, of which Chapin was an active member. IN HIS concert at USC he marveled at our country, which spends so many more billions of dollars on nuclear weapons than it does on trying to better the quality of life throughout the world. II^ITV rhiinin lAiiorl lif*i II? a *V4? * j v/nu pita iisvv,U lilV. 11C U11CI1 1 CI CI I CU to himself as the luckiest man alive. His was a tragic death in the sense of the loss of one of the world's greatest folk artists, but his was not a wasted life. He contributed so much to so many lives through his music and his efforts in world hunger, and it is hoped he will be remembered as a man who lived his life in fullness. His contributions will never be forgotten Oh. I've sung it all tonight Almost every story that I know And now when they turn out the spotlight I'm not sure where I'm supposed to go "You Are the Only Song" ?e of 38, left behind him dozens of 1980 was one of many benefits he did for than $5 million.