Post by Jesse Cooke

45 years ago on July 16, 1981, Harry Chapin was driving a 1975 VW Rabbit on his way to perform a benefit concert in Eisenhower Park in East Meadow, NY when he was in a fatal collision with a tractor trailer on the Long Island Expressway. 6 years before, he released his most successful album ‘Verities and Balderdash’ which includes his only No. 1 hit, ‘Cat’s in the Cradle’ which Chapin introduced at concerts by saying, “This is a song my wife wrote to zap me because I wasn't home when our son Josh was born.” It is a remarkable song, especially if you’re in the mood to reflect upon all the times you’ve come up short as a parent and as a child all at the same time. Dwight singing it to Jim upon Jim’s return from paternity leave was hilarious during Season 6 of The Office in 2005, as was this song serving as the hold music when Homer called the "Neglectful Father Helpline” on the ‘Saturdays of Thunder’ episode of the Simpsons in 1991. I like Ricky Skaggs’ version for his 1995 album ‘Solid Ground’. The 1992 Ugly Kid Joe version will not be discussed here. Chapin’s widow Sandra Chapin won a $12 million decision in a negligence lawsuit against the owners of the truck. In 1987, Chapin was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for his humanitarian work, particularly in the fight against world hunger. Sandra Chapin is the chairperson of the Harry Chapin Foundation which continues to actively perpetuate its namesake’s work. Pictured is my son. He came from college just the other day. Harry Chapin was 38 years old.