Ups and downs are typical for the career of any famous person. The most difficult thing is to reduce the popularity of artists. Some manage to regain their former glory, others are left with bitterness to recall the lost fame. Each fate requires separate attention. For example, the story of Harry Chapin's rise to fame cannot be ignored.
The family of the future artist Harry Chapin
Harry Chapin was born December 7, 1942 in New York. He was the second child in the family, later his parents had two more children. The family originated from England. Harry's paternal ancestors emigrated to America at the end of the XNUMXth century. Maternal grandfather, Kenneth Burke, was a famous writer, philosopher, and literary critic.
Jim Chapin, Harry's father, became a jazz drummer and was posthumously awarded a star on the Walk of Fame. There are many famous personalities in the Harry Chapin family, so it is not surprising that the boy's talent was revealed.
Childhood star Harry Chapin 1970s
Harry's parents divorced in 1950. Four children stayed with their mother, and the father supported the family. Jim was very busy with his career, his own creativity, there was no time left for his wife and children. The woman later remarried. Harry's father had a rich personal life with ten children by different women.
The divorce of the parents did not interfere with the normal course of childhood. Harry, like his brothers, has been interested in music since childhood. He played musical instruments and sang in the Brooklyn Boys Choir. He was interested in various genres of amateur performances.
The boy did not refuse to participate in school theater productions, all kinds of "skit". In his youth, Harry played in a small musical group. Sometimes he even managed to go on stage with the musical accompaniment of his father.
While performing in the choir, Harry met John Wallace, who had a very versatile voice. Subsequently, he joined the Chapin team, which was at the pinnacle of fame.
Harry began performing on stage early in the company of his brothers. He played the trumpet and later mastered the guitar. He took lessons from the famous Greenwich. It was the teacher who pointed out to him the need for reorientation, seeing little interest in the pipe.
Education and military service of the artist
After high school, Harry Chapin graduated from college. The young man and four of his classmates were drafted into the army in 1960. In 1963, he was already a cadet at the US Air Force Academy. And later became a student at Cornell University.
The young man did not want to become either a military man or a lawyer. He was interested and completely fascinated by creativity. He abandoned all attempts at career guidance, and never received a higher education in his life.
Despite the interest in music, children's developments in this area, Harry decided to go into the field of cinema. He plunged into the documentary genre. Chapin studied and filmed a lot. In 1968, the film Legendary Champions was nominated for a prestigious film award. The award was not received. Perhaps this was the reason for the decrease in interest in cinema. This marked the end of Harry Chapin's career in cinematography.
Harry Chapin and the first steps in a musical career
In the early 1970s, Harry, along with his brothers and friends, decided to actively pursue music. The guys started by playing their compositions in nightclubs in New York. The audience was well received by their work. The guys had a desire to develop in this area. Harry and his team recorded the first independent album.
He not only did not find success, but also shook his confidence in the right choice of field. Harry found himself again in search of himself. In order to “make amends” for disappointment, to understand his own destiny, Chapin went to work on the radio. In the same period, he tried himself in different creative directions. As a result, the desire to make music prevailed. Harry was convinced that there was no need to despair. Attempts to achieve success continued.
Positive career progression
Chapin realized that it was useless to act alone. In 1972, he signed with a record company. Under the leadership of Elektra Records, things improved. Harry recorded the first studio album Heads & Tales. After the debut collection, which turned out to be a successful brainchild of the singer, 7 more full-fledged collections followed under a contract with the studio. In total, in his career there are 11 albums and 14 singles that have become undeniable hits. Chapin created his own team, toured successfully, his work was popular.
Harry Chapin in 1976 won the title of one of the most popular performers of our time. This was achieved not only due to the relevance of creativity, but also the talent of the singer. He was actively "promoted", trying to keep the achieved heights. The situation changed with the change of leadership of Elektra Records. Chapin faded into the background, they stopped advertising him. By the end of the 1970s, the artist focused on touring. At the same time, he did not stop his studio activities, continuing to record an album a year.
Difficulties further promoting Harry Chapin
Despite the artist's success, Elektra Records did not want to renew his contract. The former agreement expired in 1980. Chapin tried to record compositions at another studio, to find a new "patron". The initiatives did not yield positive results. The musician again had a creative crisis.
At this turn, the artist was confident in the correctness of his creative path. He didn't try to find himself in something else. Harry could only hope for a favorable set of circumstances.
Sudden death
The artist failed to return to the dizzying success of his career. A terrible accident on July 16, 1981 ended the musician's life. The car driven by Harry Chapin swerved into the oncoming lane. Losing control, the musician crashed into another car. Eyewitnesses pulled the singer out of a crushed car, the artist was taken to the hospital by an air ambulance helicopter.
The doctors were unable to save the man's life. Later, the singer's wife accused the doctors of negligence and won the case in court. The police did not release the cause of the incident. Some claimed that it was a heart attack, others said that the driver was insane. Harry was frustrated with the current state of his career. On the fateful day, he was in a hurry to a charity concert.
The personal life of an artist
Despite his fame, Chapin was not seen in a wild life. Even before achieving success, in 1966, Harry met a socialite 8 years older than him. Sandra asked to teach her music lessons. The couple got married two years later. Jen was born into the family, who later became the famous actress Joshua. In this family, Chapin also raised Sandra's three children from his first marriage.
