Saturday, December 21, 2013

Saturday morning tunes: The new job's a hassle and the kids have the flu

On this date in 1974, Harry Chapin had his first -- and last -- number one hit.
"Cat's In The Cradle" was Chapin's last big hit, and though he retained a loyal fan base through the remainder of the 1970s, his work as a social activist during this period was far more significant than his work as a musician. Chapin is widely credited with spurring the creation of the President's Commission on World Hunger in 1977, and he shares indirect responsibility for one of the biggest music charity efforts of all time, USA for Africa, which was organized by Chapin's former manager, Ken Kragen. On the occasion of Chapin's posthumous award of the Congressional Gold Medal in 1987, Kragen, who also organized Hands Across America, credited Chapin as his inspiration: "All of our efforts with hunger and homelessness began with Harry," he said.




"Cat's in the Cradle" got the p3 treatment about a year ago.

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