I don’t really know if this letter will reach any of you, but I am a thirty-four year old father of two who “discovered” Harry Chapin when I was about 12 or thirteen. Your father/husbands music played an integral role in my life. My own father passed away suddenly in 1979 and my loneliness and frustration were somewhat alleviated by listening to my 8 tracks of your dads albums over and over again. From “Dance Band on the Titanic” to “On the Road to Kingdom Come” many hours were passed listening to stories that took me to other safe places where I could hide a little while from the pain.
I had purchased tickets to his concert at Ravinia, which would have been performed about three weeks after his death. This is one of my biggest regrets, my wife did get to see him live and I have an autographed t-shirt framed and hanging in my office. I hope somehow, as the years pass you will continue to realize what your father meant and continues to mean to people. I even saw Tom and Steve with Big John Wallace here in Schaumburg, Il.
I hope that you don’t feel that I am being too forward or am unstable. Your father inspired me to learn guitar, and I am now a special education teacher who remembers the words to “Flowers are Red” as part of my methodology. I also have devoted my life to altruism as your father did. Please let me know that you received this. I have never in my life sent any kind of fan mail but sometimes I think its important to let people know how much they have impacted your lives.
I am at Tteck at aol.com, and I would love to hear from you.
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