Friday 7th November

On Sundays in the early seventies there was a fantastic DJ whose name was surprisingly Noel Edmonds, and he seemed to have complete freedom to play what he wanted.  He used to have an Artist of the week and an Album of the week which he featured extensively.  He introduced me to many artists I had barely or never heard of from the West Coast including Judee Sill, John Stewart and Harry Chapin.  Harry wrote real songs, and a very few old-fashioned love songs.  He wrote about driving in his ‘Taxi’ and picking up his first love, now a Hollywood Actress, or what goes on in the mind of a ‘Sniper’ or the widows left at home by their whaler husbands in ‘DogTown’ or how all his life was a ‘Circle’ or the reflections of a middle-aged DJ at radio station ‘WOLD’ .  And he combined operatic voices and violins and cellos into his band.  Quite quite unique, he was also a true Socialist who played benefits and founded the Harry Chapin Foundation for which he raised three million dollars.  He believed above all in World Peace and an End to Hunger.

He died in 1981 aged just thirty nine in a car accident which he probably caused while having a heart attack.  His hits had dried up long ago but he kept on recording and playing live, spreading his message of universal love and hope.   I know that he has inspired many people over the years and there is always that special moment when you say his name and someone says “Oh Yeah – he wrote Cat’s Cradle, didn’t he?”

He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for campaigning on social issues and he left behind his wonderful songs.  Well worth a listen.