Taxi: The Harry Chapin Story
by Peter Morton Coan
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Book Summary Information
Author: Peter Morton CoanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 1990-05-01
ISBN: 0818405139
Number of pages: 540
Publisher: Lyle Stuart
Book Reviews of Taxi: The Harry Chapin Story
Book Review: I laughed and cried reading this. If you've ever been touched by Harry and wished to know more about him, the is THE book
Summary: 5 Stars
I attended Harry Chain concerts 3 times in the 1970's and came aware just blown away by the love and the power of his presence. He was one in ten million. He had that rare ability to connect with each person - both individually and in a group. It was a seminal experience one rarely experiences in musical concerts. Words do not come close, but this book captures some of this and brings it all back. If you've been to a concert likely you would have connected with his passion for life passion for people. As correctly stated in this book, for some reason, this quality hardly if ever seemed to get transferred to his studio recordings. When he died in 1981 I cried because all the joy of those concerts, the feeling of being alive and part of something extraordinary came rushing back. Reading this book for the first time in December 2008 brought all this back again and added more dimensions to the man- Harry Chapin and how he grew into the person he was and why he was such an advocate for the human race. I too found a few factual errors, but they were minor and took away nothing from the read which for me was a lens into the life of a man much admired as a personal hero to me, but for me whom I knew very little about his upbringings - until this read. For me the book felt totally unbiased factual in nature. It did not come across as attacking the family to me as a couple of the reviewers here indicate. My only regret is I would have liked for Peter Coan to have portayed more details on the feeling of being at a Chapin concert from the prespective of his wildly dedicated fans, more road stories, going into further depth on his intimate relationship in concert especially around the NY, NJ area. The lines between performer and listener became non-existent. It was a group participation experience. Where else would you hear several hundred fans scream "Harry it Sucks" at the precise moment in a song (multiple alternate endings to 30,000# of bananas) with love and have Harry smiling back? And I will never forget that beautiful sunny day at the Meadowlands racetrack in NJ siting on the grass infield next to the racetrack for the price of admission with thousands of others listening to Taxi Reprise for the first time! Thank you Peter Coan for a great book, thank you Harry Chapin for living your life as you did - always 100%, the ultimate humanitarian. If you've ever enjoyed his music, and wished to know more about what made Harry tick, what forces shaped his life, how he came to be, this is an excellent in depth book. If you've ever enjoyed him in concert, this is an absolute must read.
Summary of Taxi: The Harry Chapin Story
He was one of the most beloved performers in music history, a spokesman of the people and poet laureate to cab drivers, housewives, and commonfolk alike.Taxi is the definitive biography of Harry Chapin, written by his long-time friend and confidant.
Chapin was an unsung hero, a modern-day Woody Guthrie. The recognition due him was late in coming. Awards are being given to Chapin in his death that he should have received while he lived. His music, his beliefs, and his social activism are finally being appreciated.
Most of the world will remember Chapin for the "Story Song; ' the musical genre he popularized in one of his most famous songs, "Taxi". His unique appeal could be felt in concerts, for it was there that the real and dynamic Chopin emerged. His penchant for audience participation was his trademark.
His performances often ended with tumultuous standing ovations; when the audience quieted down Chapin would stand center stage and give a short speech about his commitments. Often people drove hundreds of miles to hear him, making him one of the highest paid performers in the world.
Even so, due to his selfless humanity and indefatigable interest in social causes, Chapin did not leave much money behind when he died. His involvement with world hunger helped spur widespread interest. He lobbied in Congress to endorse a Presidential Commission on world hunger. It was no coincidence that after his death 30 congressmen and 10 senators rose on the floor of the House to offer eulogies.
Ironically it was the automobile, the very thing that made him famous in the song"Taxi, "which took his life. He died on the Long Island Expressway when his car burst into flames after being hit by a truck.
"The immediate response to Chapin's death in the media and among his fans was truly overwhelming, ' wrote David Marsh of Rolling Stone. "It was as if he reached out and touched lives in a permanent and irrevocable way", HIS albums sold out in record stores. Throughout the
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