Harmony on the Green presents Tom Chapin

Harmony on the Green is thrilled to present folk legend Tom Chapin! In a career that spans six decades, 28 albums and three GRAMMY awards, Hudson Valley Troubadour Tom Chapin has covered an incredible amount of creative ground. In addition to his work as a recording artist, concert performer, storyteller and activist, he’s performed on Broadway and worked extensively in television, radio and film.

The son of noted jazz drummer and teacher Jim Chapin and the grandson of author/critic Kenneth Burke and portrait painter James Chapin, Tom grew up in a family that encouraged

artistic pursuits. He began performing professionally as a teenager in the early 1960s, playing in Greenwich Village folk clubs alongside his siblings Harry and Steve as The Chapin Brothers.

Chapin and his songs were featured in the seminal 1970 documentary film Blue Water, White Death, for which he spent six months sailing the Indian Ocean searching for great white sharks. In 1971, he began a five-year run as the host of Make A Wish, an Emmy and Peabody Award winning TV show presented by ABC News. Chapin's latest project, ”The Make A Wish Songbag," released in March 2025, is a "lost" CD of songs from Make A Wish which Tom recorded in 1976. Tom was the show's host, and he got his then unknown brother Harry the job to write the songs - 2 per episode. This is a selection of Tom's favorite songs from the Make A Wish years, the best-known being the “Chapin Anthem,” Circle.

Chapin launched his solo recording career with 1976's Life Is Like That. It was the first of a string of albums that further established his reputation as both a gifted storyteller and a natural entertainer, winning him an uncommonly loyal fan base in the process.

In 1988, Tom released his first Family recording, Family Tree. His music was aimed at elementary school children, who understood language and humor. His songs were embraced by kids, parents, and teachers. This launched a whole new career for Chapin, and was the first of 13 albums that have received countless awards including 5 Grammy nominations. Tomʼs pioneering approach to a sophisticated style of storytelling filled a niche between songs for toddlers and teen rebellion music. Engaging the heart, mind and imagination with life-affirming songs which convey positive messages about relationships, family, good food and the green earth.

He continued to venture into other creative areas, playing the lead role in the hit Broadway musical Pump Boys and Dinettes, working off-Broadway as musical director of both Cotton Patch Gospel and Harry Chapin: Lies and Legends, and serving as host of TV's National Geographic Explorer.

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Host or Publisher Hancock, United Church of Christ