Editing Harry Chapin (section)

==Biography==
Harry Forster Chapin was born on December 7, 1942, in New York City, the second of four children of percussionist [[Jim Chapin]] and Jeanne Elspeth, daughter of the literary critic [[Kenneth Burke]]. His brothers, [[Tom Chapin|Tom]] and [[Steve Chapin|Steve]], would also become musicians.<ref>{{cite AV media | title=Harry Chapin Behind the Music | publisher=VH1 | time=4:07 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-GgDccwnSg | date=n.d. | medium= Television production}}</ref><ref name="Circle">{{cite web |last1=Grayeb |first1=Mike |last2=McCarty |first2=Linda |title=Reflections From Harry's Mom: An Interview with Elspeth Hart |url=http://www.harrychapin.com/circle/winter05/elspeth.htm |website=Circle! |access-date=September 30, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051105025338/http://rememberingharrychapin.com/circle/winter05/elspeth.htm |archive-date=2005-11-05 |date=Winter 2005 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The earliest Chapin to come to America was [[Samuel Chapin]], who was the first [[deacon]] of [[Springfield, Massachusetts]], in 1636. His other great-grandparents on his mother's side had immigrated in the late 19th century.{{r|coan|p=4}} Chapin's parents divorced in 1950, with his mother retaining custody of their four sons, as Jim spent much of his time on the road as a drummer for [[Big Band]]-era acts such as [[Woody Herman]]. Chapin's mother married ''[[National Board of Review of Motion Pictures|Films in Review]]'' magazine editor Henry Hart a few years later.

Chapin's first formal introduction to music was trumpet lessons at The Greenwich House Music School under Mr. Karesick.{{r|coan|pp=21-22}} Harry's younger brothers Tom and Steve were choirboys at Grace Episcopal Church in Brooklyn Heights, and through them Chapin met [[John Wallace (musician)|"Big" John Wallace]], a baritone with a five-[[octave]] range, who later became his bassist, backing vocalist, and [[Double act|straight man]] onstage. Chapin began performing with his brothers while a teenager, with their father occasionally joining them on drums. Chapin graduated from [[Brooklyn Technical High School]] in 1960 and was among the five inductees in the school's Alumni Hall of Fame for the year 2000. He briefly attended the [[United States Air Force Academy]] in [[Colorado Springs, Colorado]], and was then a student at [[Cornell University]], but did not complete a degree.

Chapin originally intended to be a documentary film-maker and took a job with The Big Fights, a company run by [[Bill Cayton]] that owned a large library of classic boxing films. Chapin directed ''[[Legendary Champions]]'' in 1968, which was nominated for a documentary [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elektra.com/news/harry-chapin-biography-50336 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201035121/https://www.elektra.com/news/harry-chapin-biography-50336 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |title=Harry Chapin: Biography |website=[[Elektra Records]] |access-date=January 31, 2024 |date=November 14, 2010}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In 1971, he began focusing on music. With John Wallace, Tim Scott, and Ron Palmer, Chapin started playing in various nightclubs in New York City.