Sung from his brand-new piece \u201cHymns,\u201d GRAMMY Award-winning Hudson Valley folk musician Tom Chapin<\/a> reflects on the influential sounds of his life, spanning some of the most iconic eras in musical history from Woody Guthrie\u2019s voice of resilience to the Vietnam protest anthems of Bob Dylan. Chapin\u2019s whimsical new medley, written with long-time collaborator John Forster, includes taglines from Frank Sinatra, his brother Harry\u2019s \u201cCat’s in the Cradle,\u201d and even playfully interweaves \u201cOld MacDonald Had a Farm\u201d (those like me familiar with his style will understand…).<\/p>\n Chapin\u2019s charismatic baritone voice that reverberated throughout my childhood sounds the same as it did thirty years ago when, as a young lad, his tunes rang over and over on every five-hour car ride my family took. Jovial singalongs like “Cousins,” which captures the chaos and joy of wild family outings, or the campy “State Laughs,” chronicling the adventures of traveling across the US, still echo in my mind.<\/p>\n But for Chapin, his lifelong passion for music isn\u2019t just about reminiscing about days gone by. Instead, as he approaches his 80th<\/sup> birthday, the charming and versatile troubadour continues to write, produce, and perform for audiences of all ages, riding the ever-changing wave of the musical landscape.<\/p>\n With a six-decade career in TV, radio, film, and theater, and as a leading voice in both Folk and children’s music, Tom Chapin is an enduring inspiration who crosses genres and generations \u2013 and truly embodies the forward-thinking and positive spirit of Healthy Aging<\/em>.<\/p>\n In Greenwich Village, NYC. Left to right: James, Harry, Tom, Steve Chapin.<\/p><\/div>\n Born into a family of artistic brilliance, Tom Chapin grew up in a household where creativity was not just celebrated but deeply ingrained. His father, Jim Chapin, was a jazz drummer; one grandfather, Kenneth Burke, was a noted critic and author; the other was James Chapin, a celebrated painter. In the 1950s, at the age of eight, Tom and his brothers Steve and Harry were sent by their grandmother to the Greenwich House Music School to gain classical training. She insisted that the boys should \u201clearn the language of music.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Jim Chapin (their dad, on drums), (then left to right) Harry, Steve, Tom.<\/p><\/div>\n With their formal training and budding desire to emulate the folk sounds of Pete Seeger and the Weavers, the boys traded their clarinets and trumpets for banjos and guitars, forming the Chapin Brothers.<\/p>\n It was performing in the 1960s at Greenwich Village hootenannies (or what my generation calls \u201copen mics\u201d) that propelled the adolescents to stardom, each creating their own legacies in the decades to come.<\/p>\n We covered Tom Chapin\u2019s renowned musical journey and our unique connection to him in a previous issue of Healthy Aging Magazine<\/em> published in 2020: Healthy Aging Magazine | Tom Chapin, The Troubadour of the Hudson Valley<\/a>.<\/p>\n Back in the 90s, Healthy Aging\u00ae also worked with Tom on the public television special it produced, \u201cHealthy Aging\u00ae\u2026 Redefining America,\u201d<\/em><\/a> a documentary featuring Tom on-camera and a special song he created and sang (\u201cI\u2019m Half of 100\u201d).\u00a0 Tom guided the viewer through upbeat, inspirational profiles of middle-aged Americans, baby boomers at that time, who were finding ways to deal with what lay ahead.<\/p>\n Harry and Tom Chapin, Naples, Italy, 1980<\/p><\/div>\n While Tom\u2019s brother Harry made history with mega-hits in the 70s like \u201cCat’s in the Cradle\u201d and \u201cTaxi,\u201d Tom carved out his own musical footprint as a respected singer-songwriter and TV Host. In the late 1980s, he began his pioneering Family Music career.<\/p>\n It took nothing more than a few long road trips with his then-school-aged children, Abigail and Lily,\u00a0 to inspire Tom to create his first family album in 1988, Family Tree<\/em>. The goal was to create \u201ckid-friendly, parent-safe\u201d singalongs to combat the boredom (and sometimes anguish) of never-ending drives with the whole family \u2013 something my parents are undoubtedly grateful for!<\/p>\n Photo: Abigail Chapin<\/p><\/div>\n The success of Family Tree, <\/em>featuring the famous track \u201cThis Pretty Planet,\u201d catapulted Chapin into a new career chapter where he launched twelve more award-winning family-style albums.<\/p>\n Lily, Abigail, and Tom Chapin at the Clearwater Festival, 6\/18\/17. Photo: SJ Sherman<\/p><\/div>\n Unsurprisingly, Chapin\u2019s daughters Abigail and Lily have become successful musicians on their own, performing together as The Chapin Sisters.<\/p>\n During the height of the Covid shutdowns, they appeared with their Dad, bringing solace and joy to audiences around the globe by streaming two hundred live concerts under the moniker \u201cMornings with Papa Tom and The Chapin Sisters.\u201d (All archived on YouTube).<\/p>\n At the dawn of today\u2019s music era, when streaming replaced records and CDs, Chapin and many aspiring artists recognized the near-impossible goal of becoming a successful powerhouse in the industry by churning out new solo albums. While Chapin acknowledges that today\u2019s musicians and their sounds are some of the best created, the era of streaming has \u201cmade music not so much music, but data.\u201d<\/p>\n The nature of the industry shaped Chapin\u2019s career path, forcing him to be creative and reach across disciplines to achieve commercial success. Chapin admits that he never wanted to be \u201ca career on-the-road guy like Willie Nelson\u201d, instead preferring family values over the excesses of the rockstar life where close relationships and creative work collaborations came to define his career.<\/p>\n Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer with Tom Chapin. Photo top left: WikiCommons. All other photos: Courtesy of Tom Chapin<\/p><\/div>\n When brainstorming impressive upcoming projects, Chapin\u2019s first instinct is to consider who else he can involve from his vast network of creative individuals\u2014whether it is longtime collaborators like John Forster, Michael Mark, and Jon Cobert or unique characters he has encountered throughout his career, like\u00a0Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n The renowned psychosexual therapist and media personality met Tom when he performed a few concerts aboard the famous Queen Elizabeth II<\/em> ocean liner, and they quickly became friends. While mainly known for her trailblazing work in the provocative realm of sex therapy, Dr. Ruth aimed to expand her portfolio with a family-friendly project focused on children and their grandparents. Tom Chapin immediately came to mind, and the two soon teamed up to bring the idea to life.<\/p>\n Dr. Ruth, at just 4 foot, 7 inches tall, with her candid nature and reputation for discussing adult topics, created a humorous contrast to Chapin\u2019s mild-mannered and wholesome, family-man persona at 6 feet, 5 inches, that led to some laughs on stage when they would appear together.<\/p>\n Following Dr. Ruth\u2019s passing in 2024, Chapin and John Forster, along with the SONOS Chamber Orchestra led by Erik Ochsner, honor her memory by bringing to life Grandfather Camp: An Orchestral Fantasy<\/a>, a transformative and morally compelling journey of a young granddaughter\u2019s developing relationship with her grandfather. The team aims to launch the project this summer, which will culminate with a live concert piece for three actors and an orchestra, a recording, and an illustrated book.<\/p>\n Tom Chapin standing in a field of flowers 2024. Photo: Bonnie Chapin<\/p><\/div>\n As Chapin nears his 80th birthday this March, he embraces the milestone with an optimistic outlook, energized by plans for his next exciting collaboration. When asked about retirement, Chapin says with a smile, \u201cRetire to what? Playing music?\u201d<\/p>\n To mark his special celebration, Tom Chapin is unveiling a \u201clost\u201d album featuring songs from Make A Wish<\/em>, recorded back in 1976. The Emmy and Peabody Award-winning TV show, which aired on ABC News from 1971 to 1976, captivated audiences with its imaginative storytelling.<\/p>\n As the show\u2019s host, Tom played a pivotal role in its success, even bringing his then-unknown brother, Harry Chapin, on board to compose two songs for each episode. This collection highlights some of Tom\u2019s favorite tracks from the Make A Wish<\/em> era, including the iconic \u201cChapin Anthem,\u201d (All My Life\u2019s a) Circle<\/em>.<\/p>\n The project is called The Make A Wish SongBag and will be released on March 13, 2025, Chapin\u2019s 80th<\/sup> birthday.<\/p>\n \u201cThis Pretty Planet,\u201d perhaps the most well-known song of Chapin\u2019s career, has become a staple in school music classes worldwide. It is a song about our beautiful round earth (also sung in a round) that gained global popularity, especially during the Covid shutdowns, when students and teachers sang it together virtually over Zoom. Since then, it has been replicated thousands of times in viral fashion as new versions continue to emerge.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a song that\u2019s going to outlive me by a long way. And it\u2019s a song that every time I hear a bunch of kids sing it, I start to tear up,\u201d<\/em> Chapin fondly says.<\/p>\n Chapin\u2019s uplifting and amusing voice will certainly be added to my own generation\u2019s list of hymns, as his music served as a true source of entertainment and inspiration for many of us throughout our childhoods.<\/p>\n Yet, looking back on his own life, Chapin doesn\u2019t care to be remembered for songwriting alone.<\/p>\n He takes the most pride in making a career out of his passion, connecting with wide-ranging audiences, and for the family and friends who have enjoyed the journey alongside him.<\/p>\n Chapin now approaches eighty with forward-looking vision as he forges on with creative new projects he has crafted for himself \u2013 truly dancing to the tune of his own guitar:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve <\/em>had this incredible life doing what I want to do, a really interesting career, and an amazing family through it all.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n Feature on Grammy Award-winning singer\/songwriter, Tom Chapin, his inspiring journey and latest projects<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15944,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[196,197],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15823","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-winter-2025","category-winter-2025-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15823","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15823"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15823\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16044,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15823\/revisions\/16044"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15823"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15823"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15823"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/tom-and-brothers-in-Greenwich-Village-750.jpg\")
<\/a>A Musical Legacy<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/chapin-brothers-1964-750.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Harry-Tom-Chapin-Naples-Italy-80-copy.750.jpg\")
<\/a>Family Affair<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tom-750-adirondack-chair.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Lil-Ab-Tom-@-Clearwater-SJSherman750.jpg\"){kind=spacer}
<\/a>Staying In Tune<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/tom-chapin-dr-ruth-750.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/TC-standing-in-a-field-of-flowers-4-22-24-Photo-Credit-Bonnie-Chapin-IMG_6505-750.jpg\")
<\/a>Staying Driven<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/tom-chapin-books-2-750.jpg\")
<\/a>In recent years, Simon & Schuster has also published three children\u2019s books inspired by Tom Chapin\u2019s songs: This Pretty Planet<\/em>, Library Song (The Library Book)<\/em>,<\/a> and The Backwards Birthday Party<\/a>.<\/em> In addition to his contributions as an author, Chapin lends his voice as the narrator of several children\u2019s books that have won GRAMMY awards in the Best Spoken Word Album for Children category.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/healthyaging.net\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Tom_Chapin_wikimedia-750.jpg\")
<\/a>His Own Legacy<\/strong><\/h3>\nMichael Chauner is a writer, international cyclist, coach, and competition director for a new indoor cycling league. Throughout his 20-year cycling career, he competed on professional teams in Sweden, Canada, and the Netherlands. Chauner recently interviewed and wrote the cover feature on acclaimed French chef\u00a0Jacques Pepin \u2026 Still Teaching Generations to Cook<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>for\u00a0Healthy Aging\u00ae<\/em>.\u00a0<\/em>He was thrilled to meet and interview Tom Chapin, an artist he grew up listening to and who had a significant influence on his childhood.<\/span><\/h5>\n
*All photos, unless otherwise noted, courtesy of Tom Chapin<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"