From Chicago Tribune, 6 May 1986
Seed of honor
sown to laud
Harry Chapin
Washington [UPI] - The House moved Monday to award a
Congressional Gold Medal to the family of Harry Chapin, saying the late pop
singer's fight against world hunger "planted the seeds" for benefits
such as "USA for Africa".
By voice vote the House approved and sent to the Senate a bill
that would honor Chapin, who gained fame with songs such as "Taxi" and
"Cat's in the Cradle" before he died at age 42 in 1981 in a 1981
traffic accident near his home on Long Island.
Chapin was praised by lawmakers as a man who focused on the
issue of world hunger long before it became a popular cause and who put his
money where his mouth was - donating half the proceeds from his concerts to
antihunger groups.
Democratic Reps. Byron Dorgan pf North Dakota and Bob Carr of
Michigan said Chapin's concerts, "radiothons" and personal lobbying
efforts educated them and other Americans about the extent of world hunger.
"The seeds he planted in the 1970's are now flowering into
'USA for Africa' and other endeavors," said Dorgan, referring to the
massive rock concerts held last summer to raise money to fight Third World
famine.
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