Harry and Me

Back in 1981 I was working for a local evening newspaper in Norwich and writing a rock music column called "Here and Now".

This column included album reviews as well as news from the local rock scene.

I reviewed "Sequel" by Harry Chapin and, although I never kept a copy of the review I remember putting something like it was a glorious return to form by the man who for me is the greatest singer-songwriter around.

Somehow the review reached New York and I received a letter from Susan Gensel who put together the Chapin information sheet appropriately entitled Chapinfo. She asked my permission to re-produce my review in the second edition of Chapinfo.

I have lost that letter, but I wrote back saying it would be a great honour for me to have the review reprinted. I asked Susan to pass on my good wishes to Harry and asking when he would be visiting England again.

A few weeks later I received the following letter personally from Harry.

Dear Peter:

Thanks so much for writing. I am hoping to schedule a tour of England on the near future as it is one of my favourite places to visit.

Sequel has just been released here in the States on Boardwalk records and hopefully, will be available in England shortly. (Obviously Harry was unaware that it had already been released)

Thank you again for being such a loyal fan. It really is a beautiful feeling to know my songs have given so much pleasure to people.

It was simply signed Harry Chapin.

To me the simplicity and the modesty of this man was striking. Here he was thanking me for what I had done when I sincerely believe that his music and lyrics had a profound affect on the way I viewed the world.

Tragically as we all know Harry died that same year. On hearing of his death I received another letter from Susan stating that she had to shelve plans to include my review in Chapinfo and the second and last edition would be a tribute to him.

I wrote back stating that I understood and how saddened I had been to hear the tragic news. The response from Susan still brings tears to my eyes.

It ran as follows:

Dear Peter,

I hope you'll forgive me for not having written to you sooner. You can well imagine that my life has been somewhat disorganised since last July. I've only just begun to realise how much a part of my life that guy was.

CHAPINFO NO. 2 was to go to press July 17 at 8 am. As you know a goodly section was devoted to your review and letter. Obviously it immediately became inappropriate and we decided to take a leisurely amount of time to prepare a Memorial Issue. I will be mailing that issue May 1st.

Listen Peter, I want you to know how important you were to Harry. He was so pleased about the English response to Sequel. I had just shared your letter etc as a proposed section of Chapinfo No 2 with him two days before he was killed.

And for me personally, your letter, in your now familiar hand, was a calming influence during a very sad, and frenetic time."

It is signed Susan Gensel.

I have long lost touch with Susan. Does anybody out there know where she is now. The two letters outlined above now have pride of place in my study and when I get depressed and down-hearted I read them and remember just what Harry Chapin means to me and to all of his other fans and how the new technology of the Internet has given us the chance to talk to each other and share experiences of his music.

I firmly believe that Harry would have loved the Internet and would have used it to talk to his fans and I bet he would have answered every letter sent to him personally. Maybe somewhere "In a Better Place to Be" Harry is answering our comments.

Peter Steward

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