Chapin family, Grogan highlight annual event
Harry Chapin’s music stopped playing for many when he died in 1981.
But Chapin has two brothers, several friends and relatives who have kept his legacy alive.
Tom and Steve Chapin, Harry’s brothers, led the family-oriented tribute group to the Music Building’s Staples Family Concert Hall at 7 p.m. Friday as part of the fourth-annual Michigan Story Festival.
“We’ve been singing Harry’s songs nearly forever, but doing this specific kind of event for six years,” Tom Chapin said.
Tom Chapin said he continues to remember his brother’s legacy with every performance he gives, but this is his favorite type of venue because he gets to perform with his family.
“My daughters live in Los Angeles, so I get to be with them and have my friends and my brother on stage with me — it’s great,” he said.
The 2006 Michigan Story Festival came to campus through the help of Sue Ann Martin, dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts.
“This is the first year we’ve opened with a musical act,” Martin said. “It’s really opened up some doors for us, and we really hit on something this year.”
The concert nearly sold out the 500-seat concert hall.
Battle Creek freshman Caitlin Campbell invited her mother, Penny, to enjoy the concert with her.
“I grew up with the (Harry Chapin’s) music — it’s something from my childhood,” Campbell said.
The Chapin concert was not the only event on campus garnering a large crowd Friday.
Grogan returns
John Grogan, a New York Times best-selling author and CMU alumnus, spoke to about 300 people in the Family Concert Hall.
Grogan, who received much acclaim for his book, “Marley and Me,” also came to campus as part of the 2006 Michigan Story Festival.
Initially, Grogan recited several passages from his book, relating to his dog, Marley, and his behavior, but later gave inspirational advice to audience members.
“Follow your heart and listen to that little voice inside you,” he said.
He recalled an incident when his neighbor was stabbed by an assailant and Grogan and Marley went over to help when they heard her scream. While tending to his neighbor, Grogan said Marley was standing guard for him.
“At that point, I knew if (the assailant) came back, he’d have to get through Marley to get to me,” Grogan said.
However, not all of Grogan’s stories involved his dog. He talked about the process that went into publishing “Marley and Me.”
“I went to 12 agents — 11 of them rejected me, and finally the 12th one gave me a shot,” Grogan said. “Some even went so far as to not only tell me no, but how bad of an idea this book was.”
After his speech, Grogan had a book signing for “Marley and Me,” which has been printed in 25 languages and sold 2.5 million copies.
The book also has been on the New York Times best-sellers list for the past 52 weeks, with 22 of them in the No. 1 spot for non-fiction.
