Tom Chapin
Thomas Forbes Chapin (March 13, 1945-) is a musician, singer, songwriter, TV host, and most recently a storyteller. He is best known for his children's music, but is also an accomplished folk singer. Tom is the son of drummer Jim Chapin and Elspeth Burke Chapin. Tom is the brother of Harry Chapin, Steve Chapin, and James Chapin
Tom married Bonnie Craven in 1976. They have two daughters: Abigail and Lily and one stepdaughter, Jessica Craven, daughter of Wes Craven. The three sisters perform as The Chapin Sisters.
Contents
Career
Music Career
Tom Chapin started performing in the late 1950's in a band with brothers Harry and Steve. They later cut a folk album as the Chapin Brothers in 1966.
Also in the 1970's Tom continued his folk/pop music career forming a band with brother Steve, and sometimes appearing with or opening for Harry. He released his first solo album in 1976, Life is Like That.
In 1988, Tom released his first children's album in response to what he saw as a lack of good music appropriate for preteen kids, such as his own daughters. This album launched a successful career including multiple Grammy nominations.
Tom continues to perform both solo gigs and with his band, whose current members include Michael Mark, Jon Cobert, and occasional other friends. He can also be seen performing in The Chapin Family concerts.
He released his 20th solo recording in 2009.
TV Career
In 1971, Tom auditioned for and and won the job of hosting Make a Wish. The Peabody and Emmy awarding-winning show ran for five years on ABC TV on Sunday mornings. Brother Harry wrote many of the short songs for the show.
From 1985 to 1988 he narrated National Geographic Explorer. Some of those segment have been released on VHS at the time.
Discography
Solo Albums (Adult/Folk)
| Year | Album | Category | Label | Format(s) | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Life is Like That | Studio | Fantasy, Sundance Music | LP,CD, cassette | |
| 1982 | In the City of Mercy | Studio | Gadfly | LP,CD | |
| 1986 | Let Me Back Into Your Life | Studio | Gadfly | LP,CD,cassette | |
| 1994 | So Nice to Come Home | Studio | CD | ||
| 1996 | Join the Jubilee | Live | Gadfly | CD | with Friends |
| 1997 | Doing Our Job | Studio | Rounder | CD, cassette | with John McCutcheon |
| 2001 | Common Ground | Studio | Gadfly | CD | |
| 2006 | Turning of the Tide | Studio | CD | ||
| 2009 | Let the Bad Times Roll | Studio | CD |
Albums (Childrens/Kids)
| Year | Album | Category | Label | Format(s) | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Family Tree | Studio | Gadlfy | CD, cassette | |
| 1989 | Moonboat | Studio | Sony Wonder | CD, cassette | |
| 1990 | Mother Earth | Studio | Gadfly | CD, cassette | |
| 1992 | Billy the Squid | Studio | Gadfly | CD, cassette | |
| 1994 | Zag Zig | Studio | Sony Wonder | CD | |
| 1995 | Just for Kids | Compilation | Sony Music Special Products | CD | |
| 1996 | Around the World and Back Again | Studio | Sony Kids Music | CD | |
| 1996 | Come Travel With Me | Compilation | Sony Wonder | cassette | Promotional |
| 1998 | In My Hometown | Studio | Sony Wonder | CD, cassette | |
| 2000 | This Pretty Planet | Studio | Sony Wonder | CD, cassette | |
| 2001 | Great Big Fun for the Very Little One | Compilation | Sony Wonder | CD | |
| 2003 | Making Good Noise | Studio | Sony Wonder | CD | |
| 2005 | Some Assembly Required | Studio | Razor and Tie | CD |
Compilations
| Year | Songs | Album | Label | Format(s) | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Family Tree | Rainbow Sign | Rounder Records | CD | |
| 1993 | Someone's Gonna Use It | Put On Your Green Shoes | Sony Kid's Music | CD | |
| 1995 | The Backward Birthday Party | Radio AAHS - April 1995 No. 2 - The Sound of Music and Fun | Children's Broadcasting Corporation | CD | |
| 1998 | Cat's in the Cradle | Family Album | Gadfly | CD, cassette | from Join the Jubilee |
| 1998 | Doing His Job | Diamond Cuts: Turning Two | Gadfly | CD | with John McCutcheon |
| 1998 | Music Made by Hand | Coming Home: A Winfield Celebration | CD | from Winfield Valley Festival [1] | |
| 2001 | Family Tree | Celebration of Family | WEA Music for Little People | CD | |
| 2003 | Autoharp-O-Holic | Autoharp Legacy | CD | with John McCutcheon[2] | |
| 2004 | Please Is a Pleasant Expression | CD Cellabration! A Tribute to Ella Jenkins | Smithsonian Folkways Recordings | CD | |
| 2004 | Flowers Are Red | No Child Left Behind?: Bring Back the Joy | WEA Music For Little People | CD | |
| 2005 | Big Rock Candy Mountain | 20 Great Kid Songs: MFLPs 20th Anniversary Collection | WEA Music For Little People | CD | |
| 2005 | Together, Tomorrow | Lullaby | WEA Music For Little People | CD | with Judy Collins |
| 2006 | Puppy in the Pound | Kids Plus | Razor and Tie Direct | CD | 5 track EP Wal-Mart Exclusive |
| 2009 | At the End of the Day | As Long As I Am Here | CD | The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Benefit |
Singles
| Year | Songs | Label | Format(s) | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Grizzly Bear/Foggy Mountain Breakdown | Thimble Records | Vinyl 7" | As a member of Mt. Airy |
| 1976 | Just Another Story | Fantasy | Vinyl 7" | F-788 |
| 1982 | All My Life's a (Circle) | Spector Records International | Vinyl 7" | Promo |
| 1982 | Jeannie | Spector Records International | Vinyl 7" | SRI-B00020 |
| unknown | Shoveling | CD | Promo |
Covers
Videos
| Year | Title | Credit/Role | Label | Format(s) | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980's | Cotton Patch Gospel | Director | VHS, DVD | ||
| 1992 | This Pretty Planet: Tom Chapin Live in Concert | VHS | with Jon Cobert and Michael Mark | ||
| 1992 | Beginning Guitar with Tom Chapin | Performer | VHS | ||
| 1994 | National Geographic's GeoKids: Bear Cubs, Baby Ducks, and Kooky Kookaburras | Actor | National Geographic Video | VHS | |
| 1996 | Meet the Mentor: Tom Chapin | Performer | Scholastic | VHS | 8 minute educational video |
| 1997 | National Geographic's Rain Forest | Actor | National Geographic Video | VHS | |
| 2000 | National Geographic's The Explorers: A Century of Discovery | Actor | National Geographic Video | VHS | |
| 2004 | Manchurian Candidate | Actor | DVD | brief appearance | |
| 2007 | Blue Water, White Death | Composer (uncredited) | DVD | Tom sings an early version of Harry's Someone Keeps Calling My Name |
Collaborations
| Year | Title | Credit/Role | Label | Format(s) | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Chapin Music! | Performer | Rock-Land Records | LP | As part of The Chapin Brothers |
| 1973 | Mt. Airy | Guitar, vocals | Thimble Records | LP | As part of the band Mt. Airy |
| 1980's | Hugga Bunch a Day Full of Hugs | Performer, songwriter | Parker Brothers | LP | |
| 1998 | Brother for Sale | Acoustic guitar, banjo,songwriter | WEA DualStar Records | CD | wrote one song Uh-Oh Accident |
| 2005 | The Chapin Family Christmas Collection: Volume II | Performer | Roseville Records | CD | as part of The Chapin Family |
| 2006 | Harry Chapin: A Celebration in Song: Volume I | Performer | Sundance Music | CD | as part of The Chapin Family |
Book Narrations
| Year | Title | Credit/Role | Publisher | Format(s) | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Tassel's Mission | Narrator | Soundprints Corporation | Book with Audio Tape | The Smithsonian Wild Heritage Collection |
| 1993 | Ruffle Coo & Hoo Doo | Narrator | Berghahn Books | Book with Audio Tape | |
| 1993 | Jasmine | Narrator | Benefactory | Book with Audio Tape | for The Humane Society of the US, author is Randy Houk |
| 1997 | Chessie, Glacier Grizzly | Narrator | Benefactory | Book with Audio Tape | for The Humane Society of the US, author is Randy Houk |
| 1997 | Bear Chocolate, a Glacier Grizzly | Narrator | Benefactory | Book with Audio Tape | for The Humane Society of the US |
| 1997 | Ceasar on Deat Ears | Narrator | Benefactory | Book with Audio Tape | for The Humane Society of the US, Author is Loren Spiotta-Dimare |
| 1997 | Scamp's New Home | Narrator | Soundprints | Audio Tape | author is Joey Elliott |
| 1998 | Rico's Hawk: A Green Chimneys Tale | Narrator | Benefactory | Book with Audio Tape | for The Humane Society of the US, author is Randy Houk |
| 2004 | Thanks & Giving: All Year Long | Contributor | Simon & Schuster | Book | for St. Jude Research Hospital |
| 2004 | The Train They Call the City of New Orleans | Narrator | Audio Book | ||
| 2006 | The Fox Went out on a Chilly Night | Narrator | Live Oak Media | PB and audio CD |
Other Credits
Harry Chapin credits
- Portrait Gallery
- Greatest Stories Live
- Dance band on the Titanic
- Living Room Suite
- Sequel
- Gold Medal Collection
- Story of a Life
