Ishi wrote to share the following:
\nI have an unusual story to share with Harry Chapin fans although there is nothing unusual about how Harry has affected my life – with brilliant lyrics, brilliant music and when you combine this kind of genius with\u00a0a social conscience that causes one to work harder to fight world hunger than anyone else that I know of in the music business, then you are speaking of a role model in a truly rare sense of the word.
\nI did not get to see Harry in concert.\u00a0 I was 10 when he died and probably only knew one song by him at the time.\u00a0 My parents saw him in concert.\u00a0 One summer early in this decade I bought\u00a0the recently released “Harry Chapin Live At the Bottom Line” cd for my father for his birthday.\u00a0 As I listened to it for the first time, I\u00a0was already at an emotional lift when I heard Harry explain to\u00a0this small NYC crowd “…Tonight we’re celebrating 2,000 concerts.\u00a0 I formed this band with Big John on June 22, 1971 and we played our first concert here in the village on\u00a0June 29, 1971.”\u00a0 This is the very day that I was born.
\nI knew that this revalation should\u00a0require some sort of action on my part and what I worked out in my mind was that every year on the anniversary of this day\/my birthday I would do a full Harry Chapin tribute anywhere that I could.\u00a0 For the first year it was just myself and my\u00a0brother on guitars playing an hour set in a\u00a0local\u00a0bar.\u00a0 Three years ago I was able to hire a ‘cellist and write down ‘cello parts to accompany me and got my\u00a0band, Hall of Mirrors, to play on four songs.\u00a0 Two years ago we made it a full band event, renaming ourselves “Potent Voices” just for when we do the Chapin triute and played at\u00a0the Burlington County Ampitheatre in New Jersey.
\nThis year, Potent Voices will\u00a0 perform at St. Andrew’s Church parish house on Sunday, June 28<\/u>, 2009.\u00a0 (Typical to alter the date to accomodate the weekend.)\u00a0 We will have the whole\u00a0band, plus a professional ‘cello player and my brother, Tom Espenshade there to play.\u00a0 It is at 7:00 pm sharp.\u00a0 The address is 121 High St. Mt. Holly, NJ 08060.\u00a0 There is no admission charge,\u00a0but we will be asking for donations and once I pay the ‘cellist and the church, the rest of the money will\u00a0be donated to World Hunger Year, founded by Harry Chapin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ishi wrote to share the following: I have an unusual story to share with Harry Chapin fans although there is nothing unusual about how Harry has affected my life – with brilliant lyrics, brilliant music and when you combine this kind of genius with\u00a0a social conscience that causes one to work harder to fight world … <\/p>\n