Sandra Gaston Chapin (born 1934) is an American poet/songwriter and activist. She is best known for her songwriting collaborations with her second husband, singer-songwriter
Harry Chapin
Harold Forster Chapin (; December 7, 1942 – July 16, 1981) was an American singer-songwriter, philanthropist, and hunger activist best known for his folk rock and pop rock songs. He achieved worldwide success in the 1970s. Chapin, a Grammy A ...
, and is also the mother of singer
Jen Chapin
Jennifer Chapin is an American singer-songwriter. She is the daughter of the singer-songwriter Harry Chapin and Sandra Chapin. She serves on the board of directors of WhyHunger, a grassroots support organization founded in 1975 by her father an ...
.
Marriages
Her first husband was lawyer James John Cashmore, son of longtime Borough of Brooklyn (New York) president
John Cashmore. She was working as a teacher at the time. They had three children together. She divorced him to marry Harry Chapin, who was her guitar instructor. They married on November 26, 1968 and had two children: Jennifer and Joshua. The story of their meeting and romance is dramatized in his song "
I Wanna Learn a Love Song".
Songwriting
She wrote poems and helped Chapin write songs for the television show ''
Make a Wish''. She helped write lyrics to several of Chapin's songs, including the well-known "
Cat's in the Cradle
"Cat's in the Cradle" is a 1974 folk rock song by Harry Chapin from the album '' Verities & Balderdash''. The single topped the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in December 1974. As Chapin's only number-one song, it became the best known of his work a ...
". Chapin wrote several songs about her, including "Shooting Star" and "Sandy."
Lawsuits
She was involved in several lawsuits after Chapin's death: Negligence suits related to the car accident that took his life and suits over his biography and a possible film of his life.
Charity
She accepted Chapin's
Congressional Gold Medal
The Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress. It is Congress's highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions by individuals or institutions. The congressional pract ...
and has worked to ensure his charities continued to function after his death. She is chairperson of the charity Long Island Cares and of The Harry Chapin Foundation.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapin, Sandra
1934 births
Living people
American lyricists