Stepping Out

Forever 'Wild About Harry'

Local musicians and fans honor Harry Chapin

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Harry Chapin’s tragic death has now faded into the background, but his music and philanthropic contributions retain their vital significance. Stuart Markus, a fixture on Long Island’s folk and acoustic scene, has taken on the role of overseeing Chapin’s legacy, remaining actively committed to keeping Chapin’s spirit at the forefront of the region’s music scene. The classically trained Markus, who grew up in Rochester, N.Y, and maintains his longtime base in Malverne, remains passionate about Chapin’s music and his humanitarian zeal. He shares Chapin’s legacy with fans once again, on Monday, July 27, at “Just Wild About Harry,” the dynamic concert — now in its 12th year — that he organizes at Eisenhower Park.
Despite the 34 years that have passed since that car accident on the Long Island Expressway that resulted in Chapin’s death en route to a performance in Eisenhower Park in July 1981, his music still resonates with audiences and the music community.
That concert that he intended to give has now been remade into a memorial concert and food drive. A rotating slate of local musicians and bands enthusiastically gather at the theater in Eisenhower Park that was named in Chapin’s honor, where the troubadour’s tunes have been heard for the past 11 years.
The 30 or so musicians involved take great pride in playing Chapin’s songs for the cause to which he dedicated himself. “It’s as if the Long Island music community comes together to give the concert he had meant to,” Markus says.“Everyone has so much support for it. The crowds keep getting better and the musicians keep getting better. The concert just keeps on growing.”
“I never expected to keep going with this,” Markus says, looking back on over a decade as the tribute’s organizer and host.“Each year as the date draws near, I think maybe it will be the last one, then it turns into such a wonderful concert and everyone has a great time, which is a tribute to what a great man Chapin was.”

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