It’s been more than 25 years since Harry Chapin left us.   But many Long Islanders (and others across the country and the world) are still “Wild About Harry.” 

On Monday night, August 27, at Eisenhower Park’s Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater, many talented Long Island artists will come together to pay tribute to the late singer-songwriter and humanitarian for whom the theater is named.  Chapin, who resided in Huntington Bay, was on his way to perform a free concert at the theater one summer night in 1981 when he died in a car accident on the Long Island Expressway.  His music and his giving, community spirit live on. 

“It’s wonderful to see how revered in memory Harry Chapin still is, as a musician and a humanitarian,” says Stuart Markus, a LI-based singer-songwriter who has been organizing Harry Chapin tribute concerts on Long Island for four years. canned goods and other non-perishable food items for distribution to needy Long Islanders through Long Island Cares, a food bank founded by Chapin in 1980 that has been working to end hunger on Long Island.

 More than 3,000 people attended the Eisenhower Park concerts during the past two years, according to Markus.  He anticipates another good showing next week.  Billed as “Wild About Harry,” the concert, set for 7:30 p.m., will include 19 covers of Chapin story songs, ranging from classics like “Cat’s In the Cradle,” “Taxi” and “WOLD” to lesser-known numbers like “Sandy,” a song he wrote for his wife.  In addition to Markus, performers slated to perform include Doc Butler & JC Cob, Folk Fiction, Tom Griffith & Martha Trachtenberg, Lisa Itts, Josh Joffen, Cathy Kreger, Doug Kwartler, Debra Lynne & Chris Tursi, MediaCrime, Roben Eve, Glen Roethel & Hillary Foxsong, Ed Ryan, Frank Walker, Terry Winchell, Wonderous Stories, Judith Zweiman, and members of the Defibrillators & Tornado Alley. 

In assigning Chapin songs to the various artists, Markus said he “tried to keep in mind which one would suit each performer’s style, or which would have personal meaning for them.  Apart from that, the performers are afforded carte blanche with respect to interpretation.  “The results have been some really creative treatments and performances,” adds Markus. 

Although the August 27 concert is free, guests are encouraged to bring canned goods and other non-perishable food items for distribution to needy Long Islanders through Long Island Cares, a food bank founded by Chapin in 1980 that has been working to end hunger on Long Island. 

Bring your own seating or picnic blankets to the park, which is located off Merrick and Stewart Avenues in East Meadow.