Takin A Walk-Music History with Rick Korn: The Enduring Legacy of Harry Chapin and Music that Changes Lives

Summary

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Podcast Summary

Podcast: Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight
Episode: Takin’ A Walk – Music History with Rick Korn: The Enduring Legacy of Harry Chapin and Music That Changes Lives
Date: December 6, 2025
Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Rick Korn (Oscar and Emmy-nominated filmmaker, director of "Cats in the Cradle: The Song That Changed Our Lives")

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the enduring legacy of Harry Chapin, the transformative power of his seminal song "Cats in the Cradle," and the role of music as a force for social change. Buzz Knight is joined by Rick Korn, whose new documentary explores the roots and ongoing impact of Chapin’s life, songwriting, and philanthropic work—especially around hunger relief and activism. The episode dives deep into how one song, and one man, inspired generations and mobilized a global movement against hunger, tracing this history from its beginnings to its current urgency.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

Opening Reflections and Influences

Icebreaker: Who would you take a walk with?

• Rick Korn initially names his mother, who passed away in 2004, reflecting on personal loss and meaningful connections.
• He mentions Carl Perkins (rock ‘n’ roll legend, wrote "Blue Suede Shoes") as a creative partner influential in shaping his career.
• Korn also wishes he could have met Roberto Clemente, admiring not just his baseball prowess but humanitarianism.
• Quote: “My mother died in 2004 and I often think about, boy, wouldn’t it be great to just dial her up, you know, call her up.” – Rick Korn (05:25)

Early Exposure to Music and Social Causes

• Both Buzz and Rick recall the rich music scene of Long Island and New York, particularly the pivotal role of WNEW radio in the 1970s.
• The Hungerthon, a charity initiative tied to Thanksgiving and inspired by music and radio communities, is introduced as context for Chapin’s activism.
• Quote: “The radio station was WNEW…that’s where you heard…the Beatles… the Rolling Stones…all the great amazing music that came through New York.” – Rick Korn (08:17)

The Creation and Evolution of “WhyHunger”

• The legacy of “WhyHunger”: Started by Harry Chapin and Father Bill Ayers 50 years ago, the organization is more necessary than ever.
  • In 1975, around 20 million Americans faced food insecurity; by 2025, that number is 50 million and projected to climb to 100 million by 2026.
  • The success and visibility of “Cats in the Cradle” provided the platform for Chapin’s activism.
  • Quote: “If there was no ‘Cats in the Cradle’, there wouldn’t have been a WhyHunger.” – Rick Korn (11:49)
• While earlier artists (e.g., John Lennon, George Harrison) participated in musical activism, Chapin pioneered the sustained, organization-based model.
• Chapin’s commitment transcended performance, devoting much of his career to benefit concerts—often to the detriment of his commercial success.
  • Quote: “Harry went out and spent insanely too much time which really hurt his career…He wasn’t going to listen, he was just so passionate…maybe to the point of obsession.” – Rick Korn (15:02)

The Influences That Shaped Musical Activism

• The documentary details how Chapin and Ayers were themselves inspired by George Harrison’s Concert for Bangladesh, but determined that ongoing, organizational work was vital—one concert would never be enough.
• The episode underscores the ripple effect, with Chapin’s legacy directly inspiring events like “We Are the World” and USA for Africa.
  • Quote: “Ken Kragen said…’There wouldn’t have been a We Are the World…if it wasn’t for Harry.’” – Rick Korn (13:12)
• Current hunger crises make these lessons timelier than ever.

Inside the New Documentary: "Cats in the Cradle"

• The film began as an idea during Korn’s previous project, recognizing the profound cultural and personal impact of “Cats in the Cradle.”
• The creative flow for this film was unusually quick:
  • Initial rough cut completed in less than a year (19:38–20:59).
  • Entirely funded by donations (no investors), with cost/mission balance at its heart.

Notable Guests in the Documentary

• Who appears:
  • Billy Joel
  • Judy Collins
  • Dee Snider (Twisted Sister)
  • Darryl "DMC" McDaniels (Run DMC)
  • Pat Benatar (recent Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award recipient)
• Each provided unique perspectives:
  • Billy Joel and Judy Collins on songwriting and Chapin’s creativity.
  • Dee Snider on parental relationships and surprising vulnerability.
    • Memorable anecdote: Dee arrives in a muscle car, carries the steering wheel into the house to prevent theft. (26:40)
  • DMC’s personal story—how “Cats in the Cradle” shaped his recovery and his collaboration with Sarah McLachlan.
• “The song is about all of us…all of us have a parental experience one way or another…even if your father or your mother wasn’t in your life, it still affects you.” – Rick Korn (30:50–31:10)

The Distinctiveness of Harry Chapin’s Songwriting

• Chapin’s “story songs” draw their enduring power from authenticity and relatability—"his stories are us.”
  • Even when inspired by life, the songs go beyond autobiography to speak to universal experiences.
  • Chapin’s background as a documentary filmmaker informed his narrative songwriting.
  • Quote: “He writes about humans and his stories are relatable because there’s a piece of all of us in his stories.” – Rick Korn (32:26)

Next Steps for the Documentary and Ongoing Charitable Work

• The film is now available on Amazon, Apple TV, and iTunes, with more platforms to come (32:54).
• Korn describes the upcoming 50th Anniversary Hungerthon Concert (December 14, Asbury Park):
  • Features house bands combining members of Disciples of Soul and E-Street Band, with special guests including Young the Giant, Yola, Dixie Dregs, the Smithereens, and more.
  • Efforts include artist summits and continued momentum for hunger relief.
  • Quote: “We’re doing a major hungerthon concert…an amazing crew of folks. Many are new to WhyHunger, many are not.” – Rick Korn (33:18)

Takeaways: The Life Lessons of “Cats in the Cradle”

• Korn highlights the modern resonance of the song’s message, now relevant for both mothers and fathers balancing work and family.
• The film encourages reflection on time, priorities, and finding common humanity in shared dilemmas.
  • Quote: “Time is short and to make the best of it with your kids and your family…don’t waste any time. Now is the time.” – Rick Korn (36:14)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If there was no ‘Cats in the Cradle’, there wouldn’t have been a WhyHunger.” – Rick Korn (11:49)
• “Harry went out and spent insanely too much time which really hurt his career…He wasn’t going to listen, he was just so passionate…maybe to the point of obsession.” – Rick Korn (15:02)
• “He writes about humans and his stories are relatable because there’s a piece of all of us in his stories.” – Rick Korn (32:26)
• “Don’t waste any time. Now is the time.” – Rick Korn (36:14)
• [On Dee Snider:] “He gets out of the car, he can’t lock his doors, so he takes the steering wheel out of it…that is Dee.” – Rick Korn (26:49)
• “The song is about all of us…all of us have a parental experience one way or another.” – Rick Korn (30:50)

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Key Timestamps

• 05:14–06:27: Rick Korn's choices for "who would you take a walk with?"
• 08:10–09:07: Memories of Long Island/NYC radio, WNEW, and the roots of Hungerthon
• 10:00–12:08: The creation and ongoing importance of WhyHunger; staggering hunger statistics
• 13:10–15:28: Harry Chapin as pioneer of activism: influence, activism vs. career, inspiration for later benefit concerts
• 18:19–21:23: Filming and creative process behind "Cats in the Cradle" documentary; contrasts with earlier, slower projects
• 25:03–29:00: Behind the scenes: guests in the documentary and their stories
• 32:54–35:19: Film distribution/availability and details on the upcoming Hungerthon Concert
• 35:32–36:39: Korn reflects on the message, hope, and lessons of the film

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Final Reflections

Rick Korn and Buzz Knight celebrate the legacy of Harry Chapin—not only the narratives of his music, but also his lived activism and its ongoing relevance. Through intimate stories, urgent statistics, and heartfelt memories, the episode invites listeners to see the ways music can spark cultural change and calls them to act on the lessons of "Cats in the Cradle": cherish time, fight for justice, and build community.

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Transcript

[Rick Korn]

Taking a Walk Harry was going into the city to meet with his management and agent about not doing so many of these benefit shows and that night he was going to do a benefit show.

[Buzz Knight]

So I'm Buzz Knight and welcome to the Taking a Walk podcast. Now check us out on Apple or.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Spotify or iHeart or wherever you get your podcast. Do follow us, Leave us a review, Leave us a rating. Tell us how we're doing.

[Buzz Knight]

We'd love to be able to hear from you and we love talking to.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Real people who've got real stories to.

[Buzz Knight]

Tell on the Taking a Walk podcast. On this episode, Rick Korn is our guest. He's an Oscar and Emmy nominated filmmaker. He's dedicated his career to creating socially conscious documentaries that truly make a difference. His latest work Cats in the Cradle, the song that changed our lives. Exploring the profound and lasting impact of Harry Chapin's iconic song Cats in the Cradle. Now do check out on the Music Save Me podcast. Our host Lynn Hoffman has a great episode also focused on this documentary where she talks with Daryl Run, DMC McDaniels and also D. Snider. Remember him from Twisted Sister fame. So that's a great companion episode to this particular episode with Rick Corn will talk to Rick next on Taking a Walk.

[Commercial Announcer (Lowe's)]

This is an I Heart podcast.

[Buzz Knight]

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[Sophie Cunningham]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at don'tsleep on OSA.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.

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[Commercial Announcer (Lowe's)]

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[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Taking a Walk well, Rick Korn, welcome.

[Buzz Knight]

To the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

It's so nice to have you on.

[Rick Korn]

It's a pleasure to be on.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

We have a lot to unpack. So before we unpack, everything about your new documentary and I want to talk about some of your past work as well. We like to open up the Taking a Walk podcast with like a little icebreaker question. It's the okay, who would you take a walk with and where would you take that walk?

[Rick Korn]

I'm going to mention my mom first, but I'll put that aside. I think the person Come on now. No, that's too of an obvious one.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

No, but it's good.

[Rick Korn]

It's interesting because my mother died in 2004 and I often think about, boy, wouldn't it be great to just dial her up, you know, call her up. And so that was my first reaction. The second reaction that I have is I was creative partners with a gentleman by the name of Carl Perkins who Wrote the song Blue Suede Shoes, part of the Million Dollar Quartet. And we did some really great things together that really changed my career and changed my viewpoint on a lot of things. So I would have to say Carl then. The second person who I never met, but I always wanted to do a documentary on was Roberto Clemente. And I'm a Yankee fan, so it's not like I was a Pittsburgh Pirate fan or anything. But he was a lot like Harry. You know, he was the baseball version of Aaron. That would be a great, great person to have known.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Heck of a player. And he had one of maybe the greatest throwing arm as a right fielder, like, ever.

[Buzz Knight]

Right.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Like, I remember seeing him wind up to throw somebody out who was advancing from second to third or, you know, he just, was just a cannon.

[Rick Korn]

Yeah, amazing. I, I, and I witnessed that at Shea Stadium when they played the Mets. And we, I was a big Clemente fan and I saw him throw out Cleon Jones, who was running from first base to home on a ball in the gap. And he picks up the ball and he's at the like 375 mark. He throws it from there all the way to home plate. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. But anyway, we, we digress. But the other thing about Roberto Cometi that makes it so, so fascinating is, is his.

What he did for people who were hungry and people in his country. And he's quite, quite an amazing person overall.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Oh, incredible. A humanitarian.

[Rick Korn]

And we didn't grow up too far.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Away from each other. I grew up in Stanford, Connecticut, so we were, you were across, across the water there a bit.

[Rick Korn]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

So you became first connected, I'm guessing, with, with music from your, your time living in Long island and absorbing it all that was coming out of New York City. And I'm sure the radio was part of that as well, wasn't it?

[Rick Korn]

Oh, absolutely. You know, back in our day, the radio station was wnew.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

I worked, I was privileged to work part time there on the weekends.

[Rick Korn]

Yeah, that, it was just a great station back then. And that's where you heard, you know, the Allman Brothers and, you know, the, you know, the, you know, the Beatles, of course, when they started in the Rolling Stones and the who and, you know, all the great amazing music that came through New York, it came through, you know, W. And they had great DJs and of course the Hunger A Thon launched on W Minew back in the day for the why Hunger, Hunger Thon. So there was that connection and they started every Thanksgiving of when they started the Hunger Thon with Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant. You remember that?

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Of course I do. Yeah, I do. And I, I, you know, Hunger thon, you know, my responsibility as a. A weekend warrior there was really to, you know, be that conduit to Pete Fornital and the rest of the staff that was, you know, most many times they'd be over at the United nations there with.

[Rick Korn]

Yes.

[Buzz Knight]

Father Bill Ayers.

[Rick Korn]

Yes.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

And so it. I reflect on that time often and it really leads me to the new documentary about Harry Chapin because. And I think about Harry and, you know, the Hunger Thon. Because it matters more now.

[Rick Korn]

Yes.

[Buzz Knight]

Than ever.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

For what he did and what people need to know that Harry Chapin did.

[Buzz Knight]

Right.

[Commercial Announcer (Lowe's)]

Yeah.

[Rick Korn]

You know, right now, what is amazing about what Harry and Bill started 50 years ago, this is the 50th anniversary of why Hunger, is that it is more important than ever. I was on the phone with those folks yesterday, and they've seen a 350% increase in the hunger hotline calls. There's an enormous need right now. When Harry and Bill started why Hunger? There were about 20 million people in the United States that were food insecure. Going into 2025, there were 50 million. And I heard or read numbers that by 2000, by the end of 2026, we can look at close to 100 million people that are food insecure that, you know, need to rely on the food banks and need to rely on food assistance. And unfortunately, in this cruel world right now, it's. It's worse than ever. And it's the organizations that are making a difference today. They're on the front lines of this problem. SNAP programs are being cut. US aid has been cut. They work in 24 countries around the world. But what is amazing, and I think this gets back to the film a little bit because I do feel if there was no cats in the cradle, there wouldn't have been a why Hunger? Because it gave Harry the platform. Harry and Bill the platform to create these charities, why Hunger? And then Long Island Cares. And. And so the fact that 50 years later, this. These organizations are more relevant, sadly more relevant than ever, is is a testament to the brilliance of the idea.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

And he was so early, maybe the earliest. But I could debate that a little bit about Harry because I think John Lennon, you remember, he was doing the work for the hospital, was at Willowbrook.

[Rick Korn]

Well, Willowbrook was the. The hospital on Long Island. That was a horrible situation.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Yeah.

[Rick Korn]

And it was the reporter, he was on abc Heraldo Rivera. Heraldo Rivera. Yeah, that's right.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Right.

[Rick Korn]

It was Geraldo. Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

So I mean John, early into cause related from, you know, greater good, from the heart activity. But in thinking about over the years Harry Chapin's legacy, I think he really was the first that really used that platform which then would become so much bigger from other artists. Obviously the, you know, we are the world and you know, just, you know, other great work that other folks did. But Harry truly was a trailblazer.

[Rick Korn]

He was.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Yeah.

[Rick Korn]

Ken Cragan said in our first film there would have and I think we kind of touch upon it in this film. There wouldn't have been a We are the world USA for Africa if it wasn't for Harry. Harry inspired him and you know, Ken Craigen and Harry Belafonte and you know, all of those folks back then, Kenny Rogers and who carried on.

Harry's legacy of activism where Harry was different than everyone else's. Harry didn't have any pro. He didn't, you know, unlike Dylan who had protest songs and Joan Baez, you know, and Pete Seeger and you know, kind of had that protest song mentality. Harry didn't have many protest songs. I guess Sniper was really it a brilliant song about the shooter from Texas A and M really in that song he touched on the mental illness of it all, which was quite brilliant. But other than that he did the work. Harry went out and spent insanely too much time which really hurt his career. You know, as he was reaching the point of his death. In fact, the day he died, he was heading into New York City to meet with his stepbrother who was part of Ken Craigen's management team and his agent and they were going to read him the riot act because he was spending too much time on hunger and poverty and why hunger and not enough time on his career. Harry wasn't going to listen to that. But it was that fateful day. That's what he was going to do.

He was then going into the city to meet with his management and agent about not doing so many of these benefit shows. And that night he was going to do a benefit show. So Harry wasn't going to listen. He was just so passionate and maybe to the point of obsession. It's not a good business model for sure.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Person. I can't leave out when I think of cause related activities is obviously George Harrison with, with Bangladesh. And I'm sure you remember, but I. I certainly remember because I was at any WFM when the hunger thon was going on and I Picked up the phone because I was taking the celebrity calls to hook them up with Bill Ayers and Pete Fornitel there at the UN and there on the line with the distant, you know, overseas audible sound of a phone call was George Harrison. And, and, and George ended up doing the interview actually with, I think, Pete and Dave Herman. So, you know, we can't leave George out in this equation. But it's, it's so interesting thinking about how, you know, George Harrison calls in tribute to Harry's work and his mission.

[Rick Korn]

Well, here's the interesting. And we, and we point this out in our first film, when in Doubt, Do Something. Harry and Bill were inspired by the Concert for Bangladesh. That's what inspired them to. To start why Hunger? And they tried to do a concert at the UN and it never happened. And Harry and Bill on Bill's radio show on this Rock, which was a ABC radio show on PLJ, right on WPL, eventually, eventually went to PLJ, but at this point in time in the 70s, he was on ABC radio and then eventually became PLJ, but so it was a nationwide show. And they pointed out that Harry points out in the film that you can't make this happen with their failure of the. Of the UN concert, which they modeled after the Bangladesh concert. You can't make this work with just one concert or two concerts or three concerts. This is a commitment. You have to build an organization. And you hear through that radio episode how they started to formulate what became why Hunger? What's amazing about again, why Hunger? I'm doing the 50th anniversary Hungathon anniversary concert in Asbury Park, New Jersey on December 14th. And it's. It's an amazing crew of folks. Many are new to Y Hunger, many are not. Been doing it for. Been part of it for four years. So here we are later.

50 years later, now doing the concert that we hope will raise a lot of money because we're in this incredible time of hunger and poverty around the world.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

How long did it take you to work on and finish this documentary?

[Rick Korn]

This was incredibly fast. And it was fast because of two reasons. The first is we did a cat's in the cradle scene in the first. In the first film, which kind of focused on the pop culture nature of it. You know, we used a lot of. The song is used in a lot of commercials and a lot of TV shows. And it was a fun scene to do. And after my partner SA Baron and I worked on our film A Father's Promise, we got together with Jason Chapin and said, you know, I think there's a film here with Cats in the Cradle. You know, it bugged me from the time we did that scene. My partner and I would say, as we're editing, you know, there's just. There's a documentary just in that one song and the influence it had and the power of, of. Of a song to change people, to educate people, enlighten them. And then the other side of that, as I mentioned, is that it gave them the platform to now, you know, use that song to save lives for all these. We said, I don't know, is it a short film? Is it a, you know, a feature documentary? And as we got into it, more and more, we realized, no, this, this is. This is an important story and a fun story. So the other part of it is that when. Sometimes when you're in the creative flow as we were, we knew the topic so well that we were able to kind of edit this and create this much quicker than a film for a lot less money because the film supports Harry's charities. So we wanted to keep, you know, the cost down. We. All the money was raised through donations. We have no investors in the film. It was just such a ple. It was just so much fun creatively working on this film that it moved quickly. So I would say we were done with a rough cut of the film in less than a year. We delivered it eight months ago to our distributor, so it didn't take us long at all. It was just. Everything flowed. It just, you know, it's like you hear music artists talk about that their. Their big hit song, which took, you know, three minutes to create versus another song that took months and years to create. So that this was our three minute song.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

That's fantastic. Because as I'm sure you know better than I, the highway is littered with projects like this that take forever and sometimes never, you know, see the light of day, you know.

[Rick Korn]

Right, that's right. I mean, when in doubt took us five years.

And my last film, A Father's Promise, took 10 years.

Because the subject matter, you know, when we met Mark, it was right after Sandy Hook happened. And he's a professional musician and he wasn't going to play music again. He couldn't do it. And so it took time to kind of follow that, that journey back to music. Healing power at music. That's what the film was about.

[Taking a Walk Podcast Announcer]

We'll be right back with more of the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Buzz Knight]

This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert. Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. Travel is one of the most precious things in my life and the memories of each of the experiences live on forever. Chase Sapphire Reserve allows me to travel with ease with a $300 travel credit and access to a curated collection of hotels through the edit. So no matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover more with Chase sapphire [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

[Sophie Cunningham]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea or OSA in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at. Don't sleep on osa.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.

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[Commercial Announcer (Lowe's)]

Stay cozy, stay home and save big online during Lowe's December deal drops. Because honestly, why go anywhere when the deals come to you? Check this out. Lowe's is going to give you two free select tools from dewalt, Craftsman or Cobalt when you buy a select battery or combo kit. Yep, two tools free. It's basically a holiday miracle. Plus rewards members get free standard shipping all month long. Yet another reason not to leave your couch. Kick back, click Around. Let the savings roll in shop. New December deal drops on Lowes.com every week. This month, fresh deals, cozy vibes, zero effort.

[Taking a Walk Podcast Announcer]

Welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

You talk to an incredibly interesting group of people, very diverse. Talk about some of the folks that folks who see the documentary will get to see that are part of this. Telling the story.

[Buzz Knight]

Sure.

[Rick Korn]

On the.

Celebrity side, Billy Joel. I, I. Billy Joel and. And Judy Collins, who's in the film. I really had them in there because I wanted them to both define the writing of the song, you know, kind of the, the. That creative process and how Harry created these story songs, you know, which were incredible, and how it influenced them. Billy was influenced by Harry. Judy is a song hunter. She writes her own songs, but, you know, she seeked out the great writers. Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, you know, Leonard Cohen, Harry Chapin, you know, and so to get her perspective was great. Dee Snyder was a blast because of. He is so real, so genuine and opened up to us about his relationship with his father that I didn't expect. And, you know, he started off the conversation with, I hate acoustic music.

And I said to myself, oh, this is going to be a tough one.

And he couldn't be. First of all, he pulls up in a muscle car that has no top to it. He pulls up in exactly what you would expect Dee Snider to pull up in. I don't remember. I think it was like a bright red.

And we go in, we kind of greet him outside, no cameras. He gets out of the car, he can't lock his doors, so he takes the steering wheel out of it. So. So. And he carries the steering wheel into the house so no one could steal the car. That is D. That's D. And so that was great. And him being from Long island and I'm from Long island, and we're basically the same age, it made it really easy. And he. And he opened up about his dad, you know, and his relationship with his father and his parents overall, and the fact that they were depression babies and his father was a veteran and, you know, wanted him to be a baseball player, and he had the ability to be a great baseball player. He decided to paint his face and become Twisted Sister.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Yeah.

[Rick Korn]

And he needs to come out of.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

His shell, don't you think?

[Rick Korn]

Yeah, he does. He's great. He was great. Easy interview, you know, easy. And. And DMC as well, you know, that was. That was great because he's so passionate about the song. Yeah. And. And he, you know, created his own version of the song that he did with Sarah McLachlan, that he took his life story and put it into the song and then kept the. The Cats in the Grave. The Harry Chapin part. Parts of it.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

And.

[Rick Korn]

And he's so passionate and such a great champion of why hunger and really knows the topic. Well in this film, you know, just hearing his story about, you know, how down and out he was and, you know, meeting Sarah McLachlan and then coming up with the idea of his favorite song, Cats in the Cradle. And so, you know, DMC is special. Daryl's a special person and a great interview. And, you know, both these.

Brought so much energy to this film and they made it so much more enjoyable and, you know, unpredictable. Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Two of the. Two of the best people, without question. Amazing hearts, amazing storytellers, very generous. Somebody told me, I don't know if you can confirm this.

[Buzz Knight]

Is there somewhere, floating around in the.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Universe, a version that Dee snider and Daryl McDaniels.

[Buzz Knight]

Dee.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Did of Cats in the Cradle?

[Rick Korn]

Not that we were able to find out.

Daryl and Jen Chapin did a version of Cats in the Cradle that apparently was. Was great, but no one filmed it, so unfortunately it didn't happen. But. But Pat Benatar was great, and Pat, just this past year got the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award given to. To her by Y Hunger. Harry changed her life in that. Harry and Tom Chapin were, you know, met her when she was doing show songs and Harry was the one that said, hey, you need to roughen up your voice a little bit and do rock and roll. And, you know, she met her husband and the rest is history. The amazing thing about all of these interviews, and every one of them were great. All of those people who opened up about their lives. And that's the thing you find about this song in this film, is that every. The song is about all of us, and the film follows in that direction, but it's about all of us. All of us have a parental experience one way or another. Even if your father or your mother wasn't in your life, it still affects you. We don't get heavy on things at all in this film, but we do cover, you know, generational trauma, which really explains the Cats in the Cradle father and son dynamic. We covered that in the film, but other than that, it's just everyone's real reaction, the YouTube reaction videos that are great. You know, these people who are in their 20s and 30s and younger who are hearing the song for the first time, and you see the effect that the Song has on them. It's amazing. You know, it's a perfectly written song in that respect, that it can be this multi generational, multicultural song.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Harry was known for these great narrative songs that told these complete stories. What do you think was really what made him so distinctive as a songwriter?

[Rick Korn]

I think in every one of his songs there's a lot of truth in there. There's a lot of truth about him. It's not all about him. If you look at Taxi, you know, it's partially true. He never drove a taxi. He did get a taxi medallion, but never drove a taxi because his songs are relatable. You know, his stories are us. You know, Harry points out in this film he's the father in Cats in the cradle, he's Mr. Tanner, he's the person on the bus when bananas happen. You know, that's who he is. W L D. You know, he's the. The disc jockey. I think what makes it connect is he's so human. You know, he writes about humans and his stories are relatable because there's a piece of all of us in his stories and in many movies. You know, he was a filmmaker. He was an Academy Award winning filmmaker, documentary filmmaker.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

So talk about what's going to be next for the documentary, the circuit and the distribution that you'll go through.

[Rick Korn]

The film right now is available on, on Amazon, Amazon prime or regular Amazon. It's available on Apple TV and iTunes and Fandango. And there's more being added so anyone in the country in North America can see the film. We're doing a major hunger thon concert.

On December 14th. Our house band is run by Mark Ribler.

[Buzz Knight]

Love him.

[Rick Korn]

Yeah. Mark, for those who don't know, is the music director for Steven Van Zant's Disciples of Soul. And our house band is a combination of the Disciple of Souls and the E Street Band. We have younger groups, Young the Giant, who are fantastic. Yola, who is a multi Grammy nominated, incredibly powerful voice. She's also an actress who was in the last Elvis movie. She's great. We have, oh, the Dixie Dreggs who are coming out of retirement that a lot of us older folks will remember. Steve Morse, who people might know from Black Sabbath and Kansas. His group, his music is the Dixie Dregs who are amazing. The original band with Andy Fox and my good friend who I grew up with on Long Island, Rob Morgenstein on drums, one of the great drummers in the world. We've got Randy Moore, who's in the film, who used to write with Carl Perkins, who does an amazing version of Cats in the Cradle, and he's going to do that with Amy Helm at the concert. We. We have them and the smithereens are going to be there. Wow, Smithereens. I don't want to miss any. Danny Klutch is going to join us as well. We're doing a VIP party at his. We're doing a, a summit, actually, at his gallery in Asbury, which is across from the Stone Pony, where we're doing the show that same day. We're going to do a artist summit on hunger and po. And then there's a bunch of artists that will be surprises, as you would expect, on the jerseys. Sure.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Yeah, I'll bet. My God, that. What a. What a great lineup. It's so amazing. So what, in closing, what do you hope happens after people watch this film?

[Rick Korn]

I think there's a couple important things in this film. And, you know, it's a song about a father and son, but it really relates to a mom these days as well. You know, when Sandy wrote those lyrics, it was about her husband's father and his relationship in those days. You know, the wife stayed home and dad went to work. In today's world, it's about both mom and dad going to work. So mom is facing those same issues of, of I gotta work. But I also want to spend more time with my kids. And I want people to get out of this film that we can learn something. I want them to see that we're all the same. We're all facing the same dilemmas. I want them to learn that time is short and to make the best of it with your kids and your family and your grandkids. And I think that's the most important thing. I think that ultimately is the feeling you get out of this film is that don't waste any time. Now is the time.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

Amazing work. You're tying together your passions and your core values and your core beliefs, and you're trying to make a difference. Congrats on all your work. When in doubt, do something. A Father's Promise and Cats in the Cradle, that song that changed our, our lives. Rick Korn, it's really been an honor to speak with you and I really appreciate all that you're doing and giving and making us never forget the great Harry Chapin.

[Rick Korn]

Thank you, Buzz. It's an honor to be on your show.

[Taking a Walk Podcast Announcer]

Thanks for listening to this episode of the Taking a Walk podcast. Share this and other episodes with your friends and follow us so you never miss an episode. Taking A walk is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts.

[Buzz Knight]

This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply Ah, greetings from my bath festive friends. The holidays are overwhelming, but I'm tackling.

[Rick Korn]

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[Buzz Knight]

Getting 5% cash back when I pay in 4. No fees, no interest. I used it to get this portable spa with jets. Now the bubbles can click cling to my sculpted but pruny body. Make the most of your money this holiday with PayPal. Save the offer in the app ends1231.

[Rick Korn]

See paypal.com promoter points can be redeemed for cash and more. Paying for Subject to terms and approval. PayPal Inc. And MLS 910457Amazon Five Star Theater presents real Customer Reviews Performed by Ed Helms Tonight's Review Tactical Jacket I was living a simple life. Didn't get out much. Then I bought this jacket and everything changed. Women came flocking to me from lands domestic and foreign. On the 245 day sailboat voyage home.

[Taking a Walk Podcast Announcer]

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[Rick Korn]

I knew it was the jacket he was after. Giving up the jacket in exchange for my life. 5 stars Amazon Customer 69 Shop the perfect gift this holiday on Amazon.

[Taking a Walk Podcast Announcer]

What a matchup we got y'.

[Podcast Host (Taking a Walk)]

All.

[Taking a Walk Podcast Announcer]

This is that classic HBCU vibe. Non stop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chance, echo, drum beating. Everybody showing that school pride. A game like this. Yeah, it calls for an ice cold Coca Cola. Ah, crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there.

Yeah, that's taste. Always hits the right note. Just like the band at halftime. And just like that, we're back at it. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere. And in ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo. No matter the sport, no matter the yard. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and keep that HBCU pride going.

[Sophie Cunningham]

This is Sophie Cunningham from Show Me Something. Do you know the symptoms of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, or osa, in adults with obesity? They may be happening to you without you knowing. If anyone has ever said you snored loudly, or if you spend your days fighting off excessive tiredness, irritability and concentration issues, it may be due to osa. OSA is a serious condition where your airway partially or completely collapses during sleep, which may cause breathing interruptions and oxygen deprivation. Learn more at. Don't sleep on osa.com this information is provided by Lilly, a medicine company.

[Commercial Announcer (Lowe's)]

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