PeoplesElbow
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I was still almost a year away from being born and...
Remembering singer-songwriter JIM CROCE (Jan. 10, 1943-Sept. 20, 1973) on the 50th anniversary of his death. He was one of the most popular singers in the late 1960s and early '70s, and released five studio albums and 11 singles, including "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time in a Bottle" that both reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
At the age of five Jim learned to play his first song, “Lady of Spain,” on the accordion. In 1965, Croce graduated with a bachelor's degree from Villanova University where he was a member of the Villanova Singers and the college's vocal group, The Coventry Lads. He was also a student disc jockey at the campus radio station, WKVU-FM.
In 1970, Croce was introduced to a classically trained pianist and guitarist from Trenton, New Jersey, singer/songwriter Maury Muehleisen. Initially, Jim backed Maury on guitar at their gigs but their roles reversed in time, with Muehleisen then playing lead guitar to Croce's singing.
Jim signed a three project deal in the early ‘70s with ABC Records, and released the albums “You Don't Mess Around with Jim” and “Life and Times.” The singles "You Don't Mess Around with Jim,” "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)" and "Time in a Bottle" — written for his then-unborn son, A.J. — all received extensive radio airplay. Croce's biggest single, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in July 1973.
When his career started to pick up, Jim Croce began touring the country with Muehleisen, performing live in various venues including large coffee houses, college campuses and folk festivals. However, Jim's finances were in trouble; the record company had fronted him the money to record his first album, but much of the record sales he earned went to pay back his advance.
In early 1973, Croce and Muehleisen traveled to Europe to promote the album and make some needed money, playing to positive reviews in London, Paris and Amsterdam. After returning to the States, Jim began a string of television appearances including his national TV debut on “American Bandstand,” “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” “The Dick Cavett Show,” NBC’s newly launched late-night music show “The Midnight Special” (which Jim co-hosted) and “The Helen Reddy Show.”
In late summer, Croce and Muehleisen once again visited London and performed on one of the U.K.'s top music programs, "The Old Grey Whistle Test." But in the midst of all of this new found success, Jim was beginning to burn out. Extensive touring had earned him rave reviews throughout the U.S. and Europe, but it had also prevented him from spending time with his wife and their two-year-old son.
At the same time while traveling on his Life and Times Tour, on open dates Croce would work on his next album to be called I Got a Name, which was scheduled to be released by the end of the year. The South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native had wrapped up recording sessions and was nearing the end of his tour when tragedy struck on September 20, 1973.
After performing at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, Jim boarded a small chartered plane to travel to his next show in Sherman, Texas. Sadly, on takeoff the aircraft traveled only a few yards past the end of the runway. In what was later described by officials as solely pilot error, Croce's Beechcraft failed to clear a pecan tree while attempting to ascend and crashed. All six people aboard were killed, including Jim, Maury, comedian George Stevens (the show’s opening act), Kenneth Cortose (Jim’s manager and booking agent), Dennis Rast (their road manager) and pilot Robert Elliott.
Following JIm Croce’s death at the age of 30, public interest in his music exploded. The single “I Got a Name” was released as planned on September 21st — the day after Jim had died — and became a top 10 hit. “Time in a Bottle” was re-released after being used in a TV movie, and by the end of the year had topped the charts (his album, You Don't Mess Around with Jim, also shot to No. 1). “Time in a Bottle” became only the third posthumous No. 1 single in the rock and roll era, following Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee.”
A week after Croce’s death, Ingrid Croce received a letter from her husband that he had mailed to her earlier while on tour. In it, Jim sounded weary from his time on the road and expressed a desire to quit the music business and take up other pursuits, possibly to write movie scripts. He said he hoped that type of work wouldn’t take him so far away from his wife and son. At the close of the letter, Jim wrote, “Remember, it’s the first 60 years that count and I’ve got 30 to go. I love you.” - Chuck Halley, Classic Music/TV/Film blogger
Photos: Jim Croce, his wife Ingrid and son, A.J., at their home in Coatsville, Pennsylvania (ca. 1973); (inset) Croce (ca. 1971).
Remembering singer-songwriter JIM CROCE (Jan. 10, 1943-Sept. 20, 1973) on the 50th anniversary of his death. He was one of the most popular singers in the late 1960s and early '70s, and released five studio albums and 11 singles, including "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" and "Time in a Bottle" that both reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
At the age of five Jim learned to play his first song, “Lady of Spain,” on the accordion. In 1965, Croce graduated with a bachelor's degree from Villanova University where he was a member of the Villanova Singers and the college's vocal group, The Coventry Lads. He was also a student disc jockey at the campus radio station, WKVU-FM.
In 1970, Croce was introduced to a classically trained pianist and guitarist from Trenton, New Jersey, singer/songwriter Maury Muehleisen. Initially, Jim backed Maury on guitar at their gigs but their roles reversed in time, with Muehleisen then playing lead guitar to Croce's singing.
Jim signed a three project deal in the early ‘70s with ABC Records, and released the albums “You Don't Mess Around with Jim” and “Life and Times.” The singles "You Don't Mess Around with Jim,” "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)" and "Time in a Bottle" — written for his then-unborn son, A.J. — all received extensive radio airplay. Croce's biggest single, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in July 1973.
When his career started to pick up, Jim Croce began touring the country with Muehleisen, performing live in various venues including large coffee houses, college campuses and folk festivals. However, Jim's finances were in trouble; the record company had fronted him the money to record his first album, but much of the record sales he earned went to pay back his advance.
In early 1973, Croce and Muehleisen traveled to Europe to promote the album and make some needed money, playing to positive reviews in London, Paris and Amsterdam. After returning to the States, Jim began a string of television appearances including his national TV debut on “American Bandstand,” “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” “The Dick Cavett Show,” NBC’s newly launched late-night music show “The Midnight Special” (which Jim co-hosted) and “The Helen Reddy Show.”
In late summer, Croce and Muehleisen once again visited London and performed on one of the U.K.'s top music programs, "The Old Grey Whistle Test." But in the midst of all of this new found success, Jim was beginning to burn out. Extensive touring had earned him rave reviews throughout the U.S. and Europe, but it had also prevented him from spending time with his wife and their two-year-old son.
At the same time while traveling on his Life and Times Tour, on open dates Croce would work on his next album to be called I Got a Name, which was scheduled to be released by the end of the year. The South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native had wrapped up recording sessions and was nearing the end of his tour when tragedy struck on September 20, 1973.
After performing at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, Jim boarded a small chartered plane to travel to his next show in Sherman, Texas. Sadly, on takeoff the aircraft traveled only a few yards past the end of the runway. In what was later described by officials as solely pilot error, Croce's Beechcraft failed to clear a pecan tree while attempting to ascend and crashed. All six people aboard were killed, including Jim, Maury, comedian George Stevens (the show’s opening act), Kenneth Cortose (Jim’s manager and booking agent), Dennis Rast (their road manager) and pilot Robert Elliott.
Following JIm Croce’s death at the age of 30, public interest in his music exploded. The single “I Got a Name” was released as planned on September 21st — the day after Jim had died — and became a top 10 hit. “Time in a Bottle” was re-released after being used in a TV movie, and by the end of the year had topped the charts (his album, You Don't Mess Around with Jim, also shot to No. 1). “Time in a Bottle” became only the third posthumous No. 1 single in the rock and roll era, following Otis Redding’s “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee.”
A week after Croce’s death, Ingrid Croce received a letter from her husband that he had mailed to her earlier while on tour. In it, Jim sounded weary from his time on the road and expressed a desire to quit the music business and take up other pursuits, possibly to write movie scripts. He said he hoped that type of work wouldn’t take him so far away from his wife and son. At the close of the letter, Jim wrote, “Remember, it’s the first 60 years that count and I’ve got 30 to go. I love you.” - Chuck Halley, Classic Music/TV/Film blogger
Photos: Jim Croce, his wife Ingrid and son, A.J., at their home in Coatsville, Pennsylvania (ca. 1973); (inset) Croce (ca. 1971).
I wore out my Dingos.
