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James Joseph Croce (; January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973) was an American
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and rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. During this period, Croce took a series of odd jobs to pay bills while he continued to write, record and perform concerts. After Croce formed a partnership with the songwriter and guitarist Maury Muehleisen in the early 1970s, his fortunes turned. Croce's breakthrough came in 1972, when his third album, ''
You Don't Mess Around with Jim ''You Don't Mess Around with Jim'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce; it released in April 1972 by ABC Records. History and release The album was recorded over a three to four-week period for approximately $18,00 ...
'', produced three charting singles, including "
Time in a Bottle "Time in a Bottle" is a song by singer-songwriter Jim Croce. It appeared on Croce's 1972 ABC third album '' You Don't Mess Around with Jim'' and was featured in the 1973 ABC made-for-television movie '' She Lives!'' After Croce was killed in ...
", which reached No. 1 after Croce died. The follow-up album '' Life and Times'' included the song " Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", Croce's only No. 1 hit during his lifetime. On September 20, 1973, at the height of his popularity and the day before the lead single to his fifth album, '' I Got a Name'', was released, Croce, Muehleisen, and four others died in a plane crash. His music continued to chart throughout the 1970s following his death. Croce's widow and early songwriting partner,
Ingrid Ingrid may refer to: * Ingrid (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Ingrid Burley (born 1986), rapper known mononymously as Ingrid * Ingrid (record label), also an artist collective * Tropical Storm Ingrid, various cy ...
, continued to write and record after his death. Their son, A. J. Croce, became a singer-songwriter in the 1990s.


Early life and education

Croce was born on January 10, 1943 (although some sources say 1942), in
South Philadelphia South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west."." ''City of Philadelphia''. Retrieved November 8, ...
, Pennsylvania, to James Albert Croce and Flora Mary (Babusci) Croce, Italian Americans whose parents had emigrated from Trasacco and Balsorano in
Abruzzo Abruzzo (, ; ; , ''Abbrìzze'' or ''Abbrèzze'' ; ), historically also known as Abruzzi, is a Regions of Italy, region of Southern Italy with an area of 10,763 square km (4,156 sq mi) and a population of 1.3 million. It is divided into four ...
and
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
in Sicily. Croce grew up in
Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania Upper Darby Township, often shortened to Upper Darby, is a Home Rule Municipality (Pennsylvania), home rule Township (Pennsylvania), township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 census, the township had a total popul ...
, seven miles west of
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, and attended
Upper Darby High School Upper Darby High School (UDHS) is a four-year public high school located in Upper Darby Township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Upper Darby School District. Established in 1895, it is the oldest high school in Delaware Count ...
, where he graduated in 1960. He then attended Malvern Preparatory School for a year prior to enrolling at
Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic Church, Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Saint Thom ...
, where he majored in
psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Its subject matter includes the behavior of humans and nonhumans, both consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, and mental processes such as thoughts, feel ...
and minored in German. He was a member of the campus singing groups the Villanova Singers and the Villanova Spires. When the Spires performed off campus or made recordings, they were known as The Coventry Lads. Croce was also a student disc jockey at WKVU, which has since become WXVU. In 1965, he graduated from Villanova with a Bachelor of Science in Social Studies degree.


Career


Early career

Croce did not take music seriously until he studied at Villanova, where he became a leader of the Villanova Singers, formed bands, and performed at
fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...
parties,
coffeehouse A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café (), is an establishment that serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino, among other hot beverages. Many coffeehouses in West Asia offer ''shisha'' (actually called ''nargi ...
s, and universities around Philadelphia. He played "anything that the people wanted to hear: blues, rock,
a cappella Music performed a cappella ( , , ; ), less commonly spelled acapella in English, is music performed by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Rena ...
, railroad music ... anything." Croce's band was chosen for a
foreign exchange The foreign exchange market (forex, FX, or currency market) is a global decentralized or over-the-counter (OTC) market for the trading of currencies. This market determines foreign exchange rates for every currency. By trading volume, it i ...
tour of Africa, the Middle East and
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
. He later said, "We just ate what the people ate, lived in the woods, and played our songs. Of course they didn't speak English over there but if you mean what you're singing, people understand." On November 29, 1963, Croce met his future wife, Ingrid Jacobson, at the Philadelphia Convention Hall during a
hootenanny A hootenanny is a freewheeling, improvisatory musical event in the United States, often incorporating audience members in performances. It is particularly associated with folk music. Etymology Meanings Hootenanny is an Appalachian colloquialism ...
, where he was judging a contest. Croce released his first album, ''Facets'', in 1966, with 500 copies pressed. The album had been financed with a $500 ($ in dollars) wedding gift from Croce's parents, who set a condition that the money must be spent to make an album. They hoped that Croce would abandon music after the album failed and use his college education to pursue a more traditional profession. However, the album proved to be a success, with every copy sold.


1960s

Croce married Jacobson in 1966 and converted from Catholicism to Judaism, as his wife was Jewish. They were married in a traditional Jewish ceremony. Croce enlisted in the
Army National Guard The Army National Guard (ARNG) is an organized Militia (United States), militia force and a Reserve components of the United States Armed Forces, federal military reserve force of the United States Army. It is simultaneously part of two differen ...
in
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
that same year to avoid being drafted and deployed to
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
, and served on active duty for four months, leaving for duty one week after his honeymoon. Croce, who tended to resist authority, endured basic training twice. He said that he would be prepared if "there's ever a war where we have to defend ourselves with mops." From the mid-1960s to the early 1970s, Croce and his wife performed as a duo. Initially, their performances included songs by artists such as
Ian & Sylvia Ian & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. History Early ...
,
Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (November 17, 1938 – May 1, 2023) was a Canadian singer-songwriter who achieved worldwide success and helped define the singer-songwriter era of the 1970s. Widely considered one of Canada's greatest songwriters, ...
,
Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (, ; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing mo ...
, and
Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk music, folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing protest song, songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his fa ...
, but they eventually began writing their own music. During this time, Croce secured his first long-term gig, at a suburban bar and
steakhouse A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse is a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as fish and other seafood. History Choph ...
in Lima, Pennsylvania called the Riddle Paddock. Croce's set list covered several genres, including blues, country, rock and roll, and folk. In 1968, the Croces were encouraged by the record producer Tommy West, a fellow Villanova alumnus, to move to New York City. The couple spent time in the
Kingsbridge Kingsbridge is a market town in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of 6,116 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census. Two electoral wards bear the name of ''Kingsbridge'' (East & North). Their combined population ...
section of the Bronx and recorded their first album with
Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...
. According to Ingrid, over the next two years, they drove more than , playing small clubs and concerts on the college concert circuit to promote their album '' Jim & Ingrid Croce''. Becoming disillusioned by the music business and New York, they sold all but one guitar to pay the rent and returned to the Pennsylvania countryside, settling in an old farm in Lyndell, where he played for $25 a night ($ in dollars). To earn additional money, Croce took odd jobs such as driving trucks, construction work, and teaching guitar while continuing to write songs, often about the characters whom he would meet at local bars and
truck stop A truck stop (known as a service station in the United Kingdom, a travel center by major chains in the United States and a roadhouse in rural Australia) is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest (parking), and often ready-made f ...
s and his experiences at work. These songs included "Big Wheel" and " Workin' at the Car Wash Blues."


1970s

The Croces eventually returned to Philadelphia and Croce decided to be "serious" about becoming a productive member of society. He said: "I'd worked construction crews, and I'd been a welder while I was in college. But I'd rather do other things than get burned." His determination led to a job at Philadelphia R&B AM radio station
WHAT What or WHAT may refer to: * What, an English interrogative word * "What?", one of the Five Ws used in journalism Film and television * ''What!'' (film), also known as ''The Whip and the Body'', a 1963 Italian film directed by Mario Bava * ...
, where Croce translated commercials into "soul". "I'd sell airtime to Bronco's Poolroom and then write the spot: 'You wanna be cool, and you wanna shoot pool ... ''dig it''. In 1970, Croce met classically trained pianist-guitarist and singer-songwriter Maury Muehleisen through producer Joe Salviuolo, a friend of Croce's since college. Salviuolo had met Muehleisen when he was teaching at Glassboro State College in New Jersey and brought Croce and Muehleisen together at the
production office A film Production Office is the administrative office responsible for managing a film production. The office is responsible to the Film Producer and includes the Production Manager, Assistant Director and one or more Production Assistants. Typ ...
of Tommy West and
Terry Cashman Terry Cashman (born Dennis Minogue; July 5, 1941) is an American record producer and singer-songwriter, best known for his 1981 hit, " Talkin' Baseball". While the song is well recognized today and allowed Cashman the chance to meet the feature ...
in New York City. Initially, Croce backed Muehleisen on guitar, but gradually their roles reversed, with Muehleisen adding a lead guitar to Croce's music. When his wife became pregnant, Croce became more determined to make music his profession. He sent a cassette of his new songs to a friend and producer in New York City in the hope that he could secure a record deal. After their son, Adrian James (A.J.), was born in September 1971, Ingrid stayed at home while Croce toured to promote his music. In 1972, Croce signed a three-record contract with
ABC Records ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquired many labels bef ...
, releasing two albums, ''
You Don't Mess Around with Jim ''You Don't Mess Around with Jim'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce; it released in April 1972 by ABC Records. History and release The album was recorded over a three to four-week period for approximately $18,00 ...
'' and '' Life and Times''. The singles "
You Don't Mess Around with Jim ''You Don't Mess Around with Jim'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce; it released in April 1972 by ABC Records. History and release The album was recorded over a three to four-week period for approximately $18,00 ...
", " Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)", and "
Time in a Bottle "Time in a Bottle" is a song by singer-songwriter Jim Croce. It appeared on Croce's 1972 ABC third album '' You Don't Mess Around with Jim'' and was featured in the 1973 ABC made-for-television movie '' She Lives!'' After Croce was killed in ...
" all received airplay. That same year, the Croce family moved to
San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
. Croce began appearing on television, including on ''
American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'' (AB) is an American Music television, music performance and dance television series that aired in various iterations from 1952 to 1989. It was hosted by Dick Clark who also served as the program's Television producer, pr ...
'' on August 12, his national debut, ''
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'' on August 14, and ''
The Dick Cavett Show ''The Dick Cavett Show'' is the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including: * ABC daytime, (March 4, 1968 – January 24, 1969) originally titled ''This Morning'' * ABC prime time, Tuesday ...
'' on September 20 and 21. Croce began touring the United States with Muehleisen, performing in large coffeehouses, on college campuses, and at folk festivals. However, his financial situation remained precarious. The record company had fronted him the money to record, and much of his earnings went to repay the advance. In February 1973, Croce and Muehleisen traveled to Europe, performing in London, Paris,
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,
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, Zurich, and
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
and receiving encouraging reviews. Croce made television appearances on '' The Midnight Special,'' which he cohosted on June 15, and ''The
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...
Show'' on July 19. His biggest single, " Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", reached No. 1 on the American charts in July. From July 16 through August 4, Croce and Muehleisen returned to London and performed on ''
The Old Grey Whistle Test ''The Old Grey Whistle Test'' (sometimes abbreviated to ''Whistle Test'' or ''OGWT'') is a British television music series broadcast by the BBC. It was devised by producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough, and aired on BBC2 from ...
,'' on which they sang "Lover's Cross" and " Workin' at the Car Wash Blues" from their upcoming album '' I Got a Name.'' Croce finished recording the album just a week before his death. While on tour, Croce grew increasingly homesick and decided to take a break from music and settle with Ingrid and A.J. when his ''Life and Times'' tour ended. In a letter to Ingrid that arrived after his death, Croce told her that he had decided to quit music and wanted to write short stories and movie scripts as a career and withdraw from public life.


Death

On the evening of September 20, 1973, during Croce's ''Life and Times'' tour, which had been scheduled for 45 dates, and the day before his single " I Got a Name" was released, Croce and five others were killed when their chartered Beechcraft E18S crashed shortly after takeoff from the Natchitoches Regional Airport in
Natchitoches, Louisiana Natchitoches ( ; , ), officially the City of Natchitoches, is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. At the 2020 United States census, the city's population was ...
. Others killed in the crash were the pilot, Robert N. Elliott; Croce's bandmate Maury Muehleisen; manager and booking agent Kenneth D. Cortese; road manager Dennis Rast; and George Stevens, a comedian. The crash occurred an hour after Croce had finished a concert at
Northwestern State University Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSULA) is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport, Louisiana, Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville, Louisiana, Leesville/Fort Jo ...
's Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches. They were headed for
Sherman, Texas Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's population in 2020 was 43,645. It is one of the two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan area, Sherman–Denison metropolitan statist ...
, for a concert at Austin College. An investigation by the
National Transportation Safety Board The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and inci ...
(NTSB) identified the probable cause as the pilot's failure to see obstructions because of physical impairment and fog that had reduced his vision. The 57-year-old pilot suffered from severe
coronary artery disease Coronary artery disease (CAD), also called coronary heart disease (CHD), or ischemic heart disease (IHD), is a type of cardiovascular disease, heart disease involving Ischemia, the reduction of blood flow to the cardiac muscle due to a build-up ...
and had run three miles to the airport from a motel. He had an ATP certificate, 14,290 hours' total flight time, and 2,190 hours in the Beech 18 type airplane. Croce was buried at
Haym Salomon Haym Salomon (also Solomon; April 7, 1740 – January 6, 1785) was a Polish-born American merchant best known for his actions during the American Revolution, where he was the prime financier to the Continental Congress. Born in Leszno, Polish– ...
Memorial Park in
Frazer, Pennsylvania Frazer is a census-designated place (CDP) in East Whiteland Township in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along US 30 between Exton and Malvern, and is the northern terminus for Pennsylvania Route 352. The former ma ...
.


Legacy

The album '' I Got a Name'' was released on December 1, 1973. The
posthumous Posthumous may refer to: * Posthumous award, an award, prize or medal granted after the recipient's death * Posthumous publication, publishing of creative work after the author's death * Posthumous (album), ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1 ...
release included three hits: " Workin' at the Car Wash Blues", " I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" and the
title song Theme music is a musical composition which is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at so ...
, which had been used as the theme to the film '' The Last American Hero'', released two months prior to his death. "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" reached No. 9 on the singles chart. While ABC had not originally released the song "Time in a Bottle" as a single, Croce's untimely death lent its lyrics, dealing with mortality and the wish to have more time, an additional resonance. The song subsequently received a large amount of airplay as an album track, and demand for a single release built. When it was eventually issued as one, it became Croce's second and final No. 1 hit. After the single finished its two-week run at the top in early January 1974, the album ''You Don't Mess Around with Jim'' became No. 1 for five weeks. Seven weeks after its release, ''I Got a Name'' reached No. 2, behind ''You Don't Mess Around with Jim''. A greatest hits album titled '' Photographs & Memories'' was released in 1974. Later posthumous releases have included '' Home Recordings: Americana'', ''
The Faces I've Been ''The Faces I've Been'' is a posthumous double album by Jim Croce, released in 1975. Album history The album was designed to show Croce's artistic development, the track listing is chronological and the liner notes described each period of Croc ...
'', ''Jim Croce: Classic Hits'', '' Down the Highway'', '' Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live'' and DVD and CD releases of his television performances. In 1990, Croce was inducted into the
Songwriters Hall of Fame The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) is an American institution founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer, music publisher/songwriter Abe Olman, and publisher/executive Howie Richmond to honor those whose work represent and maintain the heri ...
.
Queen Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Q ...
's 1974 album ''
Sheer Heart Attack ''Sheer Heart Attack'' is the third studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 8 November 1974 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Departing from the progressive themes featured on t ...
'' included the song "Bring Back That Leroy Brown"; its title and lyrics reference Croce's "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown". In 2012, Ingrid Croce published a memoir about Croce entitled ''I Got a Name: The Jim Croce Story''. In 1985, Ingrid Croce opened Croce's Restaurant & Jazz Bar, a project she had jokingly discussed with Croce, in the historic
Gaslamp Quarter The Gaslamp Quarter is a historic neighborhood in downtown San Diego, California. It extends from Broadway to Harbor Drive and from 4th to 6th Avenue. The neighborhood is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places ...
in downtown San Diego. She owned and managed it until its closure on December 31, 2013. In December 2013, Ingrid Croce opened another restaurant, Croce's Park West, on 5th Avenue in the Bankers Hill neighborhood near Balboa Park. She closed it in January 2016. In 2022, a Pennsylvania Historical Marker honoring Croce was installed outside his farmhouse in Lyndell.


Discography

; Studio albums * '' Facets'' (1966) * '' Jim & Ingrid Croce'' (1969) * ''
You Don't Mess Around with Jim ''You Don't Mess Around with Jim'' is the third studio album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce; it released in April 1972 by ABC Records. History and release The album was recorded over a three to four-week period for approximately $18,00 ...
'' (1972) * '' Life and Times'' (1973) * '' I Got a Name'' (1973)


References


External links

*
Jim Croce at Songwriters Hall of Fame
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Croce, Jim 1943 births 1973 deaths 20th-century American guitarists 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American songwriters ABC Records artists Accidental deaths in Louisiana Accidents and incidents involving the Beechcraft Model 18 American acoustic guitarists American folk guitarists American folk rock musicians American folk singers American male guitarists American male singer-songwriters American people of Italian descent American pop guitarists American pop rock singers American rhythm guitarists American rock guitarists American rock singers American rock songwriters American soft rock musicians Atlantic Records artists Capitol Records artists Converts to Judaism from Roman Catholicism Converts to Judaism EMI Records artists Guitarists from Philadelphia Jewish American rock musicians Jewish American songwriters Jewish folk singers Malvern Preparatory School alumni Musicians killed in aviation accidents or incidents People from L'Aquila People from Malvern, Pennsylvania People of Sicilian descent Singer-songwriters from Pennsylvania United States Army soldiers Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1973 Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States Villanova University alumni People of Abruzzese descent