James Joseph Croce (; January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973) was an American

folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Folk Plus or Fo ...

and rock singer-

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...

. 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 he formed a partnership with songwriter and guitarist

Maury Muehleisen Maurice T. "Maury" Muehleisen (January 14, 1949 – September 20, 1973) was an American musician, songwriter, and artist best known for his studio work, live accompaniment, and impact on the music of Jim Croce. He died in the same plane crash th ...

, his fortunes turned in the early 1970s. His breakthrough came in 1972; 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, released in April 1972. History and release The album was recorded over a three to four-week period for approximately $18,000, with most fundi ...

'', produced three charting singles, including "

Time in a Bottle "Time in a Bottle" is a song by singer-songwriter Jim Croce. He wrote the lyrics after his wife Ingrid told him she was pregnant in December 1970. It appeared on Croce's 1972 ABC debut album '' You Don't Mess Around with Jim'' and was featured ...

", which reached No. 1 after his death. The follow-up album, '' Life and Times'', included the song " Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", which was the only No. 1 hit he had 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 and five others died in a plane crash. His music continued to chart throughout the 1970s following his death. Croce's wife

Ingrid Ingrid may refer to: * Ingrid (given name) * Ingrid (record label), and artist collective * Ingrid Burley, rapper known mononymously as Ingrid * Tropical Storm Ingrid, various cyclones * 1026 Ingrid, an asteroid * InGrid, the grid computing project ...

was his early songwriting partner. She continued to write and record after his death and their son A. J. Croce became a singer-songwriter in the 1990s.

Early life

Croce was born 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.Italian Americans whose parents had immigrated from

Trasacco Trasacco ( Marsicano: ') is a ''comune'' and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of central-eastern Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe ...

and

Balsorano Balsorano (Neapolitan language, Marsicano: ') is a ''comune'' (municipality) and town in the province of L'Aquila in the Abruzzo region of Italy. History Balsorano is mentioned for the first time in the 10th century. During the Middle Ages and mo ...

in Abruzzo and Palermo in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. Croce grew up in

Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Upper Darby Township, often shortened to Upper Darby, is a home rule township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The township borders Philadelphia, the nation's sixth most populous city as of 2020 with 1.6 million residents. As of the 2020 ce ...

, right outside of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, and attended

Upper Darby High School Upper Darby High School (UDHS) is a four-year public high school located in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, as part of the Upper Darby School District. UDHS is also the oldest high school in Delaware County, ...

. Graduating in 1960, he studied at

Malvern Preparatory School , motto_translation = Truth, Unity, Love , address = 418 South Warren Avenue , location = , region = , city = Malvern , county = , state ...

for a year before enrolling at

Villanova University Villanova University is a private Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Augustinians in 1842 and named after Saint Thomas of Villanova. The university is the oldest Catholic university in Penns ...

, where he majored in

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries between ...

and minored in German. Croce received a Bachelor of Science in Social Studies degree in 1965. He was a member of 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 WXVU, known as Villanova University Radio, is a college radio station which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area via a 100-watt transmitter that covers an radius around the Villanova University campus. WXVU offers a variety of music, news, spor ...

Career

Early career

Croce did not take music seriously until he studied at Villanova, where he formed bands and performed at fraternity parties, coffeehouses, and universities around Philadelphia, playing "anything that the people wanted to hear: blues, rock, a cappella, 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. It includes all as ...

tour of Africa, the Middle East, and

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

. 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 party involving music in the United States. It is particularly associated with folk music. Etymology Placeholder Hootenanny is an Appalachian colloquialism that was used in the early twentieth century U.S. as a placeholder nam ...

, 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 he would give up music after the album failed, and use his college education to pursue a "respectable" profession. However, the album proved a success, with every copy sold.

1960s

Croce married Jacobson in 1966, and

converted to Judaism Conversion to Judaism ( he, גיור, ''giyur'') is the process by which non-Jews adopt the Jewish religion and become members of the Jewish ethnoreligious community. It thus resembles both conversion to other religions and naturalization. " ...

, as his wife was Jewish. He and Ingrid were married in a traditional Jewish ceremony. He enlisted in the Army National Guard in

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

that same year to avoid being drafted and deployed to

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

, and served on active duty for four months, leaving for duty a week after his honeymoon. Croce, who was not good with authority, had to go through basic training twice. He said 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 performed with his wife as a duo. At first, 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, née Fricker. They began performing together in 1959 (full-time in 1961), married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975. Hi ...

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960 ...

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 more ...

, and

Arlo Guthrie Arlo Davy Guthrie (born July 10, 1947) is an American folk singer-songwriter. He is known for singing songs of protest against social injustice, and storytelling while performing songs, following the tradition of his father, Woody Guthrie. Gu ...

, but in time they began writing their own music. During this time, Croce got his first long-term gig, at a suburban bar and

steakhouse A steakhouse, steak house, or chophouse refers to a restaurant that specializes in steaks and chops, found mainly in North America. Modern steakhouses may also carry other cuts of meat including poultry, roast prime rib, and veal, as well as ...

Lima, Pennsylvania Lima is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,735 at the 2010 census, down from 3,225 at the 2000 census. It is pronounced "LYE-m ...

, called The Riddle Paddock. His set list covered several genres, including blues, country, rock and roll, and folk. In 1968, the Croces were encouraged by record producer Tommy West to move to New York City. The couple spent time in the

Kingsbridge Kingsbridge is a market town and tourist hub in the South Hams district of Devon, England, with a population of 6,116 at the 2011 census. Two electoral wards bear the name of ''Kingsbridge'' (East & North). Their combined population at the ab ...

section of the Bronx and recorded their first album with Capitol Records. During the next two years, they drove more than , playing small clubs and concerts on the college concert circuit promoting their album '' Jim & Ingrid Croce''. Becoming disillusioned by the music business and New York City, 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), which was not enough money to live on. Croce was forced to take odd jobs such as driving trucks, construction work, and teaching guitar to pay the bills while continuing to write songs, often about the characters he would meet at the local bars and

truck stop A truck stop, known as a service station in the United Kingdom, and a travel center by major chains in the United States, is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest ( parking), and often ready-made food and other services to motor ...

s and his experiences at work; these provided the material for such songs as "Big Wheel" and " Workin' at the Car Wash Blues".

1970s

The Croces returned to Philadelphia and Croce decided to be "serious" about becoming a productive member of society. "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 to be "serious" led to a job at a Philadelphia R&B AM radio station,

WHAT What or WHAT may refer to: * What, an interrogative pronoun and adverb * "What?", one of the Five Ws used in journalism Film and television * ''What!'' (film) or ''The Whip and the Body'', a 1963 Italian film directed by Mario Bava * '' Wha ...

, where he 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

from

Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital city of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. It was the capital of the United States from November 1 to December 24, 1784.Glassboro State College Rowan University is a public research university in Glassboro, New Jersey, with a medical campus in Stratford and medical and academic campuses in Camden. It was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a site donated by 107 residents. ...

in New Jersey. Salviuolo 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. Typical ...

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 featured ...

in New York City. Croce at first backed Muehleisen on guitar, but gradually their roles reversed, with Muehleisen adding a lead guitar to Croce's music. When Jim Croce and Ingrid discovered they were going to have a child, 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 get a record deal. When their son Adrian James (A. J.) was born in September 1971, Ingrid became a stay-at-home mom while Jim went on the road to promote his music. In 1972, Croce signed a three-record contract with ABC Records, releasing two albums, ''

'' and '' Life and Times''. The singles "

", "

Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels) "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)" is a 1972 song written by Jim Croce. Croce's record was released on August 23, 1972. It was the second single released from Croce's album ''You Don't Mess Around with Jim''. It reached a peak of #17 on the ...

", and "

" all received airplay. Also that year, the Croce family moved to San Diego, California. Croce began appearing on television, including his national debut on '' American Bandstand'' on August 12, ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. The show has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2009 and 201 ...

'' on August 14, and ''

The Dick Cavett Show ''The Dick Cavett Show'' was 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, Tuesdays, We ...

'' on September 20 and 21. Croce began touring the United States with Muehleisen, performing in large coffee houses, 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,

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo (; ; french: Monte-Carlo , or colloquially ''Monte-Carl'' ; lij, Munte Carlu ; ) is officially an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco, specifically the ward of Monte Carlo/Spélugues, where the Monte Carlo Casino is ...

, Zurich and

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

and receiving positive reviews. Croce made television appearances on '' The Midnight Special,'' which he co-hosted on June 15, and ''The Helen Reddy Show'' on July 19. Croce's 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 show. The show was devised by BBC producer Rowan Ayers, commissioned by David Attenborough and aired on BBC2 from 1971 to 1988. ...

,'' where 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, he 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 which arrived after his death, Croce told her he had decided to quit music and stick to writing short stories and movie scripts as a career and withdraw from public life.

Death

On the night of Thursday, September 20, 1973, during Croce's ''Life and Times'' tour and the day before his ABC single " I Got a Name" was released, Croce and five others were killed when their chartered Beechcraft E18S crashed into a tree during takeoff from the Natchitoches Regional Airport in

Natchitoches, Louisiana Natchitoches ( ; french: link=no, Les Natchitoches) is a small city and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was name ...

. Croce was 30 years old. Others killed in the crash were pilot Robert N. Elliott, Croce's bandmate

, comedian George Stevens, manager and booking agent Kenneth D. Cortese, and road manager Dennis Rast. An hour before the crash, Croce had completed a concert at

Northwestern State University Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) is a public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the Univer ...

's Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches; he was flying to

Sherman, Texas Sherman is a U.S. city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas. The city's population in 2020 was 43,645. It is one of the two principal cities in the Sherman–Denison metropolitan statistical area, and it is part of the Texoma region ...

, for a concert at

Austin College Austin College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Sherman, Texas.NTSB 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 ...

named the probable cause as the pilot's failure to see the obstruction due to physical impairment and because fog reduced his vision. The 57-year-old Elliott suffered from severe coronary artery disease 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. A later investigation placed the sole blame on

pilot error Pilot error generally refers to an accident in which an action or decision made by the pilot was the cause or a contributing factor that led to the accident, but also includes the pilot's failure to make a correct decision or take proper a ...

because of his downwind takeoff into a "black hole" of severe darkness, limiting his use of visual references. Croce was buried at

Haym Salomon Haym Salomon (also Solomon; anglicized from Chaim Salomon; April 7, 1740 – January 6, 1785) was a Polish-born Jewish businessman and political financial broker who assisted the Superintendent of Finance, English-born Robert Morris, as the prim ...

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 Philadelphia ...

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 – material published after the author's death * ''Posthumous'' (album), by Warne Marsh, 1987 * ''Posthumous'' ...

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 A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify either generation, an official position, or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may be inserted between the f ...

, which had been used as the theme to the film ''

The Last American Hero ''The Last American Hero'' (also known as ''Hard Driver'') is a 1973 American sports drama film based on the true story of NASCAR driver Junior Johnson. Directed by Lamont Johnson (no relation), the film stars Jeff Bridges as Junior Jackson, a cha ...

'', which was released two months prior to his death. The album reached No. 2, and "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 gave 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 a 7", it became his second and final No. 1 hit. After the single had 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. A greatest hits album entitled '' Photographs & Memories'' was released in 1974. Later posthumous releases have included '' Home Recordings: Americana'', '' The Faces I've Been'', ''Jim Croce: Classic Hits'', ''

Down the Highway ''Down the Highway'' is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in 1980 on Lifesong Records as LS 8030. Track listing All tracks composed by Jim Croce; except where indicated #"I Got a Name (song), I Got a Name" ( ...

'', and DVD and CD releases of Croce's television performances, '' Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live''. 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 her ...

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

'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. Digressing from the progressive themes featured on ...

'' included the song "Bring Back That Leroy Brown", whose 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 and Jim had jokingly discussed over a decade earlier, in the historic

Gaslamp Quarter The Gaslamp Quarter is a 16½-block neighborhood in the downtown area of San Diego, California. It extends from Broadway to Harbor Drive, and from 4th to 6th Avenue. Listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places as ...

in downtown San Diego. She owned and managed it until it closed on December 31, 2013. In December 2013, she opened Croce's Park West on 5th Avenue in the Bankers Hill neighborhood near Balboa Park. She closed this restaurant in January 2016.

Discography

* ''

Facets A facet is a flat surface of a geometric shape, e.g., of a cut gemstone. Facet may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Facets'' (album), an album by Jim Croce * ''Facets'', a 1980 album by jazz pianist Monty Alexander and his tri ...

'' (1966) * '' Jim & Ingrid Croce'' (1969) * ''

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