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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZCROCE, Jim(b 10 Jan. '43, Philadelphia PA; d 20 Sep. '73, Natchitoches LA) Singer, songwriter, guitarist. Played accordion at age six; attended Villanova U, worked in bars and coffee houses in a duo from c'63 with his wife Ingrid (also lyricist, composer; b 27 April '47, Philadelphia). They made Jim And Ingrid Croce '69 on Capitol, which flopped (Another Day, Another Town '76 on Pickwick was probably a reissue); he went back to playing bars and driving a truck. He met Maury Muehleisen (b '49, Trenton NJ) and was invited to play backup on his tour to promote his Gingerbreadd '70 on Capitol; Muehleisen later became Coce's lead guitarist. Croce made a demo tape for Terry Cashman and Tommy West and signed with ABC: first LP You Don't Mess Around With Jim '72 went to no. 1, including a top ten title track, top 20 'Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)'. Life And Times '73 was no. 7, with no. 1 single ('Bad, Bad Leroy Brown'), I Got A Name went no. 1 a month after he and Muehleisen were killed in a plane crash. Posthumously, 'Time In A Bottle' from the first LP was a no. 1 hit, title track from the second album was no. 10, from the last LP 'I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song' no. 10 and 'Workin' At The Car Wash Blues' top 40. Compilation Photographs And Memories '74 was on ABC; West and Cashman issued two-disc The Faces I've Been '75 on their Lifesong label, in '77 reissued the other three, plus Time In A Bottle: Jim Croce's Greatest Love Songs '77 and Bad Bad Leroy Brown: Jim Croce's Greatest Character Songs '78. His songs and performances have not dated at all; his loss was a great one. Photographs And Memories, Time In A Bottle and Down The Highway were Atlantic CDs; two-CD Jim Croce/The Fiftieth Anniversary Collection on that label has 49 tracks, including the first three albums and more. |