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The saddest fate to befall an artist is to die in their prime. Such was the fate of Jim Croce.

A folk rock singer/songwriter who was active in the music industry from 1960-1973, Jim was the common everyday working man. He was a husband and father who worked a long series of blue collar jobs.

During what he would call his “character development period” he worked in construction and as a truck driver. It was while he was riding in the cab of his truck that he would compose songs about his buddies and different people he met at local bars and truck stops.

Whether it was his dry humor, gentle emotions or sorrow, Jim sang with a powerful and rare honesty. Few artists have ever matched his down-to-earth storytelling ability.

Born on January 10, 1943, James Croce pronounced (Crow-shee) would grow up on the sounds of ragtime and county music. He was taught to play the accordion and later taught himself to play the guitar.

It was in his freshman year at college that he became serious about music. While attending Villanova University, from which his graduated in 1965, he honed his talents as a member of the Villanova Singers, Villanova Spires and was a student disc jockey at station WXVU.

It was also during this time he met his future wife, Ingrid, while judging a dance contest at the Convention Hall of Philadelphia.

While playing gigs in local bars and parties and working as a teacher and in construction to support himself and his wife, Jim and Ingrid recorded their first album for Capital Records. They were living in New York City.

In 1969 with the failure of the album, Jim and Ingrid became disillusioned with the music business and New York City. They sold everything they owned, except for one guitar, and moved to a farm in the Pennsylvania countryside.

In 1970, Jim was introduced to Maury Muehleisen by his best friend Sal Joseph. Muehleisen was a classically trained pianist/guitarist, singer/songwriter. His ethereal guitar leads became the perfect accompaniment to Jim’s down-to-earth songs. Their combined musical strengths led them each to new heights.

Jim signed a three record deal with ABC Records in 1972. They released the albums, You Don’t Mess Around With Jim and Life & Times the same year. The singles “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim and “ Time in a Bottle”( written for his unborn son A.J. Croce) helped the album to reach #1 on the charts by 1974. But the single” Operator( That’s Not The Way It Feels)” would become his first breakthrough hit, shooting to number one on the Billboard charts in record time. It was quickly followed to the number one spot by the single, “ Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” from the album Life & Times. It would go on the sell over two million copies.

On September 20, 1973, just eight days after completing his third album for ABC Records, Jim , his band and all passengers died in a plane crash while leaving Natchitoches, Louisiana after a concert.

Investigators reported they were killed instantly when the plane failed to gain enough altitude to clear a pecan tree at the end of the runway. The investigation placed the sole blame for the crash on pilot error. It was later hinted that Robert Newton Elliott the charter pilot had a history of heart disease and may have suffered a heart attack.

The news of the premature deaths of Jim Croce and his band ironically sparked interest in his music and caused his career to peak. Albums released posthumously soared in sales and resulted in three gold records.

His music is still a staple of radio stations and receives significant airplay. Almost everyone can sing along with “ Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”.

The untimely death of Jim Croce at the age of 30 leaves us with a question. How far could his amazing talent have taken him if he had lived a few more years? While we may long ponder this question, it has no answer.

Jim Croce, Folk/Rock Singer/Songwriter and Storyteller.

1943-1973