Folk Rock Singer, Songwriter. Born James Joseph Croce in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began his professional music career playing in bands while he was a student at Villanova University outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1964. He recorded and self-published his debut album, "Facets" (1966). In the late 1960s, Capitol Records signed him and his wife, Ingrid to a recording contract. Their one and only album, "Jim and Ingrid Croce" (1969) was considered a failure and Jim Croce returned to Philadelphia and worked for a time as a truck driver. He continued writing songs and was later signed as a solo artist by ABC Records. He had three highly successful albums with ABC such as: "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" (1972), "Life and Times" (1973) and "I Got A Name" (1973) and several hit singles including: "You Don't Mess Around With Jim," "Operator," "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," "I Got A Name," "Time In A Bottle" and "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song." His career came to a tragic end when he and his fellow musicians boarded a private plane in Louisiana to travel to perform a concert in Sherman, Texas. The plane crashed in Natchitoches, Louisiana shortly after takeoff, killing everyone on board. In 1990, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Folk Rock Singer, Songwriter. Born James Joseph Croce in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began his professional music career playing in bands while he was a student at Villanova University outside of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1964. He recorded and self-published his debut album, "Facets" (1966). In the late 1960s, Capitol Records signed him and his wife, Ingrid to a recording contract. Their one and only album, "Jim and Ingrid Croce" (1969) was considered a failure and Jim Croce returned to Philadelphia and worked for a time as a truck driver. He continued writing songs and was later signed as a solo artist by ABC Records. He had three highly successful albums with ABC such as: "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" (1972), "Life and Times" (1973) and "I Got A Name" (1973) and several hit singles including: "You Don't Mess Around With Jim," "Operator," "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," "I Got A Name," "Time In A Bottle" and "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song." His career came to a tragic end when he and his fellow musicians boarded a private plane in Louisiana to travel to perform a concert in Sherman, Texas. The plane crashed in Natchitoches, Louisiana shortly after takeoff, killing everyone on board. In 1990, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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JIM CROCE
1943–1973
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