WESTBURY, NY — The career of 1970s singer/songwriter Jim Croce was tragically cut short at the height of his popularity more than a half-century ago. A plane crash ended his life in 1973, but A.J. Croce has been working to maintain his dad’s legacy.
A.J. has been touring the country with his “Croce on Croce” performances, where the junior Croce showcases his versatility of musicianship from various genres. The majority of the show is a love letter to his father, known for such classics as “Operator,” “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” and “I Have to Say I Love You in a Song.” A.J. covers many of his father’s timeless classics.
“I avoided it my entire career,” Croce told Patch. “I started off real young, touring with Blues musicians [including B.B. King]. That turned into all of these great R&B artists like Ray Charles, Aretha [Franklin], Etta James and the Neville Brothers.”
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He also sat in with Country music legends Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.
But the more A.J. separates himself from his dad, the more he feels tied to him.
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“That was where the bulk of my father’s record collection lied,” he said.
Several years before Jim Croce became a superstar, he performed with his wife (A.J.’s mom) Ingrid at the Philadelphia Folk Festival in 1965. John Oates, of Hall and Oates, would see their set. Oates will join Croce on the UBS Arena stage on Dec. 6 at a unique version of the “Croce on Croce” concert.
As generations of families enjoy the music of Jim Croce, A.J. is blown away by outpouring from fans.
“It’s pretty unbelievable,” he said. “I’ll be honest; it’s overwhelming in some cases.”
What can also be overwhelming is A.J.’s touching rendition of his father’s”Time in a Bottle”: Written for A.J., his soon-to-be-born son, the posthumous number-one song is performed as an ode to his father.
“It was the hardest song emotionally for me to tackle, because it was for me,” A.J. Croce said. “It’s a powerful song.”
Watch the full “Patch Weekly Spotlight” with A.J. Croce below.
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