Who Are You? Episode 1

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Episode 1 of my podcast “Who Are You?” a podcast about underrated, deceased artists covers the artist Jim Croce. Jim Croce was an American folk singer, songwriter and performer born January 10, 1943, in Philadelphia, PA. In 1972, ABC Records signed with Croce and released his first solo album, You Don’t Mess Around With Jim. His other chart appearances include Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, Time in a Bottle, I’ll Have to Say I Love You in a Song, I Got a Name, and Operator (That’s Not the Way It Feels). In 1974, Croce won the American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist.

At the peak of his career and the day before the lead single to his fifth album, I Got a Name, was released, he and five passengers died in a plane crash on September 20, 1973. The plane hit a tree during takeoff in Natchitoches, LA. Just before the crash, Croce had finished a show at Northwestern State University’s Prather Coliseum; he was flying out to Sherman, TX for a concert at Austin College. The time following his death ABC released the song Time in a Bottle as a single as Croce’s unfortunate death gave its lyrics about passing and the wish for more time, a more profound impact.

In later years, his wife, Ingrid Croce, opened a couple of restaurants in his memory in San Diego. This was a dream the couple jokingly discussed pursuing. These restaurants have since closed, and Ingrid also published a memoir about Croce entitled I Got a Name: The Jim Croce Story. Croce’s music has appeared in several popular movies and television shows, such as Invincible; The Hangover Part II; Django Unchained; X-Men: Days of Future Past; Logan; Hobbs & Shaw; I Know This Much Is True; New Girl; Prodigal Son;  American Gods; Psych and Stranger Things.