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Billboard charting singer/songwriter A.J. Croce spoke to Bill about his special "Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour" in honor of the memory of his late, legendary father, hitmaker singer-songwriter, Jim Croce ("Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," "Time In A Bottle," "Operator," Tour Stops in Akron 11-11-23
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A.J. CROCE TO HONOR THE MEMORY OF HIS LEGENDARY FATHER JIM CROCE ON HIS "CROCE PLAYS CROCE 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR" KICKING OFF ON OCTOBER 27
This fall, Billboard charting singer/songwriter A.J. Croce will embark on a special "Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour" in honor of the memory of his late, legendary father, hitmaker singer-songwriter, Jim Croce ("Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," "Time In A Bottle," "Operator," "You Don't Mess Around With Jim"). Kicking off on October 27 in Springfield, Massachusetts, and continuing through December 14 in Lubbock, Texas, A.J. will perform in cities nationwide at performing arts centers and historic venues such as New York City's Town Hall and Detroit's Royal Oak Music Theatre. The tour will celebrate Jim Croce's legendary work, coinciding with the October 13 BMG release of the 3 CD or 3 LP compilation project, "THE DEFINITIVE CROCE," which includes the iconic albums "LIFE AND TIMES," "I GOT A NAME" and "YOU DON'T MESS AROUND." Tickets for the "Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour" are available now and can be purchased at www.ajcrocemusic.com.
On the "Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour," the gifted multi-instrumentalist will be backed by legendary band members Gary Mallaber (Van Morrison/Steve Miller Band), bassist/singer David Barard (Dr. John), and guitarist/violinist James Pennebaker (Delbert McClinton); and will be accompanied by background singers Jackie Wilson and Katrice Donaldson. The show will include a moving, multi-media experience in which A.J. will perform his own songs, in addition to tracks from Jim's mega-successful albums included in THE DEFINITIVE CROCE, which is being released this year for what would have been Jim's 80th birthday before his untimely passing. Says A.J., "We'll be playing songs representative from all three albums, and also some songs the audience might not know from more obscure artists that I realized connected me and my father. It was those songs that eventually led me to do this show in the first place."
Over the past three decades, A.J. Croce has established his reputation as a piano player and vocal stylist who pulls from a host of musical traditions and anti-heroes - part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul. From his 10 studio albums, it's clear that he holds an abiding love for all types of musical genres: blues, soul, pop, jazz, and rock n' roll. A virtuosic piano player, A.J toured with B.B. King and Ray Charles before reaching the age of 21, and over his career, he has performed with a wide range of legendary musicians, from Willie Nelson to the Neville Brothers, to Béla Fleck and Ry Cooder. A.J. has also co-written songs with such formidable tunesmiths as Leon Russell, Dan Penn, Robert Earl Keen, and multi-Grammy winner Gary Nicholson. His albums have all charted on an impressive array of charts: Top 40, blues, Americana, jazz, college and Radio 1. The Nashville-based singer/songwriter has landed 22 singles on a variety of Top 20 charts. His songwriting and style has evolved from jazz & blues on his debut and sophomore albums, to the roots-rock of the more recent collaborative recordings like "Cantos" with Ben Harper, "Twelve Tales" with Allen Toussaint, and "Just Like Medicine" with Vince Gill.
On the first "Croce plays Croce" tour, A.J. discovered a fascinating phenomenon. "People often come in thinking the show will be a quiet, nostalgic, precious display of my father's songs - but it's not precious at all," he says. "We give them an energetic, live show. The audience expects one thing, but by the time they leave, they realize they've experienced something completely different -- and they leave not only with a new perspective on Jim, but as fans of mine as well. That's something that has also made this whole experience really amazing."
Jim's music continues to be incorporated into pop culture even today with unique film and television placements in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," "Stranger Things," an Apple Siri commercial, "Fast and Furious;" and "Time in a Bottle," in "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
CROCE PLAYS CROCE 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR" DATES
October 27 - Springfield, MA - Aria Ballroom @ MGM Springfield
October 28 - Boston, MA - The Wilbur
October 30 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Center for the Arts
November 1 - Reading, PA - Santander Performing Arts Center
November 2 - Virginia Beach, VA - Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
November 4 - New York City, NY - The Town Hall
November 5 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theatre
November 7 - Rochester, NY - Kodak Center
November 8 - Munhall, PA - Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall
November 9 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
November 11 - Akron, OH - Goodyear Theater
November 12 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
November 15 - Des Moines, IA - Hoyt Sherman Place
November 16 - Wausau, WI - Grand Theater
November 17 - Minneapolis, MN - Pantages Theatre
November 25 - Jacksonville, FL - Florida Theatre
November 26 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Parker Playhouse
November 28 - Clearwater, FL - Capitol Theatre
November 29 - Melbourne, FL - King Center for the Performing Arts
November 30 - The Villages, FL - The Savannah Center
December 2 - Huntsville, AL - The Mars Music Hall
December 3 - St. Louis, MO - The Factory
December 5 - Midwest City, OK - Hudiburg Chevrolet Center
December 6 - Wichita, KS - The Cotillion
December 8 - Austin, TX - Paramount Theater
December 10 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center
December 11 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theater
December 12 - San Antonio, TX - Tobin Center For The Perf. Arts
December 14 - Lubbock, TX - The Buddy Holly Hall
*Additional tour dates to be announced (check www.ajcrocemusic.com).
ABOUT THE DEFINITIVE CROCE
BMG celebrates what would have been Jim Croce's 80th birthday and marks 50 years since his untimely passing with "The Definitive Croce," a collection of his unparalleled run of studio albums released in 1972 and 1973 - available as a limited 3LP (180-gram black vinyl) or 3CD set. Disc 1 is the 1972 studio album "You Don't Mess Around with Jim" which reached #1 and RIAA certified Gold®, featuring the #1 hit single "Time In A Bottle," plus the hits "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" and "Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels)." Disc 2 is the 1973 studio album "Life and Times," which reached the Top 10, RIAA certified Gold®, and features the RIAA certified Gold® #1 single "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," plus the hit "One Less Set Of Footsteps." Disc 3 is the final Jim Croce studio album "I Got A Name," released in 1973, which reached #2, is RIAA certified Gold®, and features the Top 10 Hits "I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song," and "I Got A Name" plus the Top 40 Hit "Workin' At The Car Wash Blues."
A.J. CROCE BIO
After 50 years and more than 50 million records sold, Jim Croce's legacy as an iconic singer/songwriter is firmly cemented. A.J. Croce, a Billboard charting singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and performer, returns this fall, bringing Jim's classic songs to the stage with his "Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour." After 10 studio albums and 30 years of touring the world establishing his own career, in the early 2000's, A.J. taught himself guitar and several of his father's (Jim's) classics. The fan response from dropping in a song or two like "Operator" in his own show was astounding and deeply emotional. He then debuted a concert that celebrated the legacy of his father's songs, stories and music; as well as his own. The show featured two generations of Croce music and many songs by other artists which connect father and son as performers. Throughout the past seven years, A.J.'s "Croce Plays Croce" tour has sold out performing arts centers across America. In 2022, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jim's breakthrough album, You Don't Mess Around With Jim, A.J. honored the memory of his father with a fall tour featuring a seven piece ensemble and a multimedia production.
A.J. is hitting the road again this year in celebration of two of Jim Croce's legendary albums, 1973's Life and Times, and his final release, I Got A Name; in addition to songs from You Don't Mess Around With Jim. The much-anticipated fall performances, "Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour," commences on October 27, coinciding with the October 13 release of The Definitive Croce collection, and includes performances at historic venues like New York City's Town Hall and Detroit's Royal Oak Music Theatre. The tour will continue over the next year from coast to coast. The "Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary" show features a legendary band including drummer Gary Mallaber (Van Morrison/Steve Miller Band), bassist/singer David Barard (Dr. John), and guitarist/violinist James Pennebaker (Delbert McClinton); accompanied by background singers Jackie Wilson and Katrice Donaldson. The shows will also feature a moving multi-media presentation and will include all of Jim's chart-topping hits, as well as many deep cuts.
Over the past three decades, A.J. Croce has established his reputation as a piano player and vocal stylist who pulls from a host of musical traditions and anti-heroes - part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul. From his 10 studio albums, it's clear that he holds an abiding love for all types of musical genres: Blues, Soul, Pop, Jazz, and Rock n' Roll. A virtuosic piano player, Croce toured with B.B. King and Ray Charles before reaching the age of 21, and over his career, he has performed with a wide range of musicians, from Willie Nelson to the Neville Brothers, to Béla Fleck and Ry Cooder. A.J. has also co-written songs with such formidable tunesmiths as Leon Russell, Dan Penn, Robert Earl Keen, and multi-Grammy winner Gary Nicholson. His albums have all charted on an impressive array of charts: Top 40, Blues, Americana, Jazz, College, and Radio 1. The Nashville-based singer/songwriter has landed 22 singles on a variety of Top 20 charts. His songwriting and style has evolved from Jazz & Blues on his debut and sophomore albums, to the roots-rock of the more recent collaborative recordings like Cantos with Ben Harper, Twelve Tales with Allen Toussaint, and Just Like Medicine with Vince Gill.
After many years of resisting numerous offers to perform Jim's music, A.J. began mixing a few of Jim's songs into his regular tour performances. The key to making it work was not simply covering the songs, but bringing his own style and flair to them, infusing a fresh, spontaneous excitement. Last year, he released his latest single, "So Much Fun," and the national television show, CBS Sunday Morning, featured a well-told story of A.J. and his father on Father's Day.
On the first "Croce plays Croce" tour, A.J. discovered a fascinating phenomenon. "People often come in thinking the show will be a quiet, nostalgic, precious display of my father's songs - but it's not precious at all. We give them a really energetic, live show. The audience expects one thing, but by the time they leave, they realize they got something completely different -- and they leave not only with a new perspective on Jim, but as fans of mine as well."
The two Jim Croce albums that turn 50 in 2023 are Life and Times, originally released in January of 1973, delivering Billboard's Hot 100 #1 single, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown," and I Got A Name, his final studio album with the title song being released a week after his tragic plane crash on September 20, 1973. The album also featured the smash hit ballad, "I'll Have to Say I Love You In A Song," and "Workin' At The Car Wash Blues." By December of 1973, both albums charted on Billboard at #1 and #2 on the album chart (a feat not repeated by an artist until the late 80s with Guns N' Roses). All three Jim Croce albums are being released this fall by BMG as a box set titled the aforementioned The Definitive Croce, as well as individually in a 50th Anniversary special edition vinyl, CD and Dolby Atmos format. The 50th Anniversary show will include songs from You Don't Mess Around With Jim, which spent 93 weeks on the charts. Jim's records continue to be incorporated into pop culture with unique film and television placements in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained," "Stranger Things," an Apple Siri commercial, "Fast and Furious"; and with "Time in a Bottle," in "X-Men: Days of Future Past."
The "Croce Plays Croce" shows have renewed interest in Jim Croce and garnered praise for A.J: "I think they come as a Jim Croce fan but leave as fans of mine. That's something that has also made this whole experience really amazing."