Thirty-seven Years Dead.

     I've had a really hard time choosing my dead person to explore (that sounds creepy).  Maybe I've been just putting too much thought into the next phase of the project, but I've finally found who I'd like to go with.  While slightly morbid, I knew that many interesting people have died in plane crashes, so I actually did a search on people who died in plane crashes prior to 1984.  The list was very long and I didn't know any of the names except for a handful of musicians.  Thats when I hit Jim Croce.  Recognizing the name I looked him up to confirm who I thought he was.  I can say honestly that all of that listening to oldies music as a kid is finally paying off.  Granted I don't know many of his lesser played songs, but singles like Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, You Don't Mess Around With Jim, Time in a Bottle, and Operator are still classics in my book.

     James Joseph Croce was born January 10, 1943 to Jim (Sr.) and Flora Croce in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.  His early career consisted mostly of playing at parties with a number of small bands until he met his wife and they performed together performing blues, country, rock and roll, and folk.


     In the 1970s Jim experienced most of his success when pianist/guitar player and singer /songwriter Maury Muehleisen backed him up playing lead guitar for his feel good, down to earth, all American music.


     At the age of thirty, Croce died in a plane crash on September 20, 1973 along with Muehleisen and several others.  He was flying on a commercial flight between concerts and just before his last single was released.


Quotes-


"If I had time in a bottle,
If words could make wishes come true,
I'd save everyday for eternity passes,
And then I would spend them with you."


"I was searching all the time for something that I'd never lost or left behind."


"I've overcome the blow, I've learned to take it well. I only wish my words could just convince myself that it just wasn't real. But that's not the way it feels."