by Robert Wilkinson
January 10 was the 82nd birthday of one of the greatest singer-songwriters ever to entertain us with fantastic storytelling set to some very catchy tunes! Our early show is short and fantastic!
Jim Croce (January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973) died way too young at the peak of his career. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles, with 5 top ten hits, two of which went all the way to #1. At the top of his popularity, he was about to retire from music and write short stories and movies when he died in a plane crash in September 1973, along with his lead guitarist Maury Muehleisen and comedian George Stevens. For your enjoyment, the very catchy music of Jim Croce!
We’ll open with two of his more famous numbers delivered live on The Dick Cavett Show in Sept 1972. This is a great performance of “Operator” and “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim”
From Live at the BBC in 1973, a great live performance of one of his hits, “Lover’s Cross.” We’ll follow that with “Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues” From what looks to be the same gig, “Bad Bad Leroy Brown.”
The other clip from his 1973 show “Roller Derby Queen” has disappeared.
Live in 1973, “New York’s Not My Home”
From an early video performance, here’s “Speedball Tucker.”
From 1973 on the Helen Reddy television show, with Jim doing a little comedy between the tunes. “I Got A Name” and “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” (please forgive the obnoxious time clock!)
Here are the original studio versions of “I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song” and “Time in a Bottle”
Another great live performance from late in his career! “Lovers Cross”
A fantastic live performance from 1973! Jim Croce live in concert in Ireland (Set list: “Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy),” “Big Bad Leroy Brown,” “Operator,” “These Dreams,” “Speedball Tucker,” “You Don't Mess Around With Jim.”)
Here’s a great clip from just a few weeks before he died. Live at Royce Hall (UCLA) in August 1973, “I Got A Name” and “5 Short Minutes”
Live on The Midnight Special tv show in 1973, Jim cranking out his biggest hit “Bad Bad Leroy Brown”
Our closer comes from the Sept 15, 1973 Midnight Special tv show he guest hosted 5 days before he died. Here are three clips from that show! We begin with “Operator,” follow it with “Roller Derby Queen,”and close with “You Don’t Mess Around With Jim.”
Our first encore is a 53 minute compilation of his tv performances. Enjoy! Jim Croce Live in Concert
Our second encore is the last concert before he died. From September 20, 1973, a 45 minute show in Natchitoches, Louisiana at Northwestern State University. He really was talented. Jim Croce – The Final Concert
Here’s a great 45 minute biography of Behind the Music - Jim Croce
Here’s an hour and 9 of a posthumous tribute titled The Jim Croce Television Special – 1973
RIP, storytelling genius. We all loved you and your music.
© Copyright 2025 Robert Wilkinson
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