Everyone THINKS the CHARACTER in THIS 1973 #1 Hit Is MADE UP--BUT He's 100% Real!-Professor of Rock
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- Опубликовано: 21 апр 2024
- He was a notorious figure who once ruled the mean streets of Chicago. Bad, Bad Leroy Brown was feared by many until a fateful encounter changed everything. But what's truly fascinating is that this larger-than-life character was no mere legend - he was actually a real person. Inspired by a friend of famous singer-songwriter Jim Croce, who died far too young. The story of Jim Croce’s classic 70s hit Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, the man all the women called “treetop lover,” and all men called “sir,” out of total fear is NEXT on Professor of Rock.
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#classicrock #70smusic #vinylstory #jimcroce
Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you remember getting up at the crack of dawn to watch Saturday morning cartoons You’re going to love this channel of deep musical nostalgia make sure to subside below right now. We also have a Patreon.
I often wonder how the career of Jim Croce would’ve evolved if he hadn’t been killed in that preventable plane crash when he was just 30 years old. There was so much left for Jim to do with his life.
His star was at its zenith at the time of his death, when “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” shot to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Just two months before the tragedy. Even with his career soaring, there is evidence that Jim wanted to either quit the record business, altogether, or take a long hiatus. After Jim’s death, his wife, Ingrid, received a letter Jim had written to her, postmarked just a few days before his death, indicating that his weariness with the hectic lifestyle of a popular musician had him contemplating a career change, one that allowed him to spend more time with his family. Jim’s letter ended with a tearjerking message to Ingrid: “Remember…it’s the first 60 years that count, and I’ve got 30 to go….I love you.” Wow, that is heartbreaking.
Jim may have shocked his fans & just called it quits, halting tours, record releases, promo appearances, and all the other chores that go with staying relevant as a professional musician. But, if he would’ve stay with it, even after taking a few years off to be with Ingrid and his son, A.J., Jim Croce, in just a few short years, was on a trajectory of becoming one of the most beloved, and influential artists of the Rock Era There were many qualities of Jim Croce that connected him so deeply with his fans. First and foremost, his songs were relatable. He had a gift of tapping into the beautiful simplicity of human experience and turning that experience into something special and powerful. Realism was the foundation of his lyrics. Nothing fancy… nothing pretentious or preachy. Jim Croce’s songs were honest, perceptive, and introspective:
There was a little bit of all of us in Jim Croce’s songs, that’s why they resonated so personally with us. Sometimes the songs were about what he was going through in his own life, and sometimes he would write about someone that he knew that made a strong impression on him. One of those characters was a man he met in the military, named Leroy Brown. Leroy Brown was a mountain of a man, that everyone in the regiment feared. You did NOT want to get on the wrong side of Leroy, or you would be in a world of hurt. When Jim went down to Fort Jackson in South Carolina, he met a fellow guardsmen he liked immediately. 
Развлечения
Poll: Who is your pick for the greatest singer songwriter of the 70s?
Dan Fogelberg
Browne
Croce
Drake
Fogelberg
Lightfoot
Joni Mitchell
Gordon Lightfoot
Freddie or Elton
I was at a 7th grade dance in 73, too soon after his death. "Time in a Bottle" was played and I asked a girl I was desperately crushed over to dance , and she accepted. I told her this is greatest love song ever written, as we danced we both started to cry in each others arms. I remember this moment fondly, and relive it every time this amazing song plays. Thank you, Jim and Professor!
What a beautiful memory. I can imagine how wonderful it is to look back at that special moment in your life.
I got my first radio job in 73 when I was 16 years old and Leroy Brown was in heavy rotation at the time it was always one of my favorites I was still living at home and I remember when my dad woke me up telling me Jim had been killed in a plane crash and for some reason it just struck me hard when I got to the station later that day the mood was a very somber one RIP Jim.
I miss Jim Croce. So talented. Such an engaging personality. His performances and stories were second to none. His talent is timeless.
One of the few times I cried when I heard a famous person died.
I was lucky enough to see him live. He told the story behind each and every song. In a 10,000 seat arena, it seemed like he was a friend chatting just with me. Everyone else felt the same way. What a talent! What a loss!
Such a GREAT personality.
And his guitar player died too.
Agreed!❤
I Was 12 Years Old When Jim Croce Passed Away In That Tragic Plane Crash, And I Remember Hearing About His Passing On The Nights News, Wherein My Father Said That He Loved His Song Time In A Bottle, Which Was Then, And Still Is Today My Favorite Jim Croce Song . . . 🙂
Rest In Peace Jim Croce, And Thank Your For Your Short, But Amazing, And Memorable Music, And Singing Career . . . :-)
Very good performer but a monster composer talent!! A tragic loss of life and of future compositions that would have still been standards of today yet would never be.
So many aviation disasters. Jim Croce, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Otis Redding, Randy Rhodes, Buddy Holly, Patsy Cline, John Denver, Stevie Ray Vaughn (helicopter)...
An interesting side note to the Lynyrd Skynyrd crash: Aerosmith had wanted to book the very same plane and its crew that Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed in. Aerosmith were going to hire the plane and crew two or three months prior to its crash but their agents tasked with checking over the plane and the crew got seriously bad vibes during their evaluation and the band changed their minds. Non-specific details about it being unsafe and very specific details about the crew passing around Jack Daniels whisky in flight were the source of their decision. Even some LS band members questioned the safety of the plane prior to boarding that fateful day. Apparently according to one tv documentary, lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt was determined to go on the plane no matter what. According to him, if it was his time to "go" (as in crash) it was his time. He did tell the others they could either get onboard or not, presumably without prejudice. I think everyone boarded...
I was sitting in my high school cafeteria when the announcement came over someone's transistor radio. Everyone got quiet. We were all in shock. Even after all these years, it still seems unreal.
RIP 🙏 Jim. Your music is still just as relevant today.
I discovered Jim Croce yrs ago when I was driving to Palm Springs on that lonely road to the Valley…”Operator” came on the radio and I was mesmerized.
He was a special talent taken too soon…
Love that story
I live up on Mt. San Jacinto, the hwy to Palm Springs is my view from my porch, the photo on my banner pic (you can see the famous wind turbines).
I love this place so much! Peter Gabriel even wrote a cool song about our mountain. Naturalist John Muir wrote of San Jacinto Peak, "The view from San Jacinto is the most sublime spectacle to be found anywhere on this earth!" It still is! Especially the stars at night.
@@LazyIRanch they could use your banner for area 51, even thought it isn't.
Jim really was a poet of the people.
He saw the story in the eyes and the lives of ordinary people - He will be forever remembered and loved for this.
yeh jim was a construction worker prine mailman regular working guys played music on the side unril finally able to full time
A very eloquent summary. Really well put.
@gulfgypsy I believe some of his songs were of his life's experience of a break up and heartache.
“Operator” is such a beautiful love song. It speaks to a person who is ready to let go of his love. Everyone who has lived can relate to the lyrics.
Love it , special!
(Few) wonder why there hasn't been a movie made about Maestro Croce. Because watching it would hurt too much
Operator is my favorite of his songs - gets me every time. I saw him play live maybe 3 times, and he was so modest and unassuming. Also, he told a lot of great stories. One, which explains the small guitar mentioned above, is that you never wear your guitar strap because you have to be able to run quickly and jump over the bar to get out of range if the patrons start throwing bottles. He'd worked in some tough joints!
I was in boot camp in Fort Polk, Louisiana. There was only one pay phone just off base attached to a pole. Soldiers would line up waiting their turn to call back home. The song ‘Operator’ was Croce putting to words what I felt when trying to make a call. I loved all of Jim’s music. He was one of my all time favorites. John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High song turned into my ‘freedom song’ celebrating the day I got out of the army. I learned to play all of Croce & Denver’s music. Years later, in 1995, I was working at NASA/Johnson Space Center. Our group had a private John Denver show. I got to meet and talk with him. June Lockhart was there too. She was such a nice lady. John was big on space. He wanted to fly on a shuttle. June Lockhart was one of the stars on Lost In Space. What a fun night that was.
Jim Croce's live acoustic version of Operator, with Maury Muehleisen (RIP to both) is just amazing. Such talent.
I'm sitting here with tears spilling down my face. Not just for the loss of such a talented man who was taken way too soon but also for my lost youth. They're both so interconnected.
Jim Croce is easily my all-time favorite songwriter/storyteller. Every line in every song has a strong attachment to a specific incident in my life. Some of those are really positive ("Yeah, I used to be a fighter but now I'm a wiser man"), some are funny times ("I spent all that night just tryin' to get right on an ounce of oregano") and some come from the darkest moments in my life ("hmm hmm hmm these dreams... they keep me going these days"). Peace be with ya Jim, thanks for the innumerable memories.
What a lovely tribute you wrote to this great man and musician! My favorite musicians helped me through some very dark times. John Prine is my #1 because his songs are so personal to me, and his humor reminds me to not be so dang serious! "It's a half an inch of water, but you think you're gonna drown!" is what I hear in my head when I'm having a pity party.
That's the way the world goes roooound!🎶
Jim's son AJ has carried on his legacy and tours all over! I just recently saw him put on a phenomenal concert called "Croce to Croce" where he sings a lot of his Dad's music! Sounds amazingly like his Dad! Hope you can maybe do a story on him, Professor!
My dad was a huge fan, and sadly he died just 6 months after Jim did - also way too young. Jim’s music has always made me feel closer to my dad who I still miss terribly after all these years
Several weeks ago was the 50th anniversary of dad’s passing and I visited the cemetery to have a moment
When I got in my truck to leave ‘I’ll Have To Say I Love You In A Song’ was playing
Still get chills thinking about it
WOw. Thank you for sharing. Made my day.
I'm so sorry that you lost your dad, especially at such a young age. I lost my dad in 1996, and I miss going to the cemetery where my parents are, now that I live 1500 miles away, so last week I looked it up on Google Earth and paid a "virtual visit".🥲
My mom's dad died when she was five, and her mom died when she was eleven. She and some of her siblings went to an orphanage, in 1932 at the height of the Depression! That saved their lives. It also taught them to be loving, compassionate, yet tough as nails.
Their dad was a Mason, and the home was operated by N. Texas Masonic lodge. They got an excellent education, and my uncle was semi-famous as a star running back football player in the 1930s orphanage team, called the Mighty Mites. There was a movie, "Twelve Mighty Orphans" made a few years ago about their incredible winning streak, starring Luke Wilson and Martin Sheen. My uncle Bill was one of those 12 mighty orphans, number 33. I found pics online of him with Coach Rusty Russell and the other team mates.
I haven't seen the movie, but I know that my uncle's character doesn't have any lines. I don't care, I'm still proud of Uncle Bill!
I also wanna slap a beeyotch when I hear some "christians" claim that the Masons are an evil cult. They have no idea of the good that organization has done for others. Nothing "evil" about it.
That's a wonderful memory. It's like he was letting you know he still loves you ❤
Hugs, hugs, hugs 🫂
Jim Croce was such a gift taken from us too soon. His sons story after Jim passed is devastating. His son is an incredibly strong and talented man.
Shame on his mom.
I think grief and having such a good and loving husband in Jim may have left her naive to abuse. I won't judge her.
I love A.J. and I'm glad he inherited his dad's voice and musical talent. I didn't know Jim was only 30 when he died, so young! I didn't have my son until I was 31 (and I still think I was too -young- dumb to get married at 31!)
I was a freshman at Lakewood High School (Ohio) in 73. Just weeks after Jim was killed, the students were called to the auditorium. Somebody, I don’t remember who, put together a beautiful tribute movie about his life, music and tragic death. I will always remember this and still enjoy his music to this day on siriusxm. Years ago after eating at Croce’s Restaurant in San Diego, I emailed Ingrid about the school tribute back in 1973. She responded back to me and thanked us for remembering Jim.
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for bringing back the memory!
Yes we have to thank that person!
@@tomconley2458Hey Tom Conley! Small world. I was class of 65 at Lakewood High. In ‘73 I headed out to San Francisco. I came back to Lakewood in ‘99. I remember that song. We all sang it in the bars when it came on the jukebox. You here in Lakewood still? Stay safe and be happy.
Gianni❤
@@gianni1646
Lakewood to Vermilion. Graduated VHS in 1977. Then the Military took me to California, then to Florida the past 40 years
Even though he was only here for a short time, it didn't take long for many of us to recognize greatness. One of the best writer/singers throughout time. Love the show as usual. Still wish I could have your job.
😢Jim Croce brings me such a bubbly joy and deep pangs of loss.
I sang Bad Bad Leroy Brown on stage when I was very little. I was with my dad at his band practice and somehow the guys found out I knew the song and they put me up there with a mic 🎤... I was only like 4 years old...
I don't have these memories... Just the memories of hearing the stories.
RockNRoll Soul 🎵🎸🎶😎🎵
That's adorable! What a great dad! I have a recording of my five-year old little niece singing a birthday song to her mommy that my brother wrote for her. That little girl is 35 now, and has a Masters in Theatre and is theatre director for a professional troupe. She sings very well now, but I love her sweet 5 year old voice, singing to "Mommy". OH! My heart!
@@LazyIRanch ❤❤❤❤❤
Awesome! Fun memory.
Operator is the saddest song ever written. She moved out to LA. With my best old ex friend Ray. A guy she said she knew well and sometimes hated. Ouch. Love Croce
It's right up there with Lightfoots lyric;
I don't know where we went wrong
But the feeling's gone and I just can't get it back
I remember the interview Jim did about the origin of Leroy Brown. I was not quite a teenager. I was listening to it with my dad. He chuckled and said some guys. Being from WW2 he couldn't comprehend going back for his paycheck.
In 1973, when Jim Croce died, I was 10 yrs old. He was already my favorite and remains so to this day at 61. I can sing every song on every record by heart, including the songs most casual fans have never heard. My most prized music possession is a copy of "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" the only record to come out during his lifetime. RIP Jim. Thank you for those great songs that have helped me through some tough days in the last 51 years.
1973
I was born in 1963 and I loved "You don't mess around with" since the first time I heard it, I have the theory that maybe that song triguered rap music haha, even though I don't like rap music too much.
I remember exactly where I was when I heard of his death. It was such a shock! I was in Jr. High (that's "middle school" to you younger folks).
We were in PE, in the gymnasium when a friend told me. The gym teacher hadn't shown up yet, but when she walked in wiping tears, we knew that she knew too. I was holding back my tears until I saw her face, then I couldn't hold back tears anymore.
I was 12 and adored Croce's music, I think we pretty much ALL did.
I swear every song he sang should have made the #1 awards.
Me too, I was 13.
Congrats to Foreigner for finally making it into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame! Long overdue!
Maybe Mick will write a check to Lou for the millions he screwed him out of.
@@TheRoadDawgI hope so. Mick is a jerk. Only plays the big city gigs and the band is just a cover band now.
I saw that and was very happy. WE did out part over here!
@@johnwinnard5589 I agree. It’s sad to hear Lou talk about it. I get that Mick wrote everything, but that delivery was key and Lou made them.
@@ProfessorofRock I believe we did! Thanks Professor!
I discovered Jim Croce when I was a young boy and my mum played his album. Time in a bottle was certainly one of my favourite songs of all time ❤
There's so many good ones.
My Bad, Bad Leroy Brown story:
So I am all of 4 years old (going on 5!) and the absolutely coolest song I have ever heard is all over the place. This bouncing piano shuffle is pouring out like smoke from bars, cars, bowling alleys, absolutely any place with a radio or a jukebox, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown is THE song in the summer of ‘73.
So when I start school that fall, of course I gotta sing this song, as loud as my tiny lungs can belt. Well, the Reverend’s wife Mrs. Copelin is my kindergarten teacher, and I soon found out that she didn’t necessarily share my love for Jim Croce’s hit song, or my performance when I added some extra stress to the word “DAMN!” every time I came to it…
As she grabbed me, imploring me not to keep swearing in her classroom, all I can remember saying is, “… but Mrs. Copelin, it’s on the RADIO!…”
I mean how bad could it be? 😊
We could all sing along with this one back in the day. Felt like a happy song even with the lyrics. Never knew it was a real person!
Me neither. I thought he was singing about Encyclopedia Brown!
@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 🤣I admit to not really paying too much attention to the lyrics back then
I am 67 now, and Jim Croce's album, "24 Karat Gold In A Bottle", released in 1994, is the one album I play more than anything. I lost all my other music, albums and cassette tapes from the 60s and 70s, in a bad divorce in the early "80"s. At the time, the only tape I had left that my ex didn't get was a greatest hit tape by Jim I found under the seat of my car.
I popped it in the cassette player of my old "76" Chevy Nova and the song, "Operator" (That's Not The Way It Feels) hit me like a rock. It got me because it reminded me of when I called my wife after she left to move in with my best old ex friend. We divorced 6 Months later, even though I tried to get her back, my heart was broken and to this day that time in my life has been one of the most pivotable moments, and Jim has become a part of it because of his song. Oh and talk about real life, other songs by him reverberated in me through the years.
Lost that tape, or I wore it out years ago. Yet one day I saw the CD I mentioned above, "24 Karat Gold In A Bottle", in a store and purchased it. Since then it has become my most played music while working in my garage and around the yard. Not a dud in the bunch. They all still move me. He is as great an artist to me today as he was the first day I heard him when I was stationed in Germany in the army in "73", and to this day he is my favorite performer of all, and there have been a lot from the golden years when I grew up.
Growing up in the "60"s and early "70"s, I was blessed with the greatest generation of music ever produced, and too this day I can relate t so many of them. Yet, Jim's seem to always be for me the most relatable as I look back at my life through the years.
Thanks Jim, your music will always be a part of my heart.
I was in Germany in 73' also. Wife of a G I. I had my son that summer. We eventually divorced and he is now dead, both are.
@@user-uz9rt4yk5h Sorry to hear that. I was stationed in Manhiem, in Sanhoven district on Coleman Barracks. Where was your husband stationed, and do you remember his MOS? Mine was 11D10R8
People don't always know Jim Croce by name, but they know the songs even to this day. I've always thought of him as a bit of an enigma in that way. Remembered yet forgotten. Appreciated yet underrated.
I heard about Croce's death when I was eating breakfast just before going to class my first semester of college. Don McLean's homage to the death of Buddy Holly hit me immediately. When I married & had children we played Croce often. My favorites? Time in a Bottle & Photographs & Memories. Most dated yet most poignant? Operator. Now I'll be humming Croce all day. The best of the best earworms.
Jim croce is one of my favorite singers. Thank you Adam for doing another episode on him.
You are welcome! Thanks Wayne!
@@ProfessorofRockMy friends and I sang along with every song at the top of our lungs. Such a loss 😢
This takes me back. My oldest brother got me hooked on Croce when I was 10yrs old. He has some great songs that weren’t hits:
One Less Set of Footsteps
Roller Derby Queen
RapidRoy that Stock Car Boy and many more
Rapid Roy!
"She was built like a refrigerator with a head" 😂😂😂 My kinda chick!
“The fans called her Tuffy but all her friends called her Spike”
The first contest I ever won was in 1981. The prize was Jim Croce's album 'You Don't Mess Around with Jim.' On it, my favorite song, "Time in A Bottle."
I was a 10 year old little girl and had NO idea of who Jim Croce was. I ended up falling in love with the songs. I had, and often played that album until 1991, when my college boyfriend became my ex, he stole it (amongst other albums) from me upon his departure.
If he's somehow here and reading this: Hey, Mike H., I still want my albums back!
Thanks for sharing!
We should start a campaign to find him and get them back for you!!!
Let’s call Liam Nisson. He possesses a very specific set of skills…
@@justinskullhead
Hahaha! That made me laugh SO much! That would be amazing... and hilarious! He took one of my journals too 🙄
Just look for the womanizing photographer with a massive ego who thinks he's Sailor Ripley from the movie "Wild at Heart." 😂
😂😂😂😂😂 We'll get it ALL back!!!! I'm keeping my eyes out for him!!
Hearing stories about all the future stars who would hang out at Jim’s Farmhouse always amazes me.
Operator always puts a little knot in my throat. Beautiful heartfelt song that I can relate to. Great episode, thank you Professor 👓
I have cried at the bar over that one
@@JackieSkellington yeah, it's a tough one, but it also gives you strength to pick up and just walk away. No matter what, never let'em see you cry, never...
@@omarvasquez445 "you can keep the dime"
@@JackieSkellington you've been so much more than kind...
His album was on my turntable when I got the news of his passing. It was a week before I could put the needle on it and 2 before it came off. It still breaks my heart he was taken so soon.
❤🎉
The Professor is our Bad Bad Leroy Brown! 😂
Yes Leroy Brown was a real person. Great tune from a great man.
RIP Jim Croce.
Thanks Professor!
Awesome start to the week.
Badess man in the whole damn town!
Except for the "mean" part. Adam doesn't have a mean bone in his body! I agree, he is badass though. He's one of those men who make me think, "I'm so glad he has children!" They have a wonderful dad, and HE had a wonderful dad! I love hearing him talk about how his father taught and inspired him. I had an amazing dad too. I'll miss him always.
@@LazyIRanch
🤣
I had no idea! I thought he was a book character.
In an episode of synchronicity I couldn’t believe, I was teaching my high school choir today about great vocalists and storytellers, and I introduced them to Jim Croce! “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “I Have to say I Love You,” “Working at the Car Wash Blues,” “Time in a Bottle,” and Bad Bad Leroy Brown.” Three minute gems of simplicity and sincerity.
Then I get my daily dose of POR and there he is!!
Thanks for the incredible timing, Prof!
Amazing! Tell your class hello!
I wish every high school choir had a teacher like you!
So many schools now are doing away with music and art classes, and it breaks my heart. Music classes were required from first grade to sixth when I was a child in the 60s, and as an elective in high school. Most of us continued taking music classes. I was in band, my BFF was in choir and had a fantastic teacher who taught them to love the Carpenters, and put together a fun public performance that featured Queen, James Taylor, Carole King and other great songwriters. I always regretted not joining choir instead of band. Our teacher was an A-hole who threw chairs over our heads in anger when we messed up. I quit because I was too scared of him, but everyone at our school loved the choir teacher. Even the ones who weren't his students.
You’re awesome Jeff! Teach them We are the World next.
"Time in a Bottle" had a whole new meaning for Croce's fans after he died, and that meaning became even deeper years later when my own husband died. Thanks for bringing back loving memories Adam.
In 1987, being born and raised in the northside of the city of Chicago, and I was fresh out of high school, I was able to get a job as security / setup at a DePaul University bar called The Beaumont bar (2020 N Halsted). I was 18 (and yes, you had to be 21 to work in a bar but I knew the owner!)
One day, I was walking in at the beginning of my shift (early evening) and one of the bouncers said 'hi' to me and then said 'come here, I want you to meet someone'. We walked up to a gentleman sitting at the bar. He was a black man, who was very large in stature, hunched over in his barstool a little, holding his beer and the bouncer said 'this is Leroy Brown, you know, 'Bad bad Leroy Brown'. The gentleman turned to me, with a very deep voice, and said 'how do you do'. He put out his hand to shake mine and I will say this: I have good sized hands, his engulfed mine.
I said 'nice to meet you' and went on my way. Looking back, I do not know if it was really him or not ($2 bet said it probably was) and if it were him, the older, wiser me of today can kick my younger self for not having a longer conversation.
If it wasn't him, it was a good memory of someone who we all thought was a Chicago legend, as well as a star in the music world.
I met him at Kingston Mines in the early 90's. Had to be the same guy!
My dad had a beautiful singing voice. He would sing "Time in a Bottle" to me when I was young. I still love that song, but "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" always made me smile.
Love that!
I wish I could hear his singing!
❤❤❤Jim Croce❤❤❤ Every song I've heard a song of his, I fell in love with!
I remember in the mid to late 70s when my best friend said he was listening to a guy called Jim Croce. We were both about 15/16 i guess. I said I'd never heard of him because he certainly wasn't a chart regular this side of the Pond. I was more into 10CC / Frampton/ Sweet and Slade eg. After my friend died, 16 years back, suddenly, in a motorbike accident, i started to listen to a lot more of Croce's records and the memory of my friend came flooding back Jim dying so young was a sad loss for music and Mike's death was a terrible loss for me and his young family.
Jim Croce was incredible.I had no idea Leroy Brown was based on a real guy. Then I think about it a little more and I'm not that surprised.
Makes me love the song even more!😍
@@LazyIRanch I think I've encountered a few "Leroy Brown's" in my time.
Wow! This was a great one, Professor!
I enjoy all of your videos/teachings, but this one really had me smiling.
Though so sad about Jim's way too early death, these stories were so amazing to hear from you.😊
The day Jim died was one of the first I remember directly impacting me as a kid. I was only 8 or 9, and when the news came over the radio, I was shocked and heartbroken. Yes, "LeRoy" was the "gateway" for me as a kid because of it's carefree and frivolous nature, but then discovering "Time In A Bottle", "I've Got A Name", "Operator" and all the others just made my appreciation grow all the deeper as I got older. To this day, I feel that old twinge in my chest when I hear Jim's voice, and think of what might have been.
I was 16 when Jim Croce died. I loved his music from the beginning and still have a lot of it. Whenever a song plays or somehow his name comes up I always get this kind of empty feeling from wondering what we've all missed out on due to his passing. It's like there's a void in the world that shouldn't be there that will never be filled and that it wasn't supposed to happen that way. But it did. it's weird because I'm not a very spiritual person and no one else in my lifetime has had an equivalent effect. It's hard to explain.
Thank you so much. You've been on fire lately! Great memories are being validated.
Thank you for sharing about my all time favorite artist, (he and John Denver still vie for #1 spot in my heart).
Much Respect!
The guitar playing arrangements of Jim Croce and Maury Muehleisen are so amazing for me, complex but amazing. The songs they play will make anyone stop at what they're doing and then listen.
I had a teacher in middle school who would have music day a couple of times a month where we would just sit in class with his guitar and we would all sing songs. Jim was one of the artists we would sing. I've loved his music from that time on. Great memories of singing in science class with an amazing teacher who introduced us all to singer song writers that were from the 60s and 70s in a way that made them seem cool.
Reminds me of my dear Mr. Mitchell, my history teacher in 10th grade. When he was teaching about the early 1900s Robber Barons, FDR, and the Great Depression, he brought his guitar in and taught us Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie songs. He turned me on to folk music so much, pretty soon I was mainlining Kingston Trio several times a week!
Mr. Mitchell was Lakota, and his mother was one of the organizers of the Wounded Knee protest in 1973, so I'm grateful he taught us about that too. First hand history from one who was there!
Sadly, today if a teacher in Texas taught like him they'd be fired! Gov. Abbott had legislation passed that makes any teaching about current events and the historical plight of minorities in the US illegal. That would be tragic, as he was the best history teacher I ever had, even in college.
Mr. Mitchell explained concepts like détente and NATO in ways we dumb stoned kids could grasp. Yeah, we smoked a lot of weed in HS! We were allowed to go outside and smoke cigarettes (even though it was illegal for under 18). I smoked with friends, but _never_ touched tobacco! Yuck!😵💫🥴
Great teachers are more about connection rather than teaching content. More succinctly the content is easier to teach after the connection has been made.
our hippy teacher let us play her records lunch break her husband sometimes would come and play guitar and sing croce wed all singalong 6th grade
Sounds like the type of teacher I would wanna have.
yeh probably our 6th grade teacher an artist and husband a singer both were teachers at our school to get a steady paycheck was a nice break from boring lessons
Thanks for covering Jim Croche. My wife and I have fond memories of his music and times with friends. Like you, I wonder how far he could have gone. I know in time he would have a select fan base. I am glad to know I would be among that number.
Thanks for watching!
I think about that too, all the great music that he would have written if he hadn't been taken from us so young. The whole world felt robbed when he was no longer with us.
PROFESSOR!! Thank you for such a cool video about Jim Croce! Yet, a huge and MEGA thank you for your genuine and heartfelt memory about your father! It was short but oh so powefu!!! It is akin to Croce's short but vibrant music career! Keep on Rocking and have a GREAT day! ❤👍🎶🎸
I can remember hearing Leroy Brown on the radio when I was 5, and the violence in the last verse unnerved me a bit at the time.
As I got older, I discovered I Got A Name and the hooks on that one really get to me.
I hadn’t even realized I knew all his songs. They had us sing Leroy Brown in choir when I was a kid in the 70s. My father listened to him a lot, had it on the record player every chance he could. Thank you for sparking the memories
Thanks so much, Professor. Out of all my favorite music artists in my childhood, Jim Croce had the biggest impact on me. I was devastated when he died. His music was a big part of getting me through some of my worst childhood experiences while also being a big part of my greatest joys. I love how his songs are like 3-4 minute short stories. I could see his stories play out in my mind while listening to his songs. His wife is on social media, and I was able to tell her how much his music meant to me. I wish you could do an interview with her. For now, I keep looking forward to your next Jim Croce episode.
I agree! He had a way of painting detailed pictures with his words. There's so many lyrics I love, and I still grin at "Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone!"😄
@LazyIRanch - I love that lyric. One of my all-time favorites.
I've Got A Name was one of the most poignant songs of the era.
Love that song
One of my favorites of his! Oddly enough, one of his hits he didn't write: it was written by Norman Gimbel and Charles Fox (who also wrote the Happy Days theme, among many other well-known songs).
September 1973 was a cruel month for rock music. On consecutive days we lost first Gram Parsons, then Jim Croce. The past 50+ years have been a reflection of their immense legacies.
I was about six and my friend and I loved Leroy Brown because it let us say damn and not get in trouble--but only when we were singing it!
Later, I came to truly appreciate Jim's music, but I will never forget being able to cuss for the first time without getting yelled at.
I know exactly what you mean!
I did not hesitate to say the word either.
You don't piss into the wind, you don't tug on Sly Stone's cape, and you don't mess around with Jim
Superman's cape. LOLOL
Spit in the wind
Frampton and Foreigner made it!!!
YAY!!
....whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatt!????? ...Prof. is gonna LOSE it! ..ha-HAAA!
In 1974 my father was in the Navy exchange stationed on Midway Island. He said one day he walked up to the counter and the man standing there was Jim Croce. My dad was a fan and knew Jim had been reported to be dead from a plane crash. My dad said he showed him his album and told him he was a big fan. He said he smiled and took the album and stared at it for a moment then told my dad his name wasn't Jim and handed it back. Dad said he filled the order of supplies for him as he stood there and when he was done dad said he started out the door then stopped and turned around and said, You know, sometimes those things a man believes may bring him the greatest happiness and joy turn out to be a curse and the only thing you can do is walk away. Then he smiled at my dad and walked out the door. Dad said he seen him once more on the island walking around then never seen him again.
I was born in 1966, so I was perfectly placed to love Jim Croce's music. We would go to restaurants that had jukebox's and I always picked a Croce song.
You are right, though...that his music spoke to me...even at that early age.
I have placed him as my favourite single artist, for years. My favourite band is Journey. So, I think I'm in good company with both those answers.
Thanks for this...and everythihg that you do on this channel. It's like walking down Memory Lane...every time we watch your videos. Much appreciated.
Your history of Jim Croce sparked all kinds of memories of his music throughout my own life and love of music. I remember listening to the music of Croce through my older sisters as we were growing up. I think of my sister Kathy who passed away in 2020. I think of the animated video of "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" from the Sonny and Cher show. In my mind, I thought it was actually Jim's video. Years ago, I made a mix CD for my (now ex) wife and I included both "I Just Called to Say I love You" and "Time in a Bottle." Now, I would say that "Time in a Bottle" reminds me more of our son who turns 20 years old in a month. A few years ago, I played in a band where we would cover "Bad Leroy Brown" and it was a lot of fun harmonizing in the chorus. Thanks again, for a great set of memories!
I had graduated High School the spring of 1973 and my future wife and I had just started dating about a month before the plane crash. I was working my first full time job the morning I heard the news. I can honestly say that no other artist has impacted my life like Jim Croce.
When I was about 8, in 1976, Some older kids in my neighborhood kind of scared me. I was always told "never talk to strangers". One day thes older kids started picking on me and asked me what my name was. At 8 years old, I was a fan of Jim Croce. I said "My name is Leroy, and I am meaner than a junkyard dog so don't mess with me". They didn't. Maybe because I was so cool, or probably because they knew my oldest brother. About 15 years later, one of these guys, now an adult, saw my and asked what my real name was. I said "LEROY BROWN!". His nickname was "Goober" so by then I knew what kind of clown I was dealing with. He said, "no seriously, I know you are Robert Hohensteins brother, what is your real name"? I said William. We had a great laugh. To this day, if I don't want someone to know my real name I tell them I am Leroy Brown, or Charlie Hoppe! (That's another story!
His best work “Operator” brings me back to my younger years… 🥺😢
“Something in my eyes, you know it happens every time “
Have always loved Jim Croce's music. He had many great songs; Photographs and Memories, Rapid Roy, One less set of footsteps..I could go on but you get the picture. Jim and Harry Chapin are at the top of my list of favorite (and often underrated) artists. Gone too early. Thanks for the video.
At 50 year's old I got married for the 3rd time after my husband had passed 5 year's earlier and the song that we chose as ours was Time in a Bottle. Jim Groce was a poet who put his poetry to music and I am Glad that he shared it with us. Thanx Jim and Professor.
I always loved "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" as a kid back in the 1970s. Such a great song with a hulluva awesome sing-along chorus.
Baddest man in the whole damn town!
I became a huge fan the summer of my 16th year. I was in charge of the nursery at our local garden and pet store (I also took care of the monkey and parrots). I’d listen to Jim Croce songs coming from the chopper shop next door. I distinctly recall exactly when and where I was on that fall day in 1973 when I got the news. He and his accompanist Maury M. We’re taken much too soon. Miss them still.
Damn right... thank you, Jim. He left us when I was in the 4th grade and my best friend and I cried. I will always wonder what we missed from this extremely talented, down to earth man. Thanks for remembering.
Always (since childhood) loved Jim Croce and all of his songs, and Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown is such a fun song. Thanks for this episode. Jim was one of the greats and he left us too soon. We’re so blessed to have the legacy of his music. Catch ya later, Adam!❤
One of my fondest musical memories is of this song.
In the mid 80s a bus load of Marines leaving Memphis for base after perhaps too much beer all singing this song with gusto still brings a smile to my face.
Jim Croce was revered in the Philly area, as he graduated from nearby Villanova University. He never got the “ Taylor Swift” obsession kinda treatment, as Philly doesn’t roll that way. His sudden death hit me hard as a teenager. So glad they used Jim’s “I got a Name” for the opening song in the movie “ Invincible “ about another unlikely Philadelphia hero Vince Papale. Both men exemplified what hard work , courage, and striving for excellence can accomplish. Loved this episode, Adam!!!You’re the best!!!
Rapid Roy was always one of my favorites as a kid - and Roller Derby Queen. As an adult I've come to appreciate all his work. They don't do story telling like that anymore
There you go again, making me tear up🥲 talking about you & your dad's music connection! 🎶 🎵🎸
Thank you for doing another video on one of the most underrated musicians of the 70's. I'm glad you finally came around to understand and like the music he created.
I had my first stereo back in the day after JC had passed away. It had a turntable and an 8-track player. I listened to Jim over and over again. He had captured our world in song. I can not imagine that period of my life without him. He was already gone but had made his mark, an indelible mark, upon my 14/15 year old world. 😊 Thank you for the trip down memory lane.
My brother 11 years older, loved Jim Croce. At age 6, I saw big brother tormented by the news on the radio of his death. Followed by weeks of the details. I heard the music all of my life but it really hit me in college listening to late night radio shows. My brother and I don’t speak anymore but I still have the music.
I’ve heard the resonance of so many musicians gone too soon. Too many to list, each having a place n my heart.
Love the show, keep rockin!
This episode really touched me. My best friend was named Leroy, while he was neither big or bad, this was his theme song. Sadly, he passed away 2 years ago. This brought a smile to my face, thank you. A couple of suggestions, if you haven't already featured them, are Starz and Angel, two bands form the 70s who should have been way bigger than they were but never seemed to catch on.
My mom made me listen to this song when I was a kid. Now it's one of my favorites. Everytime it pops on my playlist I just gotta sing along with it! Here lately I've also been listening to some of his other tracks as well.
I'm 41 & the music of Jim Croce holds a very special place in my heart it makes me remember weekend family get togethers & my uncle would play the songs on acoustic as we were all sitting around my older cousins would play various songs as well from bands like America & other 70's era classics. Even though I was only maybe 7 or 8 I will always be able to remember those summer Sunday afternoons like they were yesterday.
Really great artist with a crazy true life story. The guy never realized his fame that was coming. I discovered Jim in the summer of 75, I was a Rocker but Cat Stevens had already proven that good music, well conceived, sang, played and produced was viable to my ears. I had heard Jim and liked him, but after listening to his hits album all night while....having fun, I really appreciated his talents more . Great one Adam !
Jim Croce was an incredible singer/songwriter. A voice silenced far too soon.
My introduction to Bad Bad Leroy Brown was on the Sonny and Cher Show. It is one of the few vivid memories from my childhood.
Thanks for the video POR!
Professor you never disappoint me with your coverage of music and the artists behind it, I can relate to you on so many different levels, from watching early Saturday cartoons and fixing my cassette tapes with a pencil, I hit the thumbs up before I even listen, I appreciate your time and emotions you put into your work and I always say if you don’t love your work it’s time to move on
Man, what a great song. Love Croce.
I don't really have anything to add to the conversation, but I know the algorithm likes "engagement" and I like this channel a lot. So, I'm just dropping a comment as a show of support. Cheers!
Thanks!
Wow I was just thinking of the sad story of Jim Croce. I had heard about it many years ago. Thanks for the great timing!
I can still recall walking to school singing to myself "you don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind..."
I was 16 when I first heard and loved him, with every daughter (5) Croce’s fans increased , I am 67 years old, my daughters are all still diehard fans!
I had to chime in on this one. As an R&B enthusiast, I have to exalt Jim as one of the greatest songwriters of time. I was a kid living in Alexandria, LA. when his plane crashed a few cities away near Natchitoches. I didn’t know much about him as an artist except his music received just as much play and admiration as anyone else. As an adult, my favorite song came to be “New York’s Not My Home”. Talk about relatable…
I discovered Jim Croce as a kid back in the '70s because the local minor league hockey team used "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" as its fight song and we had the sheet music in the house. Been a fan ever since. I recently saw A.J. on his Croce Plays Croce tour. A.J. is a great musician in his own right and tells wonderful stories about his dad's songs and his own career.
First, you asked for a poll. Paul Simon is my favorite with Croce a close second.
I have as wondered what incredible stories/songs we missed from Jim. It's always a tragedy to lose someone who touched your heart and made you smile and always, sing along. Thank you for exploring songs and breaking them down. I ALWAYS sang/sing "piss into the wind." Gives an idea of the way my mind works. And my inability to hear actual lyrics lol.
I would like to add my encouragement to EddyGilley's suggestion, Harry Nilsson!
Thanks for sharing.
Been a favorite of mine since it came out when I was a kid. Never tired of it, when it comes on it's like hearing the story your funny old uncle tells over and over.
I still have Jim's Life And Times LP. I sang "Time in a Bottle" as a solo way back at Hughes Jr High in Bismarck ND. Our school mascot was the Husky so we were the Husky Singers, a swing choir. Anything Croce takes me back to simpler time in my life and the early-mid 70s. I can vaguely remember the Sonny and Cher Cartoon of this song. Thank you for this one. Stirred a lot of memories. ♫
Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown, and Don't mess around with Jim are my 2 favorite Jim Croce songs. I remember hearing Don't mess around with Jim once on Hunter. I always liked the song, and it just made the episode better for me when I heard it.
You do an outstanding job! Especially with songs that pre date you. Enjoy your videos very much
In my mid-twenties when JC died and hearing about the accident just stopped us in our tracks...so much good music/gone way too young. His son has carried on his legacy...sweet! AJ's traumatic early life and renewal is a story of its own...worth keeping for another day. ❤
I lived near Jim, he died my senior year of high school. I saw many tears when we got the news we all knew of him and loved his music.
The man had serious skills and knew the formula for writing fantastic songs !!
Love Croce. Just got in my car going to work . Turned on the radio and first then I hear is he's plane had crashed. I just cried. Went back in the house called work to tell them I wasn't coming in that day. Turned on my stereo and played his albums over and over until I went to that bed that night. Still love his music.
1973. 10 years old. Riding my bmx bike with a 9-volt transistor AM radio in my right hand. Leroy Brown blaring as I headed for the dirt trails. Good times.