After 50 years and more than 50 million records sold\, Jim Croce&rsquo\;s legacy as an iconic singer- songwriter is firmly cemented. A.J. Croce\, a Billboard charting singer\, songwriter\, multi instrumentalist\, and performer\, is once again bringing Jim&rsquo\;s classic songs to the stage &mdash\; and \; introducing his own new music along the way. After 10 studio albums and 30 years of touring \; the world establishing his own career\, in the early 2000&rsquo\;s\, A.J. taught himself guitar and several \; of his father&rsquo\;s (Jim&rsquo\;s) classics. The fan response from dropping in a song or two like &ldquo\;Operator&rdquo\; \; in his own show was astounding and deeply emotional. He then debuted a concert that \; celebrated the legacy of his father&rsquo\;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.&rsquo\;s &ldquo\;Croce Plays Croce&rdquo\; tour has \; sold out performing arts centers across America. In 2022\, in celebration of the 50th anniversary \; of Jim&rsquo\;s breakthrough album\, You Don&rsquo\;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. \; \;
\n\nOver 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 &mdash\; part New Orleans\, \; part juke joint\, part soul. From his 10 studio albums\, it&rsquo\;s clear that he holds an abiding love for \; all types of musical genres: Blues\, Soul\, Pop\, Jazz\, and Rock n&rsquo\; Roll. A virtuosic piano player\, \; \;
\n\nCroce 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 Bé\;la 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. \; \;
\n\nAfter many years of resisting numerous offers to perform Jim&rsquo\;s music\, A.J. began mixing a few \; of Jim&rsquo\;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. In 2022\, he released the single\, &ldquo\;So Much Fun\,&rdquo\; and the national television show\, \; CBS Sunday Morning\, featured a well-told story of A.J. and his father on Father&rsquo\;s Day. \; \;
\n\nOn the first &ldquo\;Croce plays Croce&rdquo\; tour\, A.J. discovered a fascinating phenomenon. &ldquo\;People often \; come in thinking the show will be a quiet\, nostalgic\, precious display of my father&rsquo\;s songs &ndash\; but \; it&rsquo\;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 &mdash\; and they \; leave not only with a new perspective on Jim\, but as fans of mine as well.&rdquo\; \; \;
\n\nThe two Jim Croce albums that turned 50 in 2023 were Life and Times\, originally released in \; January of 1973\, delivering Billboard&rsquo\;s Hot 100 #1 single\, &ldquo\;Bad\, Bad Leroy Brown\,&rdquo\; 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\, &ldquo\;I&rsquo\;ll Have to Say I \; Love You In A Song\,&rdquo\; and &ldquo\;Workin&rsquo\; At The Car Wash Blues.&rdquo\; 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&rsquo\; Roses). All three Jim Croce albums were released 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. Jim&rsquo\;s records continue to be \; incorporated into pop culture with unique film and television placements in Quentin Tarantino&rsquo\;s \; &ldquo\;Django Unchained\,&rdquo\; &ldquo\;Stranger Things\,&rdquo\; an Apple Siri commercial\, &ldquo\;Fast and Furious&rdquo\;\; and with \; &ldquo\;Time in a Bottle\,&rdquo\; in &ldquo\;X-Men: Days of Future Past.&rdquo\; \; \;
\n\nOver the past few years\, AJ&rsquo\;s &ldquo\;Croce Plays Croce&rdquo\; and &ldquo\;50th Anniversary&rdquo\; shows\, along with his \; &ldquo\;Jim Croce Birthday Bash&rdquo\; shows\, created renewed interest in Jim Croce and garnered praise for A.J: &ldquo\;I think they come as a Jim Croce fan but leave as fans of mine. That&rsquo\;s something that has also made this whole experience really amazing.&rdquo\; \; \;
\n LOCATION:The Music Hall UID:e.1659.76276 SEQUENCE:3 DTSTAMP:20260428T203002Z URL:https://calendar.goportsmouthnh.com/events/details/music-a-j-croce-heart-of-the-eternal-tour-76276 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR