A.J. Croce

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, is once again bringing Jim’s classic songs to the stage – 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’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.

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. In 2022, he released the 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.”

Over the past few years, AJ’s “Croce Plays Croce” and “50th Anniversary” shows, along with his “Jim Croce Birthday Bash” shows, created 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.”