Sept 20th in Pop History
On this day, September 20th, in:
• 1973 - The great Jim Croce, who was on the verge of superstardom, died at age 30 when his light plane crashed shortly after takeoff in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Sadly, his song Time in a Bottle (dealing with mortality and the desire to have more time to live life) would go on to the top of the charts. He was only the 3rd artist to have a posthumous # 1 record (along with Otis Redding and Janis Joplin).
Croce (1943–1973) was an American acoustic rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. During this period, Croce took a series of odd jobs to pay bills while he continued to write, record, and perform concerts. After he formed a partnership with songwriter and guitarist Maury Muehleisen, his fortunes turned in the early 1970s.
His breakthrough came in 1972 when his third album, You Don’t Mess Around with Jim, produced three charting singles, including Time in a Bottle, which reached # 1 after his death. The follow-up album, Life and Times, contained the song Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, which was the only # 1 hit he had during his lifetime.
On September 20, 1973, at the height of his popularity and the day before the lead single to his fifth album, I Got a Name, was released, Croce and five others died in that ill-fated plane trip. His music continued to chart throughout the 1970s following his death. Croce's wife, Ingrid Croce, was his early songwriting partner. She continued to write and record after his death and their son A.J. Croce became a singer-songwriter in the 1990s.
Jim Croce had so many really good songs that I hope haven’t been lost in time and forgotten. But then that’s why PopTimeMachine exists.
Check out Jim Croce on Spotify:
And continuing on Sept. 20th…
• 1969 - During a band meeting in London, John Lennon announced he was leaving the Beatles
• 1969 - Today was the day that Sugar, Sugar by the Archies first hit # 1, besting Honky Tonk Women by The Rolling Stones
On this day in…
• 1977 - Linda Ronstadt released her remake of the Buddy Holly classic It's So Easy
• 1986 - The Soundtrack to Top Gun took over the # 1 position on the Album chart from Madonna's True Blue
• 1997 - Jewel's masterpiece album Pieces of You was still in the Top 10 on this date after 82 weeks of release; in fact, it was moving back up to # 5
