A. J. Croce
| A. J. Croce | |
|---|---|
Croce in 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Adrian James Croce |
| Born |
September 28, 1971 Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop, rock, blues, country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 1990–present |
| Labels | Private Music, Ruf, Compass |
| Website | www |
Adrian James "A.J." Croce (born September 28, 1971 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania) is an American singer-songwriter. He is the son of singer-songwriters Jim Croce and Ingrid Croce.
Croce's family moved west to San Diego, California shortly before his father's death in a 1973 plane crash, where he was raised by his mother, Ingrid Croce.
At the age of four, Croce was completely blinded as the result of physical abuse from his mother's boyfriend. Between the ages of four and ten, Croce gradually regained vision in his left eye. It was during this difficult time in Croce's life that he began to play the piano. "I learned to play music by listening and playing along to the radio and to records". Croce says, "At some point I was given the music of Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder as inspiration, which it was, and has been ever since."
Croce's first paying gig was at the age of 12, when he was paid $20 to perform at a Bar Mitzvah party. By the age of 16, Croce was performing regularly at San Diego nightclubs as a sideman and band leader. Croce reflected, "I was into every kind of music... you might say I was unfocused, but I consider an eclectic taste in music to be the foundation of versatility." His house burned down when he was 15.
Croce and his wife Marlo have two children, daughter Camille and son Elijah.
Ron Goldstein and Peter Bauman of Private Music signed Croce to his first recording contract at age 19. He recorded two albums for Private Music: his self-titled debut, A. J. Croce, produced by T-Bone Burnett and John Simon, and That's Me in the Bar, produced by Jim Keltner, and featuring artists such as Ry Cooder, David Hidalgo, and Keltner himself. Croce is also the owner/operator of his own record label, Seedling Records.
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