|
| A.J. Croce |
 |
biography
|
licensing
|
|
| |
Critical acclaim, international acceptance and artistic peer recognition have been widespread for 30 year-old singer/songwriter, A.J. Croce, practically from the moment he launched his professional career more than ten years ago. Croce consistently and effortlessly demonstrates the superlative musicianship and compositional brilliance that has become his highly regarded musical signature worldwide. It is the simplistic eloquence and emotional power of A.J. Croce's musical art that has cultivated broad-based and tremendously loyal followings not only in America's music communities, but those throughout Europe and Australia. Croce has performed on such national venues as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Today Show, Good Morning America, & Austin City Limits.
Adrian James Croce was born September 28th, 1971, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania--the only child in a family that included many professional musicians, most notably his father, singer/songwriter Jim Croce.
Shortly before his father's tragic death in a 1973 plane crash, A.J.'s family moved west to San Diego, California, where his mother, Ingrid, raised him.
Sadly, one tragedy was met with another, when, at the age of four, A.J. was completely blinded, as the result of a brain tumor.
Between the ages of four and ten, A.J. 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, as has been ever since."
Croce's first paying gig was at the age of 12, when he was paid the princely sum of $20 to perform at a Bat-Mitzvah party. By the age of 16, A.J. was performing regularly at San Diego nightclubs, as a sideman and band leader. Croce reflects, "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."
It was that eclectic versatility that would later prepare Croce as an opening act for such diverse artists as Santana, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, James Brown, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, and his earliest musical influence, Ray Charles. Ron Goldstein and Peter Bauman of Private Music signed A.J. to his first record deal at age 19. He would go on to record two cds for Private: 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 such musical legends as Ry Cooder, David Hidalgo, and, of course, Keltner himself.
Croce's third release, "Fit To Serve," was recorded in Memphis, & produced by Jim Gaines (Van Morrison, Santana, and The Steve Miller Band). It is at this point in his career that Croce takes a musical turn, with the release of Transit. He explains, "I had been playing blues-based music for a long time, and I was ready to try something new." Transit would go on to be compared to the best ever offered by John Lennon, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison. Glen Starkey of the respected publication, New Times, raved about Croce, labeling him "a song crafter of the first order." While CMJI, rated Transit "a must hear."
A.J. is currently about to release his highly anticipated fifth cd, Adrian James Croce, this Summer 2004.
Website: www.ajcroce.com
|
|
| |
|
|
|
