A.J. Croce is the only son of singer Jim Croce, who sadly died in a plane crash in 1973. A.J. was a little under two years old at the time and even though he doesn’t remember much about his famous father, he aims to carry on his legacy with song.
Not only did A.J. lose his father at a young age, but he lost his sight temporarily at the age of four after abuse from his mother’s then-boyfriend. As a teenager, he lost his home in a house fire and several years ago he became a single father when his wife suddenly died.
A.J. Croce is carrying on his father’s legacy
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While he’s had his share of tragedies, he remains a positive outlook on life. A.J. said, “When we lose someone we love, whether it was my father, my wife, my sight, we can decide how we want to bring it into our life. Do we want to dwell on it? Do we want to find the best part of that person, that experience, and keep it with us?”
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While he doesn’t really remember his dad, he said he feels his presence. He shared, “You know, I have this memory of the warmth of embrace, you know? And while it’s not visual for me, it’s palpable.”
A.J. added that he uses music to deal with all of the bad parts of life. When he got a little older and started playing shows, many people wanted him to play his dad’s music. As a teenager, he said he wasn’t really interested. However, he said, “Then, I realized that he’s part of my life and I’m a part of his legacy. And I felt it was important at a certain age and at a certain maturity to embrace it.” Listen to A.J. performing his father’s music below:
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