A.J. Croce, son of music legend Jim Croce, will play an intimate show at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 12 in Reynolds Performance Hall, located on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.
Croce is a multi-instrumentalist, roots/rock artist known for his boogie-woogie piano-playing style. He has been touring and recording music for more than 25 years, has produced nine albums and has had 17 Top 20 singles. Croce has performed on major talk shows and national networks, including The Late Show, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, CNN, MTV and VH1. His music incorporates pop, blues, folk and jazz, and he has shared the stage with many artists, including James Brown, Lenny Kravitz, B.B. King and Willie Nelson.
Jim Croce was an influential folk/rock singer-songwriter known for timeless classics such as “Time in a Bottle,” “Operator” and “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.” He died in 1973 at age 30 in a plane crash. His son was almost 2 at the time. The younger Croce grew up to follow in his father’s footsteps and has become a successful singer-songwriter himself.
The Nashville-based musician released his new album “Just Like Medicine” in August 2017. The album features songs by A.J., as well as an unreleased track that was written by Jim Croce. The song, “Name of the Game,” also features country artist Vince Gill and was the last song written by Jim Croce before his death.
Croce will perform a special “Croce Plays Croce” show at UCA. His performance will feature some of his dad’s best-known songs, including “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim,” “One Less Set of Footsteps,” “I Got a Name” and “Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues.”
“AJ is an impressive musician with deep roots in the music industry,” said Amanda Horton, director of Reynolds Performance Hall. “I was fortunate to be able to hear him perform in Indianapolis at an Arts Midwest Conference, and I was enthralled with his musical talent and storytelling ability. If you are a Croce fan or just a fan of great classic soft rock, then you won’t want to miss this show.”
Tickets are $30-40 for adults and $10 for children and students. Tickets may be purchased online at uca.edu/Reynolds, at the Reynolds Box Office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or by calling UCA Ticket Central at (501) 450-3265 or toll-free at (866) 810-0012.
The UCA College of Fine Arts and Communication includes the Departments of Art, Music, Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing, as well as the School of Communication. The college’s primary mission is the preparation of the next generation of artists, educators and communicators. For more information about CFAC, visit uca.edu/cfac or call (501) 450-3293.
