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Remembering Jim Croce

Aired October 22, 2003 - 15:52   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thirty years after his tragic death -- hard to believe it's been 30 years -- the legacy of singer/songwriter Jim Croce lives on. His musical hits, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" among them, are part of rock 'n roll history, of course. So now Croce's widow and son are sharing his music and memories in a new DVD called "Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live."
Ingrid Croce -- Rock (ph) now -- and A.J. Croce join us live from San Diego, California. Good to have you both with us.

INGRID CROCE, WIDOW OF JIM CROCE: Thank you. Thanks for having us.

A.J. CROCE, SON OF JIM CROCE: Thank you very much.

O'BRIEN: Are you surprised at the enduring popularity, Ingrid, of Jim?

I. CROCE: I'm happy for the enduring popularity. I think that, you know, his music is classic. It reaches people of all ages and traditions. And it's American music.

O'BRIEN: It is a distinctly American voice.

A.J., I know that you have followed in your father's footsteps as a singer and a songwriter. What is it about his voice that is distinct to the American scene?

A. CROCE: Well, I think the one thing is his ability to tell a story and to make a hero out of a normal person. And you just don't see that too often these days.

O'BRIEN: And sadly, you were very young, of course, when your father passed away. And so in some sense, you have gotten to know your father the same way we all have.

A. CROCE: It's true. And especially in the last couple years, while we were putting these DVD and CD together, I had a chance to listen to him talk on these old home tapes. And really got to know him, not just as a musician, but as a person.

O'BRIEN: Ingrid, tell us about Jim Croce, incorporated, for lack of a better term. What's interesting to me is, when he died in '73, you guys didn't have two nickels to rub together. And it has continued to grow since then.

I. CROCE: Well -- well, it's been -- it's been a real journey. But right now we have Croce's restaurants and bars here in San Diego as a tribute to Jim. And, of course, the new release of the DVD and the new CD "Hometapes" is something that people can buy everywhere, but hopefully they'll also come and join us over at Croce's, and get the feeling of what it was like to be listening to live music and seeing Jim perform live. It's a wonderful experience.

O'BRIEN: What is it like, 30 years later, when people come up to you and just say, You know, I play these songs and they really touch me, and they sort of want to communicate that to you. It must be sad, very sad in a way, and it also must be joyful as well.

I. CROCE: It's truly heart-feeling because, you know, these are individuals who feel Jim Croce, too. And I can feel the connection when they come to me and tell me their story. It's like the story keeps continuing. It doesn't end.

O'BRIEN: So where does it go from here, A.J.? As the representative of the -- kind of the next generation. Do you see your father's legacy just continuing? Will future generations feel the same way?

A. CROCE: I think so.

You know, the home recordings are the first in a collection of home recordings which will be released. There's just an enormous amount of music that he recorded and never had a chance to share. And I think we have a chance to share it with the public. And I think we will.

O'BRIEN: All right. A.J. Croce, Ingrid Croce-Rock (ph), you've got the -- you've got the DVD; you've got the CD. And we didn't even mention the cookbook, which is something else that you've got going.

I. CROCE: Well, and we've a lot of new things to come. So keep your eyes and ears open.

O'BRIEN: "Thyme in a Bottle" it's called. You get the play on words there. And do you guys have any time for rest? I guess you're very busy, aren't you?

A. CROCE: Very busy.

I. CROCE: Enjoyably so.

O'BRIEN: Well, best to you all, and we appreciate you keeping his memory alive for all of us.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: All right. Take care. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired October 22, 2003 - 15:52   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Thirty years after his tragic death -- hard to believe it's been 30 years -- the legacy of singer/songwriter Jim Croce lives on. His musical hits, "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" among them, are part of rock 'n roll history, of course. So now Croce's widow and son are sharing his music and memories in a new DVD called "Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live."
Ingrid Croce -- Rock (ph) now -- and A.J. Croce join us live from San Diego, California. Good to have you both with us.

INGRID CROCE, WIDOW OF JIM CROCE: Thank you. Thanks for having us.

A.J. CROCE, SON OF JIM CROCE: Thank you very much.

O'BRIEN: Are you surprised at the enduring popularity, Ingrid, of Jim?

I. CROCE: I'm happy for the enduring popularity. I think that, you know, his music is classic. It reaches people of all ages and traditions. And it's American music.

O'BRIEN: It is a distinctly American voice.

A.J., I know that you have followed in your father's footsteps as a singer and a songwriter. What is it about his voice that is distinct to the American scene?

A. CROCE: Well, I think the one thing is his ability to tell a story and to make a hero out of a normal person. And you just don't see that too often these days.

O'BRIEN: And sadly, you were very young, of course, when your father passed away. And so in some sense, you have gotten to know your father the same way we all have.

A. CROCE: It's true. And especially in the last couple years, while we were putting these DVD and CD together, I had a chance to listen to him talk on these old home tapes. And really got to know him, not just as a musician, but as a person.

O'BRIEN: Ingrid, tell us about Jim Croce, incorporated, for lack of a better term. What's interesting to me is, when he died in '73, you guys didn't have two nickels to rub together. And it has continued to grow since then.

I. CROCE: Well -- well, it's been -- it's been a real journey. But right now we have Croce's restaurants and bars here in San Diego as a tribute to Jim. And, of course, the new release of the DVD and the new CD "Hometapes" is something that people can buy everywhere, but hopefully they'll also come and join us over at Croce's, and get the feeling of what it was like to be listening to live music and seeing Jim perform live. It's a wonderful experience.

O'BRIEN: What is it like, 30 years later, when people come up to you and just say, You know, I play these songs and they really touch me, and they sort of want to communicate that to you. It must be sad, very sad in a way, and it also must be joyful as well.

I. CROCE: It's truly heart-feeling because, you know, these are individuals who feel Jim Croce, too. And I can feel the connection when they come to me and tell me their story. It's like the story keeps continuing. It doesn't end.

O'BRIEN: So where does it go from here, A.J.? As the representative of the -- kind of the next generation. Do you see your father's legacy just continuing? Will future generations feel the same way?

A. CROCE: I think so.

You know, the home recordings are the first in a collection of home recordings which will be released. There's just an enormous amount of music that he recorded and never had a chance to share. And I think we have a chance to share it with the public. And I think we will.

O'BRIEN: All right. A.J. Croce, Ingrid Croce-Rock (ph), you've got the -- you've got the DVD; you've got the CD. And we didn't even mention the cookbook, which is something else that you've got going.

I. CROCE: Well, and we've a lot of new things to come. So keep your eyes and ears open.

O'BRIEN: "Thyme in a Bottle" it's called. You get the play on words there. And do you guys have any time for rest? I guess you're very busy, aren't you?

A. CROCE: Very busy.

I. CROCE: Enjoyably so.

O'BRIEN: Well, best to you all, and we appreciate you keeping his memory alive for all of us.

(CROSSTALK)

O'BRIEN: All right. Take care. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com