Singer and songwriter Jim Croce is remembered for beautiful guitar ballads like "Time In a Bottle" and, in contrast, his upbeat character-driven narratives like "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" that deftly combined folk, blues, and pop influences. Croce's brief but brilliant musical career was tragically cut short by his death in a plane accident in 1973.

Born to James Alford and Flora Croce in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Croce's interest in music got off to a slow start. He learned to play "Lady of Spain" on the accordion at the age of five, but didn't really take music seriously until his college years. He attended Villanova College in the early 1960s, where he formed various bands and played parties. One such band had the opportunity to do an Embassy tour of the Middle East and Africa on a foreign exchange program, which encouraged Croce to focus on his...