Yo!  I guess that's a real Philly greeting!  Hi, my name Steve Angelucci and I was Jim Croce's cousin and friend.  I appreciate being asked to do commentary on this tour and along with some other relatives will try to give you a glimpse into Jim's life.  Okay, so, let's go to South Philadelphia.
[The bus headed up Route 95, past the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]
We had an uncle who was in the Navy for about 30-35 years and he used to tell Jim a lot of stories. I think that part of the way Jim picked up his story-telling ability listening to all the characters that Uncle Sam had met along the way  both overseas and in the United States. He was a real salty type guy. In Ingrid's book she refers to him as Uncle Meat. The first time she met Jim and his family, Uncle Sam was there and Jim kept saying you gotta be careful of him  he's carrying a gun, which he wasn't of course.

We're heading north on Broad St. and approaching the Core States Spectrum. They just changed it to First Union Spectrum--so I suppose it can now be called the F.U. Spectrum.  Right next to it is Veteran Stadium where the Phillies play and the First Union Center where I guess the 76ers are playing or the Flyers. This is the sport center area of Philadelphia and we're just about to head up Broad Street, right into the heart of South Philadelphia.

This is the street where the Mummers Parade has been held every New Years Day for many, many years. When Jim and I were young, we went to a parade one year and saw a sad site when a drunken clown fell and cut his face and couldn't get up. I always thought that influenced him to say that reality is like going through a sewer in a glass bottom boat.

This is the area that a lot of entertainers have come from. In addition to Jim Croce, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, Buddy Greco, Mario Lanza, and Joey Bishop from the Rat Pack, among others, came from this area.
The Croce family was friends with Mario Lanza's family. His family was really named Cocozza.  Lanza was his mother's maiden name, which he took on.  His father was a barrel maker and Jim Croce's grandfather bought his wine making
equipment from him. He had it in the basement of his home for many years. My cousin John has it now. [Steve tells his cousin John to check for the Cocozza family name stamped on the side of the barrels]  As a child, Mario's mother cradled Jim in her arms, that's how close the families were.  Mario was older and was probably off to Hollywood when Jim was a kid, so whether they met or not, I don't know. He might have met Jim when Jim was just a baby.

This is the Methodist Hospital where Jim was born on January 10, 1943. Jim and his family lived a few blocks up from on Broad and Reed. I'll let you know when we go by there. It was a very chilly, windy day when  Jim was born. When his father got the word, he was with his best friend who was another uncle of mine, Uncle Vito Angelucci, from my Dad's side of the family. They both came rushing down Broad St., holding onto their Fedora hats and clutching their topcoats in the wind and rushing to the hospital to see the firstborn  a scrawny little guy with a big nose.
We're going to head further up Broad St. right now, and approach the Reed St. area.  Jim first lived in one of those row homes on our right. Look across the street. Mario Lanza is honored with a large mural on the side of the building up ahead. [We turned right onto Wharton St., crossing 13th.]

"There's a ball field there on the right called Columbus Sq. Playground. Jim's family moved when he was about four years old. There were a lot of family members in this area then. In later years, several individual Croce families moved to the Upper Darby area.
[We turned right on Wharton St. and left onto 11th St. heading north.  We ended up on Passyunk Ave., passing an old 50s style diner on the left.]
Pat's Steak's is on the  corner. Many, many famous people have eaten there. Bear left at Gino's Steaks. We're going to head up 9th St. through the Italian Market now. This is the street in the Rocky movie where Sylvester Stallone went jogging with all the kids behind him.
On Saturdays, when Jim was in college, he would often come down to this street and hang out and check out the characters. A lot of times he would come here with Tommy West who was Tom Picardo at the time. Sometimes he would come here with his friends Joe Salviuolo or Mike DiBenedetto or Tim Hauser who is now with ManhattanTransfer. They would just walk around, hang out and talk to people.

Cheri Oteri from Saturday Night Live has family from this area and does a bit about a woman who lives in this neighborhood. The Oteri's were also friends with the Croce family.

We've just passed Giordano's Corner Market. Look up at the side of the building coming up on the left and you'll see a full wall mural of Frank Rizzo who was the police chief and then mayor of Philadelphia when Jim was growing up. He was quite a figure in this town. Obviously, he and Mario Lanza were thought of quite well to be remembered in such a way.  We'll have to try to a get a mural of Jim along here somewhere.

[We turned left onto Christian St. and then right off Christian onto Broad St. heading toward Center City.]

City Hall is straight ahead with William Penn on top. He was the founder of
Pennsylvania . Unfortunately, we're looking at his ass from here. That building has been featured in a lot of movies, including Twelve Monkeys which was filmed in Philadelphia. It was also in the movie Fallen with Denzel Washington, in which I  had a role as an extra.

We are just about in Center City, as the natives say, coming up to Broad and Walnut Streets where we will see the Walk of Fame. Jim has a plaque in the sidewalk. He was inducted into the Walk of Fame in the early 80s. There was an event at the Philadelphia Academy of Music – the First Annual Philadelphia Music Awards. It was hosted by Frankie Avalon and they did a special presentation for Jim. A number of artists performed, including Janis Ian and David Bromberg and Jessie Colin Young. They then showed some film footage of Jim and presented the award posthumously.

On the left is the Philadelphia Academy of Music where a lot of great performers have performed over the years. The Walk of Fame actually starts in this area with plaques dedicated to individual artists. We'll head up to Walnut St. right up by the Italian Bistro and that's where Jim's plaque is located, most appropriately. Dick Clark's plaque is right next to Jim's.
[This was our first stop and we checked out Jim's plaque]

Right across the street to our left is the former Belview Stratford Hotel.  It's a very historic, luxurious hotel, which had the dubious distinction of being the place where Legioneers Disease was discovered.  The hotel has since changed it name.

The Drake Hotel is also located here in Center City. It was the scene of a Press Party in early 1971 for Maury Muehleisen and the Gingerbreadd album. We all had a great time. Maury performed and Jim performed. At that time Jim was Maury's backup guitarist. Maury was introduced by Joe Salviuolo, who was one of Jim's best friends and also Maury's former teacher at Glassboro State College. Maury and Joe both left Glassboro at the same time and went on to become a professional musician and a professional manager respectively. Sal was Maury's manager.
All the press was there from all around Philadelphia, promoting the Gingerbreadd album. One of the great promotional items they gave out was a jigsaw puzzle of the cover of the album. I have it, but I'm missing one piece, unfortunately.

We kind of hung around after the party and at about 2 a.m. a bunch of us (Jim, Maury, and myself) when outside to the street corner and stood there singing God Bless America.We got a few strange looks from people walking by.

[We turned right at around City Hall, going around it and turned turned left onto 15th St. and crossed over Market. Then we turned right onto Walnut.  We approached 20thstreet.]

On the left is Rittenhouse Square, a famous urban park. A lot of the members of the Beat Generation used to hang out there and recite poetry and a lot of hippies ended up hanging out there. Jim would often eat his lunch at Rittenhouse Square when he was in Center City. There used to be a lot of coffee houses in this area. There was the 2nd Fret
on Sanson Street just a block or so over and another one called the Gilded Cage which kind of faced Rittenhouse Square. Jim used to perform there. This is kind of an interesting area here in Center City.

On your right you'll see the Irish Pub.  It used to be an elegant Italian restaurant called DaVinci's, owned by friends of the Croce family. The restaurant had a lot of paintings and artwork and statues. Whenever Jim had a few extra bucks in his pocket, he would dine there. That was a very nice restaurant.

Let's head across West Philadelphia toward Upper Darby where Jim grew up.
Jim had his first exposure on national television on the Mike Douglas Show when he was performing as a musician behind Cashman, Pistilli & West. At that time Jim was living in New York City with Ingrid and was trying to make it with Ingrid as a duo. He and John Stockfish, who was Gordon Lightfoot's former bass player from Toronto, were also backing up Cashman, Pistilli & West. They all came back to Philadelphia and performed on the show.

Now we are in the University of Pennsylvania area. One of the things Jim always wanted to do when his schedule slowed down was to possibly get a Masters Degree in Folklore. They have quite an extensive Folklore Department.  Two of Jim's friends who he knew through Joe Salviuolo taught in that department.  One was Kenny Goldstein and the other was Henry Glassie.  Henry did the artwork for the cover of the Gingerbreadd album. As far as I know, Henry might still be here.

[The group asked Steve a few questions, including what was Jim's major in college,whether Jim had a brother, and details on the plane crash.]

In college, Jim majored basically in social studies and psychology. I've heard a few different things, but I do remember social studies was one.  He used to say that taking those courses prepared him totally for life in the 12th century.

We are now in the Penn area up around 37th St. He performed here with a special offshoot of the Glee Club at Villanova. It was called the Spires.  They performed at the various campuses in the Philadelphia area and were led by Tom Picardo (Tommy West) as their director. They often played at Penn and a couple of blocks over at Drexel.  They got to know this area fairly well. Eventually the Spires won a national competition at Rosemont College and started to become very well known (They were also known as the Coventry Lads)

We're passing West Philadelphia high school where I'm told Jeanette McDonald graduated and perhaps Bill Cosby. This is the area (West Philadelphia) where David Brenner is from.

Yes, Jim has a brother, Richie, who lives in the Orlando area.  He originally moved from this area to Pompano Beach, FL and then lived for a number of years in Asheville, NC.  The last I heard, he is living in the Orlando area.  He has two sons who are probably in their late 20s right now.  He started his own business, stripping furniture.

Jim was not a Jr.  He and his father had the same first name, but their middle names were different. They called Jim's father a manufacturer's representative, but essentially he owned his own small company called the Associated Steam Specialty Company (or the Ass Company). It was located at 8th and Race for a number of years and then moved to Drexel Hill.  He sold steam fittings to commercial establishments.

A little bit of Jim Croce trivia. Jim's father's middle name is not Albert as stated in Ingrid's book,  it's Alford.  Also (for the sake of accuracy), when Jim was in college, he won a tour sponsored by the State Department and travelled through the Middle East in 1964, not 1965, as mentioned in the notes to The Faces I've Been album and the Thyme In A Bottle cookbook.  Maybe that could be changed on the website.  Also, I checked the Croce restaurant website last night and it said that Jim died on September 29, 1973.  We all know that the date was September 20 and the 25th anniversary is tomorrow.  It also said that he, Maury, and three other people on tour were killed.  Actually four others (a total of six) died in that crash.

I'll try to remember the rest of the names of the people who were also killed with Jim and Maury and maybe someone can help me out. The road manager was Dennis Rast, who used the stage name of, I think it was Morgan Tell. There was a comedian, I think it was George Stevens. The pilot was Robert Elliott. The publicist, I
can't remember  I'll have to read my book.  Oh yes, Kenneth Cortese.

The pilot was 57 years old. He was called at the last minute to leave. Jim wanted to leave right away. They were supposed to stay over. The pilot could not get a cab. Dennis Rast (Morgan) called him and told him Jim wanted to leave. He couldn't get a cab to the airport and he ended up jogging or running three miles to the airport. He was 57 and had severe coronary artery disease. Whether this played a factor, I don't know. There were also other factors involved. The trees were overgrown at the end of the runway. And, I recently read one of the official reports, a coroner's report  he said he spoke with someone at the FCC who said that the pilot had a habit of dragging his take-offs and he would not get altitude right away. So, all those things in combination, and rushing to get out of there, might have played a factor.

Interestingly enough, I also went into the police reports and they had a stakeout that night, a drug stakeout. All along the route that the pilot took, they saw him running along and trying to get to the airport. They radioed ahead about a suspicious looking guy running. They kept a watch on him, but they didn't offer him a ride until he just about finally got to the airport.  Then they picked him up. He said he was a pilot and they didn't believe him. They thought they'd get to the airport and there would be no plane and no passengers. When they got him there, they were surprised to see that he actually was a pilot.

 [At this point we turned right onto the Cobb's Creek Parkway in the 62nd St block.]

After leaving, the Chief of Police was in his car driving to a restaurant and he was radioing to the other police units, saying things like, You know, I'd never fly with this guy. He's really suspicious looking. He looked very nervous. We'd never fly with him.  And, before they arrived at their destination, they heard that the plane had crashed.

We're continuing on back to Market Street to leave Philadelphia and head on up into Upper Darby. This is the area in which Jim grew up. We are approaching 69th St., which is the big shopping district. As kids, Jim and I and some other friends and cousins would head up and down this street just to the left. As we go by from here, you
can see a tower sticking up,  that's the Tower Theatre famed for a number of rock concerts held there each year.  It was a movie theater when we were kids.  To the right is the 69th St. Terminal where all the subways and els [elevated trains] come in from Philly.  To the left is the big shopping district. Jim had relatives who worked along this street. His Uncle Carmen worked up the hill at Gimbels.

There's a ballroom we're passing on our left that was a roller skating rink and dance ballroom.  Disc jockey Jerry Blavatt had a lot of dances there. I'm sure Jim popped in there now and then because this was very well known as a rock and roll dance venue.

[We turned left toward the Upper Darby Township City Hall – actually going up to that building and making a right along its right side on to Garrett Rd.]

We just passed the car dealership where Jim's grandfather used to work. We'll head on up here and park and do a little walking tour.
[First we drove past the Patriot Cleaners on Sherbrooke Blvd and turning onto Ecole Ave. We pulled into a school parking lot.]
Jim went to this school when it was Upper Darby Junior High School.  It's now Beverly Hills High School. He went here from 7th through 9th grade. We'll drive down here a little to get closer to his actual home and the actual streets in his
neighborhood . . . This is Jim's house.  Its the one featured in the home movies shown on the recent TV specials.  Most of that footage was shot in the living room, with the dining room in the background.
 [Jim's house was at 295 Sanford Road near the corner of Sanford and Madeira,
catty-corner from a little park.  With Steve doing commentary, we walked through this neighborhood to the Elementary School where Jim attended grammar school. We proceeded around the school yard to the right and then right again and saw Jim's grandmother's house at 343 Huntley Rd.  Then we walked back to Garrett Road, where Jim's Uncle Al and Uncle Joe owned a grocery store.  Another aunt and uncle (Evelyn and Alfio) lived upstairs over the store.  We checked out Jim's various youthful hangouts.  We completed the walking tour by passing 397 Bayard Rd, where Steve Angelucci grew up--just around the corner from Jim's house. We continued our bus tour by heading west on Garrett Rd.]

Other than two days ago, when we did a dry run of this with the folks from www.jimcrocefans.com, I hadn't been back here for many years. As kids, we thought it was so cool that Jimmy lived on Sanford Rd. because at the time the Phillies had a star pitcher named Jack Sanford who won 19 games one year.  And Richie was a great name for his brother because Richie Ashburn was a star of the Phillies at that time. So, you know, we thought that was cool.  This is the school we attended, the first building, Bywood Elementary School  built in 1926.

This big lot used to be a golf course and Jim and Rich and I used to play in there and we had to go across a creek.  I fell in a couple of times.  On the right hand side was what was Upper Darby Park. Now they've changed the name to Naylor's Run. We used to hang out there and have picnics.

We're heading up toward Upper Darby High School and that will be our next stop. In the meantime, on the right hand side of the road, beyond these trees are Monsignor Bonner High School and Archbishop Prendergast High School,  where several of Jim's cousins went to school. Mike DiBenedetto [Jim's friend] was in the Class of  '61.

Jim graduated from Upper Darby and also Todd Rundgren, who went there a few years after Jim.
[As pulled into the parking lot, the VCR tape is playing "Working at the Car Wash Blues" and ironically enough, there is a group of teenagers running a car wash in the lot of this high school].

This high school created a Wall of Fame and Jim was the first inductee. We'll try to get in to see it close up.
[Phyllis and Steve manage to get someone to let us into the school.]
There was a special dedication ceremony. Tommy West and Mike DiBenedetto attended. The plaque reads as follows:

The Class of 1960; Birth 1943; Death in light plane crash 1973; Singer/Composer of Bad, Bad Leroy Brown, You Don't Mess Around With Jim, I Got a Name, New York's Not My Home, and other Million Record Hits in a blend of Folk, Blues and Pop. He sang realistically about the young working class of middle America. The Upper Darby Chapter of D.E.CA. proudly inducts Jim Croce, the Man, the Legend, as the first member of the Wall of Fame.  "He touched the hearts of many people" 1976.

 It was during his high school, college and beyond college years when he really got involved musically.
[We headed out toward Drexel Hill, a section of Upper Darby Township.]

We are approaching Shadeland Avenue, where a couple of our tour participants live [cheers].  We're passing the Drexelbrook Club, where some of theCroce's have had wedding receptions.  Dick Clark use to live in the adjoining apartments.  We are turning onto Burmont Road in this upscale area of Upper Darby. Now we're turning onto Alexander Road and approaching Anderson Avenue.
Jim's house is midway on the left (1114 Anderson Ave.) and you'll see a big difference between this house and the last house in Upper Darby, indicative of  how well Jim's father was doing in the business world. It has a for sale sign
in the front yard.  He commuted to college during this time, calling himself a "dayhop" because he would go back and forth. This is the house where, on weekends, Jim would congregate with a lot of his friends like Tom Picardo (Tommy West), Tim Hauser, Mike DiBenedetto and a lot of people from school. They'd come here on Sundays and and play music. This is the house where there were many arguments between Jim and his father about his future plans for a career in music. His parents just wanted him to get a good little job and have a little house and come home every night and sit on the porch and relax. "Don't be a bum, Jimmy. You'll be a bum if you're a musician. Get a good job." Probably like most parents would say.

Next, we'll head to the cemetery and visit the gravesite. Right now we're on a road called Township Line Road (Route1). It turns into City Line Avenue if we kept going straight, which would go right up to the television studios of WPVI-TV. We'll now take Route 30 West through Wayne, Devon and Paoli.
In 1972,  Maury and Jim went up to that studio and they waited for a record promoter named Matty Humdinger Singer. Matty picked them up and took them down to Atlantic City to be on the "Summertime on the Pier" TV Show from the Steel Pier. It was just after the "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" single came out. Along the way, Matty kept stopping and he'd say "I have to make a phone call."  He'd leave Jim and Maury in the car and then he'd get back in the car. What he was doing was every five minutes stopping and calling radio stations. He knew all the disc jockeys and he'd say, "Do me a favor " play "You Don't Mess Around With Jim"."  So, all the way down to the shore Jim and Maury were shocked. You know, the record just came out and it's getting all this tremendous airplay. Then, they made it to the show at the Golden Dome Ballroom (formerly known as the Marine Ballroom where a lot of very famous people had performed) at the end of the Steel Pier.

They used to have a dance show there. Ed Hurst was one of the disc jockeys and at that time his partner was George Michael. George Michael now has a show called George Michael's Sports Machine. He was known as "King George Michael" and he was on WFIL radio and had one of the most popular shows in the country at that time. Matty Singer had tried to get him to play the "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" record and George Michael said (and I'm quoting Matty), "I wouldn't play that God damned piece of shit if you paid me."  They went to the show, Summertime on the Pier and Ed Hurst had Jim and Maury perform that song and they got a standing ovation.  Everyone was applauding and the place was going wild.  Marty Singer went up to George Michael and said, "How about now? Are you going to play that record?" and George just smiled and shook his head, no.  After that, that record became one of the biggest records in
the country.  And so now he has a sports show.

I  went to a job with Jim and Maury to Salem College in Salem, West Virginia. We spent three or four days down there. Jim and I stayed in one dorm room and Maury was in the room next door because he would sleep late. It was great. We toured and played on the campus. I was sort of like the unofficial road manager. The very next week, we went up to New York to Hunter College, where Maury performed. We also went then to The Bitter End where Maury opened for Janis Ian.

Maury co-wrote a song with Kenny Loggins. It was a really great song called "Fever Dream."  I think Kenny recorded it on an album, but I think I have a good recording of it with Maury doing it. I always remember him doing that song. It was great.

 [We traveled west on Lancaster Avenue now at the Paoli, Newtown Square, Valley Forge intersection. This is still 30 West just past Devon, Pa.]

We are just now entering Haym Salomon Community Park and Mausoleum in Frazer.  The cemetary director told me to mention that the family wants no pictures to be taken.

Insert from awtom - (For the sake of the Croce's family privacy, we were told not to take pictures at Jim's grave. I can tell you this though, it was an overwhelming experience
standing there at the grave. What was a time of sharing stories and laughter, turned to silence and tears. It put the day into perspective.) Back to Steve....

[After a dinner break at the King of Prussia Mall, one of the largest malls in the country, we headed toward Villanova University.]

We're now heading past Malvern.  Jim had to go to school here, Malvern Prep, for one year to get his grades up before he could attend Villanova.

We're approaching Villanova University and that is Dougherty Hall on our left. This is the building where the radio station was where Jim had a radio program along with Mike DiBenedetto. They inherited the program from Tommy West and Tim Hauser. It was a folk music show on Sunday nights. We'll probably check out the radio station and settle into the East Lounge, where Mike DiBenedetto will give a concert.

Another interesting thing that is happening tonight down at the shore in Atlantic City is the Miss America Contest. This past week there was a picture of one of the contestants singing "Operator" into a cell phone as part of her talent competition. Maybe that could get onto the website. I saved the paper.

Jim and Mike DiBenedetto and some other people they went to school with used to cut class and go to the dorm room of Don McLean and jam. They had a pretty good musical thing going. Don also sent a statement into the website.