'We play what I would call soul music': Musician to play father's classic songs in Peoria

A.J. Croce is honoring his father's memory with a series of special performances.

Croce, an acclaimed singer and songwriter, is the son of Jim Croce , who was on the cusp of superstardom when he died in a plane crash in 1973 .

The Peoria Civic Center will be a stop on “ Croce Plays Croce 50th Anniversary Tour .”

“People in Peoria apparently wanted to see me and hear me, so I’m coming,” Croce said. “That’s the way all shows come about.”

As the tour’s name suggests, the July 19 performance will feature Jim Croce’s work and hits such as “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown,” “Time in a Bottle,” “Operator,” and “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim.” The tour coincides with the record company’s BMG’s release of a three-album compilation project “The Definitive Croce,” which will consist of the albums “Life and Times,” “I Got a Name,” and “You Don’t  Mess Around.”

“People often come in thinking the show will be a quiet, nostalgic, precious display of my father’s songs, but it’s not precious at all,” said Croce. “We give them an energetic, live show. The audience expects one thing, but by the time they leave, they realize they’ve experienced something completely different. And they leave not only with a new perspective on Jim, but as fans of mine as well. That’s something that has also made this whole experience really amazing.”

In three decades as a singer and songwriter, A.J. Croce has toured with Ray Charles and B.B. King before reaching the age of 21. He has also performed with artists such as Willie Nelson, the Neville Brothers and Bela Fleck in addition to co-writing songs with Leon Russell, Dan Penn, Robert Earl Keen, and multi-Grammy winner Gary Nicholson. He has produced 10 studio albums that were released via both major and independent record labels and has landed 22 singles on a variety of Top 20 charts.

“My father was an influence as a storyteller,” Croce said. “I think he had a gift of being able to make everyday characters that we might know into heroes.”

Croce’s ensemble for the tour includes drummer and percussionist Gary Mallaber, who has performed with Van Morrison and the Steve Miller Band; bassist and singer Dave Berard, who has played with Dr. John; and guitarist and violinist James Pennebaker, who has performed with Delbert McClinton.

“We play what I would call soul music,” said Croce. “It’s anything that has a heart to it, regardless of genre; whether it’s country or pop or rock and roll. If the person performing sincerely feels what they’re performing, then it’s soul music.”

More: Jim Croce died 50 years ago in Louisiana: Here's what happened on that fateful night

Tickets for Croce’s Peoria show are currently on sale at ajcrocemusic.com.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'We play what I would call soul music': Musician to play father's classic songs in Peoria