by Nomad
Even though they may not have ever realized it at that time, on 20 September 1973, music lovers lost a rising star. Upon takeoff from an airport in
Natchitoches, La, the single-engine plane in which singer/songwriter
Jim Croce and five others were riding failed to gain altitude and crashed.
All aboard died.
At the time, Croce was well on his way to fame and fortune.
Tragically, his career was abruptly cut short.
Born in South Philly on 10 January 1943, Croce learned music at an early age. For most of his short life, he struggled to earn a living and music was not a dependable profession. In an interview he once said:
"I've had to get in and out of music a couple of times, because music didn't always mean a living. You don't make that much in bars; I still have memories of those nights, playing for $25 a night, with nobody listening."
