Ingrid Croce

Last updated • 5 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Ingrid Croce
Birth nameIngrid Jacobson
Born (1947-04-27) April 27, 1947 (age 77)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, restaurateur
Years active1966–1984
Labels Capitol/EMI, Croce Music Group
Website www.ingridcroceart.com

Ingrid Croce (née Jacobson, born April 27, 1947) is an American author, singer-songwriter, and restaurateur. Between 1964 and 1971, Ingrid performed as a duo with her husband, Jim Croce, releasing the album Jim & Ingrid Croce in 1969.

Contents

Biography

Early life

Ingrid Jacobson was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in a Jewish family that consisted of her parents, Shirley and Sidney, and twin sister, Phyllis. When Ingrid was eight years old, she worked at her grandmother's dress store in South Philadelphia as a helper snd seamstress. Shirley played piano on a local television show that was titled The Magic Lady. Ingrid learned to cook with her, and started singing in local clubs and on television by the time she was 10. Sidney was a general practitioner, with his medical office in their home in West Philadelphia. In 1952, when Ingrid was five years old, [1] her parents divorced, and Ingrid was moved from school to school. [2] By the age of 15, she was employed as the junior art therapist, assisting her father at the University of Pennsylvania, where he did his residency for his psychiatric practice. When Ingrid was 16 years old, her mother died at the age of 36 due to breast cancer and a weak heart. Ingrid left high school and gymnastics, and moved to her father's home in the suburbs. Ingrid and Phyllis attended several high schools after their mother's death, and eventually graduated from Nether Providence High School in 1965. Ingrid attended the Rhode Island School of Design and Moore College of Art, and travelled to Mexico in her senior year when Ingrid won a fellowship to study painting and pottery in San Miguel de Allende. [3]

With Jim Croce

On November 29, 1963, when she was 16 years old, Ingrid met her future husband, Jim Croce, at the Philadelphia Convention Hall and Civic Center; Jim was a judge for an upcoming hootenanny that Ingrid had been auditioning to be a contestant for a role with The Rum Runners. [4] Three years later, they got married in a Jewish wedding.

When Jim and Ingrid Croce discovered they were going to have a child, Jim became more determined to make music his profession. He sent a cassette of his new songs to a friend and producer in New York City, in the hope that he could get a record deal. When their son, Adrian James (A. J.), was born on September 28, 1971, Ingrid became a housewife, while Jim traveled to promote his music.

On September 20, 1973, a week before A. J.'s second birthday, and just as Jim Croce's songs were topping the music charts, Jim died in a plane crash in Natchitoches, Louisiana. [5] After Jim died, Ingrid and A.J. spent time in Quepos, Costa Rica. [6] After they moved to San Diego, she developed a Head Start program for Costa Rica, opened a children's school in Point Loma, and wrote a children's book, Mirandome. When A. J. was almost four years old, he was temporarily blinded by serious physical abuse by Ingrid's boyfriend. [7]

In the early 1970s, Ingrid led the movement to revamp the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego. [8]

From 1977 to 1981, Ingrid was the vice-consul of Costa Rica in San Diego. She wrote and sang songs, completed two solo albums, and started the publishing company Time in a Bottle. She sat on the board of the Woman's Bank and traveled to Israel, where A. J. took his rites of passage. In 1983, Ingrid became a dedicated runner and finished the Stockholm Marathon, taking third place in her category. [9]

In 1984, while on the road promoting her albums, Ingrid lost her voice because of tumors on her vocal cords. Two operations failed to restore her voice, ending Ingrid's singing career. [2] [10]

Restaurant business

In 1985, at the suggestion of a friend, Ingrid opened a restaurant, Blinchiki, in Hillcrest, San Diego. The restaurant lasted less than a year. [10]

In 1985, Ingrid opened Croce's, and in 1987, she expanded it to include a jazz bar after obtaining a liquor license. That same day, Ingrid's house burned down. [10]

In the late 1980s, Ingrid became a board member of the California Restaurant Association, San Diego County Chapter, and the San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. [11]

In 2004, Ingrid launched San Diego Restaurant Week to improve the dining scene in San Diego. Twice per year, the event draws 250,000 guests to 150 participating restaurants. [8]

In 2014, Ingrid moved the restaurant to Bankers Hill, San Diego, and renamed it Croce's Park West. The restaurant had dining, bar, and terrace areas, and a large room at the back for live music. The restaurant closed two years later. [12]

Publications

In 1996, Ingrid wrote Thyme in a Bottle, an autobiographical cookbook with memories and recipes from Croce's Restaurant. [13] When the book sold out, guests to her restaurant and website were encouraging, and Ingrid re-issued the book in 1998 through her own publishing company, Avalanche Records and Books.

In 2003, 30 years after Jim Croce's death, Ingrid and A. J. Croce released the DVD Have You Heard Jim Croce Live, with an album of the same name, in addition to the albums Jim Croce, Home Recordings, Americana, and Facets (Jim Croce's first album from 1966). [14] [15] KPBS broadcast the documentary The Legacy of Jim Croce, which featured commentary by Ingrid and A. J., and included segments from the DVD. [16]

In 2004, Ingrid published Time in a Bottle, [17] a photographic memoir of Jim Croce's songs, accompanying lyrics, and her favorite photos, compiled in collaboration with her husband, Jim Rock, and Deborah Ogburn.

Awards and honors

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Croce</span> American singer-songwriter (1943–1973)

James Joseph Croce was an American folk and rock singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, he released five studio albums and numerous singles. During this period, Croce took a series of odd jobs to pay bills while he continued to write, record and perform concerts. After Croce formed a partnership with songwriter and guitarist Maury Muehleisen in the early 1970s, his fortunes turned. Croce's breakthrough came in 1972, when his third album, You Don't Mess Around with Jim, produced three charting singles, including "Time in a Bottle", which reached No. 1 after Croce died. The follow-up album Life and Times included the song "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown", Croce's only No. 1 hit during his lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. Croce</span> American singer-songwriter (born 1971)

Adrian James "A.J." Croce is an American singer-songwriter. His parents are Ingrid Croce and Jim Croce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pechanga Arena</span> Arena in San Diego, California, United States

Pechanga Arena is an indoor arena in San Diego, California. The arena is home of the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL), San Diego Seals of the National Lacrosse League (NLL), and the San Diego Strike Force of the Indoor Football League (IFL).

<i>Simon & Simon</i> American TV series

Simon & Simon is an American crime drama television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981, to September 16, 1989. The series was broadcast on CBS, and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two disparate brothers who operate a two-person detective agency in San Diego, California.

City Heights is a dense urban community in central San Diego, California, known for its ethnic diversity. The area was previously known as East San Diego. City Heights is located south of Mission Valley and northeast of Balboa Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time in a Bottle</span> 1973 single by Jim Croce

"Time in a Bottle" is a song by singer-songwriter Jim Croce. He wrote the lyrics after his wife Ingrid told him she was pregnant in December 1970. It appeared on Croce's 1972 ABC debut album You Don't Mess Around with Jim and was featured in the 1973 ABC made-for-television movie She Lives! After he was killed in a plane crash in September 1973, the song was aired frequently on radio, and demand for a single release built. The single of "Time in a Bottle" became Croce's second and final track to reach number one in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cathy Richardson</span> American singer, songwriter, actress

Catherine E. Richardson is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and narrator from the Chicago suburbs in Illinois. She is the lead singer for the band Jefferson Starship and her own Cathy Richardson Band, and has performed the Janis Joplin parts for Joplin's former band Big Brother and the Holding Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song</span> 1974 single by Jim Croce

"I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" is the title of a posthumously released single by the American singer-songwriter Jim Croce. The song was written by Croce and was originally released on his album I Got a Name.

Reiko Obata is a Japanese-American koto performer and composer, based in Southern California, United States.

Thomas Picardo Jr., known professionally as Tommy West, was an American record producer and singer-songwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues)</span> 1974 single by Three Dog Night

Play Something Sweet (Brickyard Blues) is a composition by New Orleans rhythm and blues icon Allen Toussaint which in 1974 became a Top 40 hit for Three Dog Night.

<i>Home Recordings: Americana</i> 2003 compilation album by Jim Croce

Home Recordings: Americana is an album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in 2003. This album is a compilation of unreleased tracks and demos. This compilation was the first new material of Jim Croce's work released since 1973. The album also contains liner notes written by Croce's son A.J. Croce and his wife Ingrid Croce. The material was recorded in 1967 at his Pennsylvania kitchen table on an old Wollensak reel-to-reel tape recorder.

<i>Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live</i> 2006 live album by Jim Croce

Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live is a live album by American singer-songwriter Jim Croce, released in 2006, over thirty years after his death. The album is a companion to a DVD released in 2003 of Jim Croce's performances. The recordings were taken from different television programs that Croce appeared on. Two of the tracks on the DVD, "Time in a Bottle" and "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" were cut from the CD release because they were not live performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Croce discography</span> Cataloging of published recordings by Jim Croce

Jim Croce was an American singer-songwriter with five studio albums and 12 singles to his credit. His posthumously-released fifth studio album was completed just prior to his 1973 death, and seven singles were also posthumously issued, one of which was "Time in a Bottle" from a previous album You Don't Mess Around with Jim. His popularity continued long after his death with the release of numerous compilation albums and "new" material being portioned out sporadically over the years. Three live albums, as well as a live DVD, have also been published.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Hoyt</span> American director

Matthew Hoyt was an American music video and film director, voice actor, writer, and musician best known for music videos of the bands Pinback, The Blackheart Procession, Goblin Cock and co-owning the San Diego restaurant and bar Starlite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martha Longenecker</span>

Martha Longenecker was an American artist, Professor of art, and founder of the Mingei International Museum in San Diego, California.

Shep Meyers was an American pianist, composer, arranger, and conductor. He was born in Passaic, New Jersey, and raised in Fair Lawn. who lived in San Diego, California from 1977. He recorded with Ella Fitzgerald and many others. He accompanied singer Julie London for seven nights a week as well as jazz vocalists Anita O'Day, Billy Daniels, Peggy Lee, and Eleonor England. He served as conductor for the bands of comedians Lenny Bruce, Steve Allen, Redd Foxx, Henny Youngman, and Johnny Carson during his residency at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas. He has played with Woody Herman, Coleman Hawkins, Art Pepper, Conte Candoli, and Don Joham. He died of a stroke on July 18, 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margaret Noble (artist)</span> American conceptual artist (born 1972)

Margaret Noble is an American conceptual artist, sound artist, installation artist, teacher and electronic music composer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">María Fernández de Tinoco</span> Costa Rican writer and amateur archaeologist

María Fernández de Tinoco was a Costa Rican writer and amateur archaeologist who became the First Lady of Costa Rica in 1917. Educated in England, Fernández studied archaeology, art and music before returning to Costa Rica. Involved in amateur archaeological digs and charitable works, she wrote articles for publication in local newspapers and magazines and published two novels. When her husband staged a coup d'état and was later elected President of Costa Rica, she served as First Lady from 8 June 1917 to 20 August 1919. When he resigned from his post due to mismanagement, the couple moved to Paris, where she participated in archeological and artistic works until his death in 1931. From 1932 to 1934, she resided in Norway before returning to Costa Rica, where she resumed her archeological studies and publishing, while working for the National Museum of Costa Rica. Involved with the Red Cross, she was awarded the Florence Nightingale Medal in 1949 and in 2012, the Ministry of Culture of Costa Rica produced a documentary about her life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecilia Paredes</span> Peruvian-born multimedia artist

Cecilia Paredes is a Peruvian-born multimedia artist residing in Philadelphia. Her primary themes include the power of nature, femininity, and migration, which have been subjects of many of her shows. She frequently utilizes natural elements, often recycled waste materials and primarily organic ones, in her installations. One of her best-known works is "Paisajes" in which she camouflages herself and uses her own figure as a canvas for body painting.

References

  1. ↑ Betz, Spencer (February 18, 2008). "A personal interview with Ingrid Croce" (PDF). p. 3. Retrieved June 4, 2024– via First United Methodist Church of Arroyo Grande. Because my parents were divorced when I was five …
  2. 1 2 Sanford, Jay Allen (August 22, 2012). "Learn a Few Things About Ingrid Croce". San Diego Reader . Archived from the original on June 4, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Meet Ingrid".
  4. ↑ "Ingrid Croce Art".
  5. ↑ Caudell, Robin (May 16, 2019). "Don't mess around with A.J." Press-Republican .
  6. ↑ "Ingrid Croce Art". Facebook .
  7. ↑ Hislop, Christopher (March 5, 2015). "A.J. Croce brings live show to The Loft".
  8. 1 2 3 "Ingrid Croce". San Diego Women's Hall of Fame.
  9. ↑ "Ingrid Croce Art".
  10. 1 2 3 Weisberg, Lori (May 14, 2012). "Jim Croce's widow talks about life after Jim". The San Diego Union-Tribune .
  11. ↑ "The Story Straight From the Source". SanDiegoVille. May 27, 2014.
  12. ↑ Weisberg, Lori (January 26, 2016). "Another Croce's restaurant comes to an end". The San Diego Union-Tribune .
  13. ↑ "Thyme in a Bottle". Ingrid Croce Art.
  14. ↑ "Jim Croce: Have You Heard - Jim Croce Live". TV Guide . 2003.
  15. ↑ Kalet, Hank (March 7, 2004). "Jim Croce: Have You Heard: Jim Croce Live [DVD]". PopMatters .
  16. ↑ "The Legacy Of Jim Croce". KPBS . November 19, 2010.
  17. ↑ "Jim Croce - Time in a Bottle". Barnes and Noble .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.