A tribute concert honoring the memory of legendary singer-songwriter
Jim Croce, and his fellow performer-composer Maury Muehleisen, will be
staged Sunday night at the Bean & Leaf café in New London, featuring
Maggie's Guitar and an ensemble of local musicians.
“Jim was an icon, one of the signature performers of his generation,”
said Ron Gletherow of Gales Ferry, one of the concert organizers.
Gletherow, who once portrayed Croce in a popular television show that
aired in his native Great Britain, is a founder of the local music
group Maggie’s Guitar, which will be playing Sunday along with Bruce
McDermott, Pete de la Rosa, Lorain Ohio and John Lamar.
Sunday is the 36th anniversary of Croce’s death; he was killed, along
with Muehleisen and four others in a plane crash while flying to a
concert in Texas. Croce, a Philadelphia native, died at age 30,
shortly before his hit single, “I Got a Name,” was to be released.
Three months after his death, the song "Time in a Bottle,” also became
a No. 1 single.
Those songs will be performed Sunday, along with such Croce classics
as “Operator,” "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" and “Bad, Bad
Leroy Brown.”
Among those expected to attend Sunday’s show are Sal Joseph of
Southbridge, Mass., who was best friends with Croce and wrote the song
“Thursday” that Croce popularized. Gletherow, who has maintained close
friendships with Joseph, along with Croce’s widow, Ingrid, their son,
A.J. and other family members, will read messages they sent as part of
the tribute.
“I always related to his lyrics,” said Gletherow.
The concert, titled “One Less Set of Footsteps,” after one of Croce’s
songs, will begin at 7 p.m. at the Bean & Leaf, located at 13
Washington St.
MAGGIE'S GUITAR AT THE SHORELINE ACOUSTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL
"Maggie's Guitar" will play at the Third Annual Shoreline
Acoustic Music Festival at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 10, 2009, at the
Hygienic Art Park, New London, Connecticut.
"Maggie's Guitar" played live in the studio on Rodeo
Joe's Rock 'n' Roll Roundup on WCNI New London, 90.9 FM, on March
25.
The group performed 10 songs on "Rodeo Joe Presents,"
including originals and covers.
IMPROMPTU AT NEWPORT FOLK
"Maggie's Guitar" played an impromptu, and surprise "gig" at this
year's Newport Folk Festival. Okay, so they weren't on the main stage
with Alison Krauss, but they did perform for the Gibson Guitars
sponsored "open mic" show.
Original songs were required, so
"Maggie's Guitar" performed two of Ron Gletherow's self-penned songs,
"From England to New England" and "Heart Full Of Love". Both songs
were received with great applause, and Margaret said afterwards,
"Well, maybe someday it'll be the big stage here. Who knows?"
Gibson supplied Ron with a $3,000 Hummingbird and Margaret with a
$5,000 Dove to use for the set.
"Shame was....they made us give them back afterwards" said Ron,
disappointedly.
