Ingrid Croce
Encyclopedia
Ingrid Croce is an American author, singer-songwriter and restaurateur. She is the widow of singer-songwriter Jim Croce
and the mother of singer-songwriter A.J. Croce. Between 1964 and 1971, Ingrid and Jim Croce
performed as a duo and wrote together. In 1969, Capitol Records released their album, Jim & Ingrid Croce
, which has been re-released on CD. Their song, "Age", won a country music award in the late 1970s. Both "Age" and "Hey Tomorrow" are included in Jim Croce’s Platinum Albums on ABC Dunhill Records. Several of Jim and Ingrid Croce's co-written songs are now available on Home Recording, Americana and have been released on Down the Highway (1975), Have You Heard Jim Croce Live (DVD; 2002) The 50th Anniversary Collection (1992), The Definitive Collection: "Time in a Bottle" (1999; 2 CDs).
She and her twin sister, Phyllis, attended various high schools after the death of their mother. They graduated from Nether Providence High School
in the class of 1965. Ingrid attended Rhode Island School of Design
and Moore College of Art and travelled to Mexico
in her senior year when she won a Fellowship to study painting and pottery in San Miguel de Allende
.
. After school she helped the seamstresses sew and steam clothes, and sat by the cash register watching her grandmother operate a successful women's dress store, “Greenberg’s”. She assisted in the selection of the latest fashions on buying trips to New York City, but never imagined she would ever have a business of her own. Her mother, Shirley, "The Magic Lady,” played piano on her own local television show. Ingrid learned to cook with her and also started singing in local clubs and on television by the time she was ten.
Ingrid's father, Sidney Jacobson, was a general practitioner with his medical office in their home in West Philadelphia
. By the age of fifteen, Ingrid was employed as the “junior art therapist” assisting her dad at the University of Pennsylvania
where he did his residency for his psychiatric practice.
When Jim Croce
and Ingrid discovered they were going to have a child, Jim became even more determined to make music his profession. He sent a cassette of his new songs to his friend and producer in New York City, in hope that he could get a record deal for his first professional solo album. When their son Adrian James Croce (A.J. Croce) was born in September 1971 Ingrid became a “stay-at-home” mom, while Jim went on the road to promote his music. Just two short years after Jim Croce's songs topped the music charts, his plane crashed in Natchitoches, Louisiana
. When Jim died on September 20, 1973, A.J. was a week away from celebrating his second birthday.
in a plane crash while on his final tour, Ingrid followed many circuitous routes to re-define her personal vision for family, career and a home. After a move to San Diego, California as a family, she then spent some time with Adrian James in San Jose and Quepos, Costa Rica. When she returned to San Diego in 1974, she developed a Head Start program for Costa Rica
, opened a children’s school in Point Loma and wrote a children’s book, “Mirandome.” Then, when their son Adrian James was almost four, he suffered a brain tumor syndrome and went blind.
From 1977 to 1981, Ingrid served as Vice-Consul of Costa Rica
in San Diego and wrote and sang her own songs, completing two solo albums, and establishing her first 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 serious runner, and won third place in her age category at the Stockholm Marathon
.
Once litigation was over in 1981, Ingrid had set precedent for other recording artists. She was on the road promoting her two albums when in 1984 she became unable to sing, due to tumors on her vocal chords. After two failed operations, Ingrid was unable to sing again, and had to find a new profession and a way to earn a living.
Day by day she learned about the hospitality industry, and in 1985, when her month-to-month lease was coming up, she got a call from a friend who suggested she look at a space for rent in downtown San Diego's then-up-and-coming Gaslamp Quarter. She hadn't been in downtown San Diego since 1973, when retailers and urbanites were fleeing the city
for the sprawling suburbs. In fact, when Jim and she had first moved to San Diego and spent their first night out on the town together, they had walked down Broadway heading south to the Gaslamp Quarter looking for a good place to eat and a club to listen to live music. Disappointingly, there were none to be found, but they stopped on the corner of Fifth and F in front of the Keating Building
where Jim joked about opening 'Croce's Restaurant & Jazz Bar'
Now looking to open a new restaurant location, a friend told her of a space for rent in historic Gaslamp Quarter she may be interested in. It turned out to be at the very same corner where she and Jim had stopped a dozen years earlier, and right then and there Ingrid decided to build a restaurant and bar as a tribute to Jim and call it Croce's.
In 2003, the thirtieth anniversary of Jim’s passing both Ingrid and son A.J. Croce, a talented singer-songwriter and accomplished pianist, worked together to produce the first-ever DVD of Jim Croce, “Have You Heard Jim Croce Live”, later, a CD, “Have You Heard Jim Croce Live”, the CD “Jim Croce, Home Recordings, Americana,” and “Facets” Jim Croce’s first recorded album from 1966. These products were distributed originally, worldwide, through Shout Factory and Sony and are all currently available through CMG (Croce Music Group). In 2004, Ingrid published “Time in a Bottle,” a photographic memoir of Jim’s song, with the lyrics and her favorite photos in collaboration with her husband Jim Rock and Deborah Ogburn.
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
and the mother of singer-songwriter A.J. Croce. Between 1964 and 1971, Ingrid and Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
performed as a duo and wrote together. In 1969, Capitol Records released their album, Jim & Ingrid Croce
Jim & Ingrid Croce
-Personnel:*Jim Croce - guitar, keyboards, vocals, 12 string guitar*Ingrid Croce - vocals*Gary Chester - drums*Harry Katzman - violin*Ann Minogue - triangle*Gene Pistilli - guitar, keyboards*John Stockfish - bass*Eric Weissberg - mandolin...
, which has been re-released on CD. Their song, "Age", won a country music award in the late 1970s. Both "Age" and "Hey Tomorrow" are included in Jim Croce’s Platinum Albums on ABC Dunhill Records. Several of Jim and Ingrid Croce's co-written songs are now available on Home Recording, Americana and have been released on Down the Highway (1975), Have You Heard Jim Croce Live (DVD; 2002) The 50th Anniversary Collection (1992), The Definitive Collection: "Time in a Bottle" (1999; 2 CDs).
Early life
Ingrid Jacobson was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.She and her twin sister, Phyllis, attended various high schools after the death of their mother. They graduated from Nether Providence High School
Nether Providence High School
Nether Providence High School was a four-year public high school in Wallingford, Pennsylvania serving the Township of Nether Providence and the Boroughs of Rose Valley, South Media, Garden City, and sections of Morton. The school became Strath Haven High School when it merged with Swarthmore High...
in the class of 1965. Ingrid attended Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
and Moore College of Art and travelled to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
in her senior year when she won a Fellowship to study painting and pottery in San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende
San Miguel de Allende is a city and municipality located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico. It is 274 km from Mexico City and 97 km from the state capital of Guanajuato...
.
Early career
Aged eight, she worked at her grandmother dress store in South PhiladelphiaSouth Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
. After school she helped the seamstresses sew and steam clothes, and sat by the cash register watching her grandmother operate a successful women's dress store, “Greenberg’s”. She assisted in the selection of the latest fashions on buying trips to New York City, but never imagined she would ever have a business of her own. Her mother, Shirley, "The Magic Lady,” played piano on her own local television show. Ingrid learned to cook with her and also started singing in local clubs and on television by the time she was ten.
Ingrid's father, Sidney Jacobson, was a general practitioner with his medical office in their home in West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia
West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though there is no official definition of its boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River, to City Line Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and...
. By the age of fifteen, Ingrid was employed as the “junior art therapist” assisting her dad at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
where he did his residency for his psychiatric practice.
Success
Just as Ingrid was turning sixteen, her mother died at the age of 36 from breast cancer and a weak heart. Ingrid had to leave high school and gymnastics and moved to her father's home in the suburbs.When Jim Croce
Jim Croce
James Joseph "Jim" Croce January 10, 1943 – September 20, 1973 was an American singer-songwriter. Between 1966 and 1973, Croce released five studio albums and 11 singles...
and Ingrid discovered they were going to have a child, Jim became even more determined to make music his profession. He sent a cassette of his new songs to his friend and producer in New York City, in hope that he could get a record deal for his first professional solo album. When their son Adrian James Croce (A.J. Croce) was born in September 1971 Ingrid became a “stay-at-home” mom, while Jim went on the road to promote his music. Just two short years after Jim Croce's songs topped the music charts, his plane crashed in Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
. When Jim died on September 20, 1973, A.J. was a week away from celebrating his second birthday.
Aftermath of Jim Croce's fatal plane crash
After her husband diedin a plane crash while on his final tour, Ingrid followed many circuitous routes to re-define her personal vision for family, career and a home. After a move to San Diego, California as a family, she then spent some time with Adrian James in San Jose and Quepos, Costa Rica. When she returned to San Diego in 1974, she developed a Head Start program for Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, opened a children’s school in Point Loma and wrote a children’s book, “Mirandome.” Then, when their son Adrian James was almost four, he suffered a brain tumor syndrome and went blind.
From 1977 to 1981, Ingrid served as Vice-Consul of Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
in San Diego and wrote and sang her own songs, completing two solo albums, and establishing her first publishing company, “Time in a Bottle.” She sat on the board of the Woman’s Bank and traveled to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
where A.J. took his rites of passage. In 1983, Ingrid became a serious runner, and won third place in her age category at the Stockholm Marathon
Stockholm Marathon
The Stockholm Marathon, known as the ASICS Stockholm Marathon for sponsorship reasons, is an annual marathon arranged in Stockholm, Sweden since 1979. It serves as the Swedish marathon championship race...
.
Once litigation was over in 1981, Ingrid had set precedent for other recording artists. She was on the road promoting her two albums when in 1984 she became unable to sing, due to tumors on her vocal chords. After two failed operations, Ingrid was unable to sing again, and had to find a new profession and a way to earn a living.
The Birth of Croce's Restaurant & Jazz Bar in San Diego
Needing a job, Ingrid invited a friend to her home to help write her resume. Her friend insisted she knew what Ingrid should do—open a restaurant, given Ingrid's cooking skills. The next day Ingrid got a business license, signed a lease and opened her first restaurant, Blinchiki.Day by day she learned about the hospitality industry, and in 1985, when her month-to-month lease was coming up, she got a call from a friend who suggested she look at a space for rent in downtown San Diego's then-up-and-coming Gaslamp Quarter. She hadn't been in downtown San Diego since 1973, when retailers and urbanites were fleeing the city
White flight
White flight has been a term that originated in the United States, starting in the mid-20th century, and applied to the large-scale migration of whites of various European ancestries from racially mixed urban regions to more racially homogeneous suburban or exurban regions. It was first seen as...
for the sprawling suburbs. In fact, when Jim and she had first moved to San Diego and spent their first night out on the town together, they had walked down Broadway heading south to the Gaslamp Quarter looking for a good place to eat and a club to listen to live music. Disappointingly, there were none to be found, but they stopped on the corner of Fifth and F in front of the Keating Building
The Keating Hotel
The Keating Building is located at 432 F Street, in the heart of the Gaslamp Quarter, at the corner of 5th Avenue and F Street, San Diego, California. This building is listed as a historic building number 31 on the Gaslamp Quarter Historic Buildings registry....
where Jim joked about opening 'Croce's Restaurant & Jazz Bar'
Now looking to open a new restaurant location, a friend told her of a space for rent in historic Gaslamp Quarter she may be interested in. It turned out to be at the very same corner where she and Jim had stopped a dozen years earlier, and right then and there Ingrid decided to build a restaurant and bar as a tribute to Jim and call it Croce's.
The Growth of Croce's
During her first three years in business downtown, from 1985–1988, Croce's expanded five times, adding Croce’s Jazz Bar, a second restaurant, a rhythm and blues bar, Croce’s Top Hat Bar and Grille, Upstairs at Croce’s, and Croce’s Catering and Event Planners. In the late 80’s, Ingrid became a board member of the California Restaurant Association, San Diego County Chapter and The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau. She learned a lot from the civic work she did with her community… ”But little did I know back then that my hard work in building a restaurant and bar would lead me to my wonderful husband, Jimmy Rock, who has been my love and partner since we married in 1988.”Croce's Publishing
In 1996, Ingrid Croce wrote “Thyme in a Bottle”, her autobiographical cookbook with memories and recipes from Croce’s Restaurant, published by Harper Collins. When the book sold out, guests to her restaurant and website were encouraging and Ingrid re-issued the book through her own publishing company, Avalanche Records and Books in 1998.In 2003, the thirtieth anniversary of Jim’s passing both Ingrid and son A.J. Croce, a talented singer-songwriter and accomplished pianist, worked together to produce the first-ever DVD of Jim Croce, “Have You Heard Jim Croce Live”, later, a CD, “Have You Heard Jim Croce Live”, the CD “Jim Croce, Home Recordings, Americana,” and “Facets” Jim Croce’s first recorded album from 1966. These products were distributed originally, worldwide, through Shout Factory and Sony and are all currently available through CMG (Croce Music Group). In 2004, Ingrid published “Time in a Bottle,” a photographic memoir of Jim’s song, with the lyrics and her favorite photos in collaboration with her husband Jim Rock and Deborah Ogburn.