A. J. Croce

Singer-songwriter Adrian James (A.J.) Croce will headline this year’s Blissfest. The son of Jim Croce has been making his own mark on the folk circuit in the wake of his deceased father’s hits, including “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” and “Time In A Bottle,” which was written for A.J.
While his father’s music has been an influence, it was actually the music of two others that played a pivotal role on shaping A.J.’s musical career.
“I was given the music of Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles at a very young age to serve as inspiration,” said Croce. “It worked, and those artists still serve as an inspiration to me.”
Croce became completely blind at the age of four as the result of a brain tumor. He wavered between complete and partial blindness for six years. Family and friends gave him the recordings of various blind artists and Croce taught himself to play the piano.
“I would sit at the piano and listen to the radio and records and try and play along,” said Croce. “It was tough.”

FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS
His father’s life and career were cut short in 1973, when the elder Croce died in a plane crash. A.J. was just two at the time. Although he never knew his father, he said he’s fortunate to feel like he “got to know him.”
“A lot of people who lose a parent at an early age only get to know that parent through the eyes of others,” said Croce. “Obviously, I got to know my father through his music. But also, he recorded everything, from the conversations he had to comments on his music. So I was fortunate to get to know him through his own words.”
For the younger Croce, his father’s music has also served as an inspiration. Jim Croce had just hit it big when he lost his life.
“Certainly his music has played a role in defining my musical career. He had a wide musical fan base and that stemmed from his many musical inspirations,” said Croce. “I have always had an eclectic taste in music.”
At 35, A.J. Croce has not garnered the acclaim of his father’s career. He isn’t worried about it, either.
“I never set out to emulate my father,” said Croce, who looks a lot like his dad. “It is a definite challenge, because some of his fans want me to be him.”

A LEGACY
He has caught the attention of many in the industry, who have brought A.J. Croce on tour as an opening act. He has toured with Rod Stewart, Carlos Santana, Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, his idol Ray Charles, and others.
“A.J. is a talent. When your father is such a legend, it makes it a real challenge because of the expectations placed on you,” said Carlos Santana. “Bob Dylan’s son Jacob and John Lennon’s sons face those same challenges. You are always going to be compared. In many ways that sort of legacy works more against you than to benefit you. A.J. has found his way past it, and is developing his own legacy.”
A.J. Croce will perform on the Blissfest main stage to close out the opening day. He will also be a part of a BlissFest songwriters-in-the-round event earlier in the evening. To learn more about A.J. Croce, check out his website ajcroce.com

ALSO PLAYING
The 27th annual BlissFest is Jul 12 – 15, located outside of Harbor Springs near Good Hart. The festival offers a collection of folk, world beat, roots and other artists. Here are some additional highlights:
• Jeff Daniels: Actor Jeff Daniels is becoming a regular in Northern Michigan. The Chelsea, Michigan-born actor known for his “Dumb and Dumber” role, as well as his work in “Terms of Endearment” and “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” has been traversing the region as a singer/songwriter.
“I have been writing songs for over 30 years and I am really enjoying the opportunity to perform them,” said Daniels. “I have heard a lot about BlissFest, so I am looking forward to connecting with other songwriters.”
Daniels will perform Sunday night and will also participate in a songwriters’ discussion group along with Ray Bonneville earlier in the day. More information on Daniels’ music may be found at
jeffdaniels.com.
• Donna the Buffalo: One of the most popular bands ever to take the BlissFest stage, Donna the Buffalo returns with, as they like to put it, a band that “just plays damn good music.”
“We really have been an elusive catch for people who like to categorize bands,” said Jeb Puryear, singer, guitarist, co-founder and one of the two primary songwriters. “We don’t label our music. We consider ourselves a songwriting band, period. If Bruce Springsteen adds accordions to a song he isn’t a Cajun rocker, he is still Bruce Springsteen. At the end of the day, regardless of what we do, we remain Donna the Buffalo.”
Puryear chuckles over it all and says they seem to get thrown into whatever the “mix of the moment is.”
“Well, when jam bands became popular we were thrown into that mix, but we have never considered ourselves a jam band,” said Puryear. “We simply to try to create music that exudes energy. We draw from numerous genres and all of us are heavily influenced by old-time music.”
Here’s another way to look at it: if you blend together reggae, rock, country, zydeco, Cajun, and folk styles, there’s a good chance that you’re listening to Donna the Buffalo. Their music is accessible, and not in the commercial way. Donna the Buffalo draws you in because they are connected to their music, rather than trying to connect with the flavor of the month.
For Puryear and his bandmates, you either get them or you don’t. They don’t worry about it either way because they have plenty of fans. The band is in high demand and are booked solid through the year. In order to pursue other musical interests, they primarily focus on touring during the warmer months and spend winters recording and performing in solo projects.
Another reason to focus on summer touring is the festivals.
“For us the festival scene is where it is at. Most festivals have loosened up on the criteria and the real energy for the music scene today is at the festivals,” said Puryear. “For several years the music [recording] industry has not done a good job appealing to the music enthusiasts. It is evident that their focus is elsewhere and so the festivals have replaced them as the heart of music scene. Festivals are where bands like us thrive and build a following. We love Bliss and can’t wait to come back.”
Donna the Buffalo performs both Saturday and Sunday. To hear a sample of their music, visit donnathebuffalo.com

For a complete listing of bands and a schedule of events at Blissfest visit blissfest.org or give them 231-348-7047 as the festival often sells out.

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