Mary McCoy / CC
It was 50 years ago today, that legendary singer Jim Croce and five other people were killed in a plane crash after performing at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. Dan McDonald, who was a student reporter for Northwestern’s student newspaper, says there were details about the concert that stands out in his memory…
“He was very short. Very workman-like. He played all his songs. He did all of what you expected but there wasn’t a lot of interaction. We later found out that he was just tired, worn out, just trying to finish up this tour and go home.”
Croce was set to spend the night in Natchitoches but called the pilot to leave early for a performance at Austin College the next day. Croce mailed a letter to his wife before his death which later revealed he was missing his family and ready to go home. McDonald remembers Croce looking exhausted that evening.
“In hindsight, he just looked tired on the stage. He had traveled about 700 thousand miles touring that year and I’m sure a lot of it was in some of those private planes. I’m sure a lot of it was on the road. But he was just ready to get out of there.”
Not long after takeoff, Croce’s plane crashed into a pecan tree at the end of the runway. It is believed that the haze severely reduced visibility that night. McDonald recalls seeing the carnage of the plane.
“The front half of it you couldn’t tell it was a plane. The back half was still in tack but the front half was just demolished. All you saw was fiberglass, twisted metal. Every time I hear a song of his now on the radio that just flashes in front of my mind.”
An event was held at the university on Monday to commemorate Croce’s death.
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