Music Friday: 50 Years Ago, Jim Croce Introduced Us to a Bejeweled Leroy Brown

Welcome to Music Friday when we celebrate classic songs with jewelry, gemstones or precious metals in the title or lyrics. Exactly 50 years ago, Jim Croce introduced us to a giant man with an affection for diamond jewelry in his chart topper, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.”

In this song inspired by a friend he met while working as a lineman for the U.S. National Guard, Croce tells the fateful story of one of the toughest guys from the South Side of Chicago. Leroy Brown stood 6'4'' and had a reputation of being “meaner than a junkyard dog.” He was also a flashy dresser, loved his jewelry and was quite the ladies’ man.

Croce sings, “Now Leroy, he a gambler / And he like his fancy clothes / And he like to wave them diamond rings / In front of everybody’s nose.”

At the end of the song, Leroy approaches Doris at a local bar and learns a tough “lesson about messin’ with the wife of a jealous man.”

Written by Croce, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” spent two weeks at the top of the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in July of 1973. The song also netted Croce two Grammy Award nominations in the categories of Best Pop Male Vocalist and Record of the Year.

Born in South Philadelphia in 1943, Croce expressed a love for music at a young age. He played his first song, “Lady of Spain,” on the accordion at the age of 5. While attending Villanova University, he performed with two singing groups, the Villanova Singers and the Villanova Spires. Croce graduated with a degree in psychology in 1965.

He joined the U.S. National Guard in 1966, and while stationed in Fort Jackson, SC, he befriended the larger-than-life Chicagoan who would inspire his 1973 hit.

Croce struggled early in his music career, appearing at large coffee houses, on college campuses and at folk festivals. In 1972, he scored a three-record deal with ABC Records.

Later that year, he made his national debut on American Bandstand, which sparked appearances on The Tonight Show, The Dick Cavett Show, The Helen Reddy Show and The Midnight Special.

Sadly, at the peak of his fame, in September 1973, Croce died tragically in a plane crash near Natchitoches, LA. He was 30 years old.

In a letter to his wife, Ingrid, that arrived after his death, Croce told her that he was homesick and couldn’t bear the pain of being away from her and their infant son. He was planning to stop touring and, instead, redirect his creative energy to writing short stories. It was never to be.

Please check out Croce’s June 1973 performance of “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” on The Midnight Special. The lyrics are below if you’d like to sing along…

“Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”
Written and performed by Jim Croce.

Well the South side of Chicago
Is the baddest part of town
And if you go down there
You better just beware
Of a man named Leroy Brown

Now Leroy, more than trouble
You see he stand ’bout six foot four
All the downtown ladies call him “Treetop Lover”
All the men just call him “Sir”

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog

Now Leroy, he a gambler
And he like them fancy clothes
And he like to wave them diamond rings
In front of everybody’s nose
He got a custom Continental
He got an Eldorado too
He got a 32 gun in his pocket for fun
He got a razor in his shoe

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog

Well Friday ’bout a week ago
Leroy shootin’ dice
And at the edge of the bar
Sat a girl named Doris
And oh that girl looked nice

Well he cast his eyes upon her
And the trouble soon began
Leroy Brown learned a lesson
‘Bout messin’ with the wife of a jealous man

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog

Well the two men took to fighting
And when they pulled them from the floor
Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle
With a couple of pieces gone

And it’s bad, bad Leroy Brown
The baddest man in the whole damned town
Badder than old King Kong
And meaner than a junkyard dog…

Credit: Image by ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

First-Ever Tourmaline Auction to Highlight Production From Zambian Mine

Only one month after starring as one of the official birthstones for October, tourmaline will return for another dose of fame in a first-ever auction dedicated solely to the exceptional pink, green and bi-color gem.

Iridis, the world's largest producer of high-quality tourmaline, recently announced its inaugural auction of Zambian rough tourmaline gemstones, which will take place in Bangkok from November 21-24. (The name Iridis is a nod to the Latin word for rainbow.)

"We are excited to be showcasing some of the world's finest rough tourmaline gemstones," commented mining company CEO Cyrille Djankoff. "This forthcoming auction is the culmination of 18 months of production from our Zambia operations, which will see these stunning gemstones in a first-of-its-kind grading system with 100% traceability."

The mining company noted that Jagoda is the first colored gemstone mine to be actively participating in The Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA). This commitment underscores Iridis's dedication to ethical gemstone sourcing and sustainable practices.

Iridis became a major shareholder in Zambia's tourmaline-rich Jagoda mine in 2017 and acquired it in 2022, with an option to extend the operating license for 10 years, starting in November 2023, according to National Jeweler magazine.

On its website, the company emphasized how it wanted Jagoda to be an example of what can be achieved by working in partnership with local stakeholders, providing rewarding careers, supporting communities, safeguarding resources and nurturing the environment.

"In the long term," the statement concluded, "we intend to add more value to the area than we extract in tourmaline."

Credit: Image courtesy of Iridis Gems.

Vegas Golden Knights' 2022-2023 NHL Championship Rings Are Full of Surprises

The Stanley Cup championship rings presented to the Vegas Golden Knights' players, coaches and staff last week during a private ceremony at the Wynn Las Vegas are brimming with surprises, including a twist-off top that can be worn as a pendant.

With the top off, the ring resembles the interior of T-Mobile Arena, with nine stars on the "ice" denoting where each of the goals were scored during the clinching Game 5 victory over the Florida Panthers in the championship series.

Created in collaboration with Jason of Beverly Hills, each ring pops with approximately 12 carats of diamonds and clever design elements that tell the story of a remarkable season, the franchise's history and the city of Las Vegas.

For instance, the 67 white diamonds in the helmet on the face of the ring honor the team's total wins during the regular season and playoffs. The white diamond striping on left and right shoulders of the ring mimic the white uniform stripes that accented the team's gold jerseys when the lifted the Stanley Cup. Also on the face are 16 stars evenly space around the inner bezel, representing the number of playoff victories.

One side of the ring features the team's motto, "Vegas Born," along with the player's name in raised yellow gold lettering and his jersey number rendered in white diamonds against a black enamel background. Also on this side is the year 2023 in raised yellow gold.

The other side of the ring includes another team motto, "Always Advance," along with the Stanley Cup rendered in white diamonds and the results of each playoff series shown in yellow gold. The .54 carats of diamonds on the Stanley Cup pay tribute to the team’s 54 all-time playoff wins. The six yellow stars on the black enamel background signify the team's achievement of winning the Cup in only its sixth year as a franchise.

The detachable pendant has an engraving on the back that reads, “It’s Knight Time.” It also has a rotating bail that can be tucked back into the ring when not in use.

The inside of the band includes an engraving that reads, “Cup in Six,” which is a reference to owner Bill Foley’s bold and uncanny prediction about the success of his expansion team. The prediction was delivered before the start of the team's inaugural season.

“Knowing the track record of Jason of Beverly Hills, I was confident that they could create a ring as distinctive as our city and as spectacular as the season this team put together,” said Foley. “It’s clear they exceeded expectations and created a design I am sure our players, staff and fans will cherish.”

The Golden Knights raised their 2023 Stanley Cup Championship banner prior to their season opener against the Seattle Kraken. The Knights prevailed 4-1.

Credits: Images courtesy of Jason of Beverly Hills.