Jim Croce finished recording his fifth album, 1973’s I Got a Name, just a week before his death. On September 20, he and friend Maury Muehleisen (and four others) died in a plane crash while flying between gigs in Louisiana and Texas.

He died a day before the title track of the new album was released. One of the few covers he recorded since his debut album, the track reach #10 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The album made it to #2, right behind You Don’t Mess Around With Jim, which saw a resurgence in sales following his death.

I Got a Name offers up more of the laid-back folk of his previous releases, with ‘Lovers Cross’ and ‘Workin’ at the Car Wash Blues’ joining the title track as the best-known cuts. Today’s SOTD is another favorite, written by Croce for his wife after a late night fight.

I was amused to hear ‘Five Short Minutes,’ which describes an encounter with Cynthia Plaster Caster, an artist who made ceramic casts of famous men’s penises. I recently enjoyed a fictionalized version of Cynthia, portrayed by Miley Cyrus, in the movie Drive-Away Dolls.

This album also features the song ‘Salon and Saloon,’ written by Muehleisen, and included on the tracklist as Croce’s gift to his friend.

After his death, Croce’s wife Ingrid received a letter in the mail that he had written on the road. He wrote that he was ready to quit professional music, move back home with her and their child, concentrate on his health, and become a “public hermit.”

“Remember, it’s the first sixty years that count and I’ve got 30 to go,” he wrote.

It turned out he got only those first 30, but he certainly made them count.