Jim Croce released his fourth album, Life and Times, in July of 1973. The record was split pretty evenly between sentimental love songs and rollicking tracks about colorful characters inspired by people he’d met on the road.
Among the latter were ‘Roller Derby Queen’ and ‘Speedball Trucker,’ but the one that caught fire was ‘Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.’ The song became Croce’s first #1 hit and was nominated for two Grammys, including Record of the Year. Based on a friend Croce met during a brief stint in the National Guard, the song had a similar structure to his early hit ‘You Don’t Mess Around With Jim,’ in which the tough-guy protagonist is ultimately humbled.
Meet Me In Montauk 