Publicist, Personal Manager, TV Producer, Talent Buyer

Biography (Nashville, TN) --As one of the entertainment industry's versatile professionals, Jim Della Croce exhibits skills that have helped define him as one of the pioneers of Artist development in the music industry: publicist, artist manager, live concert talent buyer/producer and TV/video producer.

Della Croce first fell in love with the music business in 1963 at the age of five, after peeking around his kitchen door and seeing his father, the late Dr. John Della Croce, sitting at the family piano surrounded by The Four Freshmen [then the hot Capitol Records recording artists credited as being the predecessors to The Beach Boys]. That experience sparked a fire that blazed when he "witnessed" The Beatles on the "Ed Sullivan Show" in 1964 and saw A Hard Day's Night at his hometown theater in Freeland, PA. "From that moment on, I could have told anyone who'd listen that I was going to be a drummer, producer, publicist, publisher, manager... or someone professionally involved in the music business, if I had only known the right terminology," Della Croce laughs. At age 11, after years 5 years of study from Judy Garland's drummer, Al Mumaw, he joined the AFM Local #557 (American Federation of Musicians) and entered the ranks of professional drummer.

After graduating from M.M.I. Prep in 1975, he moved on to King's College in Wilkes-Barre, PA, where he earned a B.A. in English/Communications in 1979. He then studied at The Recording Workshop in Chillicothe, Ohio in 1979, before moving on to graduate work at New York University's prestigious School for the Arts, Education, Nursing and Arts Professions, where he focused on record production and record company operations. By day he studied at NYU in the Music Business and Technology program and interned at CBS Records uptown, producing interview records serving as radio specials for the Interchords series of CBS, Epic, Portrait and Associated Labels. By night he combed the folk clubs of Greenwich Village in search of talent and inspiration. Della Croce returned to writing after moving to Nashville, TN in the late 80's and covered the music industry for noted trades such as R&R (Radio & Records), Music Row, Play, The Nashville Scene and Pro Sound News.

PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST
Owner, The Press Office.
He founded The Press Office public relations firm in 1988, initially representing Badfinger, Jerry Clower and music power BMG. He then accepted an invitation to join BMG's start-up label BNA, where he headed the Artist Development Department, overseeing media, video, imaging and production of interview records. "One of the proudest experiences in my professional life is the input I contributed in the planning, development and execution of John Anderson's 1992 double-platinum comeback album Seminole Wind," say Della Croce.

The desire to return to independent work with influential artists beckoned Della Croce to reopen The Press Office in 1992, where he further defined the company to become Nashville's first true Artist Development firm. After 19 Years, The Press Office continues to proudly serve the entertainment industry's need for national exposure to their artists, products, projects, concerts and corporations with our unique brand of MAXIMUM PR! Della Croce has proudly represented many of the music industry's leading artists, record companies and concert venues, including: The Beach Boys, The Band, Arista Records, CBS Records, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, John Anderson, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Bad Company, Badfinger, Warner Bros. Records, Sony Music (Columbia Records, Epic Records and Associated Labels), The Mountain Laurel Center for the Performing Arts, Grand Funk Railroad, BNA/BMG Records, EMI Music Group, Capitol Records, Steve Wariner, Ralph Stanley, Little Feat, The Power Station w/Robert Palmer and Andy Taylor, Leon Redbone, Felix Cavaliere's Rascals, Levon Helm, Asylum Records, CMT/Country Music Television, Island of St. Lucia and others.

ARTIST MANAGER
Artist management was the next logical challenge for Della Croce. Asylum Records' answer to Gram Parsons, Bob Woodruff, signed on as the flagship client. Rock superstars, The Power Station (Robert Palmer and Andy Taylor) joined the fold in 1995. The American Band, Grand Funk Railroad, came on board in 1997 and enjoyed the fruits of a monumental comeback becoming one of Pollstar's Hot 100 Touring Acts of 1998. The Grand Funk Railroad co-management with longtime friend and business associate, Bobby Roberts, proved to be another high watermark. Mark Farner stayed on and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Levon Helm of The Band later joined the roster, as did fellow Hall of Fame member Felix Cavaliere's Rascals. The Power Station (Robert Palmer & Andy Taylor), Eddie Money, NightRanger, Hal Ketchum, Rick Derringer and others soon followed.

TV/VIDEO PRODUCTION
Created and Executive-Produced the MTV Networks Classic Rock: The Hits, series of TV specials in 2000-2002. Classic Rock: The Hits aired in over 90 million homes, and featured rare live TV performances by Jethro Tull, America, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Ambrosia, The Tubes, Stephen Bishop, Edgar Winter, and Night Ranger among others. Classic Rock: The Hits was co-executive-produced and co-created by Della Croce under his Pathfinder Productions banner. As a producer of dozens of major label videos, he is best known for producing John Anderson's award-winning CMT #1 video, Seminole Wind. He is currently at work on co-production TV ventures at NashFilms with 70's soft-rock sensation, Bread, co-founder Robb Royer.

INFLUENCES
The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, The Band, The Four Freshmen, Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Frank Zappa, Sly and The Family Stone, The Kinks, Warren Zevon, Jesse Winchester, John Anderson, The Young Rascals, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Steely Dan, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Warren Zevon, Nick Lowe, Jimmy Webb, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Woody Guthrie, The Grateful Dead, Van Morrison and The Who.

Jim Della Croce continues to grow his music concerns while enjoying his family, daughter Sean Marie and son James in Nashville and the Poconos. He is a member of NARAS (the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences), the Academy of Country Music, The Country Music Association and served 15 years as publicist for The Nashville Songwriters Foundation/Hall of Fame. Della Croce endorses EV/ Electro-Voice Professional Microphones, and Pro-Mark drumsticks.