About Maury
Maury was born on January 14, 1949 in Trenton, New Jersey, the second of eight children of Maurice and Margaret Muehleisen. He began piano lessons at the age of nine, mastering the classics and more. Picking up the guitar at age seventeen, he taught himself this instrument and excelled. By the time he was twenty, Maury had songwriting and recording contracts. He was soon signed to Capitol Records and his solo LP – Maury Muehleisen – Gingerbreadd – was released in November 1970, eleven original works with words and music written by Maury, produced by Terry Cashman and Tommy West.
During the eighteen months that Maury promoted his Gingerbreadd album, Jim Croce, another unknown talent, became Maury’s backup guitarist. The two of them became fast friends and they began to work on some of Jim’s unfinished songs. Their collaboration provided a big break for Jim, so Maury set aside his career to become Jim’s lead guitarist.
Even though Maury’s Gingerbreadd album and his eighteen-month promotion of it achieved only minimal attention, Maury was given an opportunity to share his musical talent with the world when the tables turned. And Jim was always the first to say that it was his own good fortune to share his spot in the limelight with Maury. For it was this gifted combination that created the songs for three ABC Records albums – You Don’t Mess Around With Jim released in April 1972, Life and Times released in January 1973, and I Got A Name released in December 1973.
After 18 months of touring with Jim Croce to promote these ABC Records albums, Maury’s life came to a tragic end at age 24 on September 20, 1973, when he was killed in a plane crash along with Jim Croce, Jim’s road manager Dennis Rast, his booking agent Ken Cortese, the opening act comedian George Stevens, and the pilot Robert Newton Elliott.
Maury’s brief career with Jim has been rewarded with three gold albums, two gold singles, and global attention in the years since his death. His family, friends and fans have always remembered the humble young man who maintained unwavering pride in his name and birthplace, a young man who was happiest when his music made people smile.
