Biography

Born in Dallas, Texas in 1948, Larry Groce is a singer and songwriter of folk and children's music who had a Top Ten hit with the 1976 novelty song "Junk Food Junkie." Groce made his first recording as a college student in 1969, a collection of hymns titled Peace and Joy and Power. After finishing his degree, he moved to New York City and began to perform regularly at a restaurant and coffeehouse owned by Larry Brezner (then husband of Melissa Manchester). A record contract with Daybreak Records soon followed, and they issued his first of many self-penned albums, The Wheat Lies Low, in 1970. After performing across the country for a few years with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, he had a Top Ten hit with "Junk Food Junkie," recorded live at McCabe's in Santa Monica, California. The comical tune about a health food hypocrite led to national television appearances on shows such as The Tonight Show and American Bandstand. Around that time, he began what would become regular contributions to Disney children's music; his first, "Winnie-the-Pooh for President," was nominated for a Grammy for Best Recording for Children in 1977. Subsequent Disney projects included Children's Favorites, Vols. 1-4, and in 1983 he founded Mountain Stage, a popular live-music public radio program based out of his adopted state of West Virginia. The show aired its 750th episode in December 2013. K-Tel released His Very Best in 2008; it included "Junk Food Junkie." ~ Marcy Donelson