Jim Gordon, rock drummer convicted in mother's killing, dies at 77

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Jim Gordon, rock drummer convicted in mother’s killing, dies at 77

washingtonpost.com
Jim Gordon, rock drummer convicted in mother’s killing, dies at 77
Mr. Gordon's career was once soaring, including sharing songwriting credits with Eric Clapton on "Layla." But he couldn't overcome his

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Jim Gordon, rock drummer convicted in mother’s killing, dies at 77

By Brian Murphy
March 16, 2023 at 4:27 p.m. EDT

Jim Gordon, a drummer who played with dozens of rock stars and shared songwriting credits with Eric Clapton on the hit “Layla,” but faced deepening mental health crises and spent the past four decades in custody for killing his mother, died March 13 at a prison medical facility in Vacaville, Calif. He was 77. ... The death was announced in a statement by his publicist, Bob Merlis. No cause was given.

Mr. Gordon’s collaborations included tracks on George Harrison’s first post-Beatles album, “All Things Must Pass” (1970); the Beach Boys’ epochal “Pet Sounds” album (1966) and Steely Dan’s 1974 song “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” ... The demand was once so high for Mr. Gordon’s versatility — from bluesy backbeats to whipcrack licks — that he commanded three times the studio rate for drummers. He spanned genres as different as Glen Campbell’s country-influenced odes (“Wichita Lineman,” 1968), Gordon Lightfoot’s folksy ballads (“Sundown,” 1974) and Frank Zappa’s rock-jazz fusion. Zappa gave Mr. Gordon the nickname “Skippy” as a playful jab at his sunny suburban upbringing in California.

Sitting at his drum kit, Mr. Gordon dazzled musicians and aficionados as part of the Los Angeles-based Wrecking Crew, a group of largely anonymous studio players who accompanied top stars. With his athletic, 6-foot-3 frame — and his mop of curly hair waving — he could pound out the skins-and-cymbals punch for rockers such as Joe Cocker and Tom Petty. Or he could lay down sharp-edged rhythms that defined a song.

His work on the Incredible Bongo Band’s 1973 song “Apache” (a remake of a 1960 hit by the Shadows) was discovered by hip-hop artists and became one of the most sampled drum breaks in history. The 2012 documentary “Sample This” called the Bongo Band’s version “the national anthem of hip-hop.”

{snip}

CORRECTION
A previous version of this story incorrectly noted the death as May 13. It was March 13. The story had been updated.

By Brian Murphy
Brian Murphy joined The Washington Post after more than 20 years as a foreign correspondent and bureau chief for the Associated Press in Europe and the Middle East. Murphy has reported from more than 50 countries and has written four books. Twitter https://twitter.com/BrianFMurphy

[LiberalLoner]

1. 😭😭😭🙏 He was a kind and gentle man, apart from the terrible mental illness. He wrote me back

When I sent him a letter while he was in CMF.

He took the time and effort to write back to a very silly fan.

I wrote that fans should have been calling HIM god, not Eric Clapton, because it was his drumming that really was what made the music so amazing.

That comment was what he was referencing in this letter.

RIP Jim. Thank you for the great music and for being so incredibly kind to this very silly nobody fan of yours.

Let me try again, maybe this will work.

[Celerity]

2. Incredible Bongo Band - Apache