Jim Gordon, drummer for Eric Clapton and George Harrison, dies aged 77
Drummer Jim Gordon passed away on Monday aged 77, following a lifelong battle with mental illness.
The musician featured in several songs by the Beach Boys, Steely Dan, Carly Simon, Sonny and Cher, Nancy Sinatra, and the Byrds.
He was the drummer for Eric Clapton in Derek and the Dominos, and is credited as a co-writer for Clapton's 1970 hit Layla.
Jim was also one of the main drummers for George Harrison's album All Things Must Pass - his first solo work after the breakup of the Beatles.
The drummer passed away from natural causes at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California, where he was serving a 16 to life sentence for murder.
Johnny Depp and Sir Tom Jones lead mourners at guitarist Jeff Beck's funeral
Jim (R) performed on George Harrison's solo album All Things Must Pass (Mirrorpix via Getty Images)The musician had killed his 72-year-old mother in 1983, bludgeoning and stabbing her to death in her North Hollywood home.
After his arrest, he told police that voices in his head ordered him to commit the crime.
He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and convicted of her murder in 1984.
A judge ruled he could not be found innocent by reason of insanity under the California insanity laws at the time.
Despite being on parole several times, he was always denied, for not showing up to his hearings.
The drummer was diagnosed with schizophrenia after murdering his mother (Redferns)Before his schizophrenia diagnosis, Jim had a history of mental illness.
At one point, he assaulted his then-girlfriend Rita Coolidge in 1970.
Jim rarely showed signs of his erratic behaviour in front of his fellow musicians, however, Rita recounted one particular violent memory she had of him in Bill Janovitz’s biography of late musician, Leon Russell.
She said: "Jim said very quietly, so only I could hear, ‘Can I talk to you for just a minute?’ He meant he wanted to talk alone. So we walked out of the room together.
Jim performing with Eric Clapton's band Derek and the Dominos (Getty Images)"And then he hit me so hard that I was lifted off the floor and slammed against the wall on the other side of the hallway… It came from nowhere."
Sir Rod Stewart says performing with Jeff Beck was a 'privilege' in tribute
She went on to say that he was "an amazing guy, just really so charismatic.
"[But] after everything happened, I started to recognize that look in his eye and knew that he was not playing with a full deck."
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
