Jim Gordon, a well-known percussionist, died on March 13 at the age of 77. Gordon had been at the California Medical Facility since July 1984, when he was identified with schizophrenia after murdering his mother. His manager, Bob Merlis, indicated that he perished of natural causes and that more information will be released shortly. On Facebook, popular singer Marcella Detroit posted a photo of Gordon with members of Derek and the Dominos and wrote:
“And now we have percussionist Jim Gordon, who was in Derek and the Dominoes W EC, and my instructor, the late Carl Radle, who are both in this picture. Jim was a fantastic percussionist, but he struggled with mental disease and spent the majority of his time in jail after murdering his mother. A disaster for everyone. I pray he’s happy, Carl Dean, please say hello for me.”
Another percussionist, Matt Tecu, posted two photos of Gordon on Facebook, calling him a “legendary drummer” and one of his all-time faves. The message went on to say:
“He performed on so many tracks we all adore from musicians we admire like The Wrecking Crew, Steely Dan, Joe Cocker, Eric Clapton, Frank Zappa, Carly Simon, Carol, King, Leon Russell, Bob Dylan, Motown, etc, etc. For many years, he struggled with mental disease. I’m recording on one of his percussion sets.”
Jim Gordon rose to prominence as a part of Derek and the Dominos.
Jim Gordon, who was born on July 14, 1945, attended Grant High School and subsequently joined the Everly Brothers. He was only 17 years old at the time, but he ascended to fame in the music business after contributing to several of the group’s recordings. He encountered Eric Clapton, Carl Radle, and Bobby Whitlock while on tour with Delaney & Bonnie, which led to the creation of Derek and the Dominos in 1970. The ensemble was only active for a year before releasing an album named Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, which received negative reviews and financial success.
Although Derek and the Dominos disbanded in 1971, Gordon continued to perform for other musicians such as Dave Mason and traveled with various ensembles. He appeared on recordings such as The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys, Nilsson Schmilsson, Bongo Rock, and others. In the 1970s, he toured with Johnny Rivers and appeared on songs such as Rikki Don’t Lose That Number. He was the percussionist for the Souther Hillman Furay Band, also known as SHF.
Jim Gordon assassinated his mother.
Jim Gordon murdered his mother, Osa Marie Gordon, in June 1983, saying that he was directed to do so by a voice. He was subsequently identified with schizophrenia, the signs of which he had been suffering for a long time when he would deny himself food, sleep, or relaxation.
Gordon was available for release after serving his 16-year sentence in July 1984, but it was frequently rejected for a number of reasons. The most recent was in March 2018, and he was available for release again in March 2021.
