Jim Gordon at Command Studios with Derek and the Dominos (Photo by Estate Of Keith Morris/Redferns)
Photo: Redferns, Estate Of Keith Morris. All rights reserved.
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Jim Gordon is dead. The drummer and songwriter died on Monday, March 13, 2023, at the age of 77 at the California Medical Facility, a medical and mental health facility in Vacaville, California, according to his publicist.
The cause of death: He died “after a long period of imprisonment and a lifelong struggle with mental illness”. In 1984, Gordon was convicted of murdering his mother. He suffered from schizophrenia and said voices in his head told him to do so. Originally sentenced to at least 16 years, he remained in custody until his death.
As a session musician, Jim Gordon worked with numerous famous musicians in the 70’s and 80’s. He co-wrote the Derek and the Dominos hit “Layla” with Eric Clapton, and is rumored to have stolen from then-girlfriend Rita Coolidge for the piano part at the end of the track. He also played drums and tambourine on John Lennon’s It’s So Hard, was a drummer on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album, and was a part of Frank Zappa’s and Joe Cocker’s bands at times. His drum break on the Incredible Bongo Band’s “Apache” version became a staple hip-hop sample for the likes of the Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and the Beastie Boys.
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