Jim Gordon: convicted murderer and former drummer for Eric Clapton and George Harrison, dies aged 77
Session drummer Jim Gordon, a collaborator of Eric Clapton and George Harrison before murdering his mother, has passed away aged 77.
Born James Beck Gordon in Los Angeles in 1945, his death was confirmed by the publicist Bob Merlis, who said that he died of natural causes “after a long incarceration and lifelong battle with mental illness”. Merlis also said in his statement that Gordon died of natural causes at California Medical Facility in Vacaville on Monday, March 13th.
Before the murder and imprisonment, Gordon enjoyed a successful music career. Famously, he co-wrote the 1971 hit ‘Layla’ with Eric Clapton, and played the drums in Derek and the Dominos, the short-lived supergroup that released it, which also featured Duane Allman. Gordon played most of the drums on former Beatles member George Harrison’s signature solo album, 1970’s All Things Must Pass.
Elsewhere in his career, Gordon recorded with many familiar faces, including John Lennon, Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Alice Cooper, the Everly Brothers, Leon Russell, Gordon Lightfoot, and many more.
He battled mental health issues throughout his career. As quoted in Bill Janovitz’s Leon Russell biography The Master of Space and Time’s Journey Through Rock & Roll History, Gordon’s ex-girlfriend Rita Coolidge claimed that when he was touring with Joe Cocker in 1970, he hit her with such force that she “lifted off the floor and slammed against the wall on the other side of the hallway”.
In 1984, Gordon was convicted of murdering his 71-year-old widowed mother, Osa Marie, in June 1983. As reported at the time, he hit her with a hammer and then stabbed her to death with a butcher’s knife, later claiming that a voice instructed him to do it. He was initially sentenced to 16 years for the murder, but numerous appeals for parole were denied. Reportedly, he is survived by a daughter, Amy.
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