Post-rockabilly hero Robert Gordon dead at 75
Robert Gordon has passed away at the age of 75. The legendary New York City punk scene spearhead was the vital cog who helped to revive rockabilly and help spawn psychobilly.
“We liked working with Robert and will miss his powerful baritone vocal as well as his focused dedication to his music,” Cleopatra Records announced in a statement on social media.
Growing up in the small town of Bethesda, Maryland, Gordon was determined to follow in the footsteps of his heroes Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochrane even if they were no longer in vogue.
Thus, when he moved to New York City in the 1970s, having previously played in a band called the Confidentials in his youth, he saw punk as the perfect opportunity to opportunity to lean back into his individualist passion.
Initially, he played with the early CBGB headliners, Tuff Darts, but his passion was more inclined toward reviving rockabilly than proto-punk. Therefore, when producer Richard Gottehrer encouraged him to make a solo record that mixed the two in 1977, Gordon obliged.
His debut solo album, Fresh Fish Special, features iconic guitarist Link Wray and helped to reinvigorate the original angle of punk. It proved vital in ensuring that the ethos of punk could easily become musically eclectic and soon psychobilly, new wave and a slew of others would spin off.
He then went on to sign for RCA and make a string of records featuring the likes of Chris Spedding and other punk guitarists putting their best 1950s impressions to the test. He even scored somewhat of a hit in this period with his cover of Marshall Crenshaw’s ‘Someday, Someway’.
Gordon toured and recorded ever since and even starred alongside Willem Dafoe in the movie The Loveless. He remained dedicated to the arts, the scene, and the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll with a quiff for the ages.
No cause of death has officially been announced, however, he has been dealing with myeloid leukaemia since being diagnosed a few years ago.
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