The name Jim Gordon may not ring a bell, but you've heard his drumming on tons of Classic Hits.

Gordon was indeed a very talented and much in demand drummer from the 60's until the 80's. His list of credits is very impressive to say the very least, but in 1984, his career came to a startling and scary end.

Jim Gordon was the 'session' and sometime stage drummer for a great many acts. This is only a partial list of his record credits.

Alice Cooper
Derek and the Dominos -'Layla"
Delaney, Bonnie & Friends
Eric Clapton
George Harrison
Harry Nilsson
The Everly Brothers
The Beach Boys- 'Pet Sounds'
The Beau Brummels
Mason Williams
Gene Clark
The Byrds
Joe Cocker
Traffic
Frank Zappa
Souther–Hillman–Furay Band
Dave Mason
Incredible Bongo Band
Steely Dan
Gordon Lightfoot

 

Gordon, like many musicians, enjoyed his drugs and drink. While a few musicians of the era came through all the Sex, drugs and Rock and Roll unscathed, the same can't be said for Jim Gordon.

Gordon told a fellow musician that he had started hearing voices. More to the point, he was hearing his mother's voice. It finally became more than he could handle and in 1983, he killed his mother.

In the subsequent trial, the court accepted the fact that Gordon was suffering from acute schizophrenia, but because of screwy California law, he couldn't plead 'insanity.' (If you can figure that one out, you're smarter than anybody I know)

On 10 July 1984 Gordon was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. Gordon is still serving his sentence at the California Medical Facility, a specialist medical and psychiatric prison in Vacaville, California.

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When the dark side of Rock and Roll rears it's head, it means business. Gordon is said to still be very acutely schizophrenic and may live out the rest of his days in the facility.

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