{"id":618789,"date":"2023-03-16T13:34:00","date_gmt":"2023-03-16T18:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/16\/jim-gordon-derek-and-the-dominos-drummer-layla-co-writer-and-convicted-murderer-dies-at-77\/"},"modified":"2023-03-16T13:34:00","modified_gmt":"2023-03-16T18:34:00","slug":"jim-gordon-derek-and-the-dominos-drummer-layla-co-writer-and-convicted-murderer-dies-at-77","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/16\/jim-gordon-derek-and-the-dominos-drummer-layla-co-writer-and-convicted-murderer-dies-at-77\/","title":{"rendered":"Jim Gordon \u2013 Derek and the Dominos drummer, Layla co-writer, and convicted murderer \u2013 dies at 77"},"content":{"rendered":"<article aria-label=\"article\" data-id=\"UbdnsniZQBdMEtL8Wx8sjF\">\n<header>\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\">\n<ol>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\" aria-label=\"Return to Home\">Home<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/news\" aria-label=\"Return to News\">News<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<\/header>\n<section>\n<div itemprop=\"image\" itemscope itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n<div>\n<picture><source type=\"image\/webp\" alt=\"Jim Gordon, pictured recording at Command Studios\" onerror=\"if(this.src &#038;&#038; this.src.indexOf('missing-image.svg') !== -1){return true;};this.parentNode.replaceChild(window.missingImage(),this)\"   data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/mEWGtLqQDvBEkNYfjN8GDF.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/mEWGtLqQDvBEkNYfjN8GDF.jpg\"><source type=\"image\/jpeg\" alt=\"Jim Gordon, pictured recording at Command Studios\" onerror=\"if(this.src &#038;&#038; this.src.indexOf('missing-image.svg') !== -1){return true;};this.parentNode.replaceChild(window.missingImage(),this)\"   data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/mEWGtLqQDvBEkNYfjN8GDF.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/mEWGtLqQDvBEkNYfjN8GDF.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/mEWGtLqQDvBEkNYfjN8GDF-320-80.jpg\" alt=\"Jim Gordon, pictured recording at Command Studios\" onerror=\"if(this.src &#038;&#038; this.src.indexOf('missing-image.svg') !== -1){return true;};this.parentNode.replaceChild(window.missingImage(),this)\"   data-original-mos=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/mEWGtLqQDvBEkNYfjN8GDF.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/mEWGtLqQDvBEkNYfjN8GDF.jpg\"><\/picture>\n<\/div>\n<p><meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/mEWGtLqQDvBEkNYfjN8GDF.jpg\"><br \/>\n<meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"600\"><br \/>\n<meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"338\"><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\">\n<span itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Estate Of Keith Morris\/Redferns)<\/span><br \/>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p>Jim Gordon, a legendary rock drummer who played in Derek and the Dominos, and co-wrote their legendary song, <em>Layla<\/em>, has died at the age of 77.<\/p>\n<p>His death was confirmed by publicist Bob Merlis, who reported that the drummer died of natural causes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In the late &#8217;60s and early &#8217;70s, Gordon was one of the most in-demand drummers in rock, but his life and legacy came to be overshadowed by his battle with schizophrenia, a battle that culminated in him brutally murdering his 71-year-old mother <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/jim-gordon-eric-clapton-drummer-dead-obituary-1234697705\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/jim-gordon-eric-clapton-drummer-dead-obituary-1234697705\/\" rel=\"noopener\">in 1983<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> during a psychotic episode. Gordon spent the rest of his life in prison.<\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet>\n<p><iframe data-lazy-priority=\"high\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/t54NeRX03_o\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Born and raised in Los Angeles, Gordon took up the drums at a young age, and began his professional career just out of high school, with a gig with The Everly Brothers.<\/p>\n<p>From there, he became a valued member of the loose collective of elite LA studio musicians known as The Wrecking Crew, playing on a wide variety of classic recordings. The Beach Boys&#8217; <em>Pet Sounds<\/em>, Mason Williams&#8217; <em>Classical Gas <\/em>and Glen Campbell\u2019s <em>Gentle on My Mind <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/music\/story\/2023-03-15\/jim-gordon-famed-session-drummer-convicted-of-murdering-his-mother-dies-at-77\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/music\/story\/2023-03-15\/jim-gordon-famed-session-drummer-convicted-of-murdering-his-mother-dies-at-77\" rel=\"noopener\">all feature Gordon&#8217;s playing<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span>, and helped Gordon land a touring gig \u2013 in 1969 \u2013 with soul\/rock outfit Delaney &#038; Bonnie.<\/p>\n<p>That gig, in turn, brought him to the attention of Delaney &#038; Bonnie associates \u2013 and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/features\/best-electric-guitars\">electric guitar<\/a> heroes \u2013 George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Gordon would form part of the backing band on Harrison&#8217;s seminal proper solo debut, <em>All Things Must Pass<\/em>, and the core of Clapton&#8217;s post-Cream and Blind Faith band, Derek and the Dominos.<\/p>\n<p>Though short-lived, Derek and the Dominos \u2013 and their only album, 1970&#8217;s <em>Layla <\/em>\u2013 helped establish Clapton as a songwriter, not just a guitar god. The album&#8217;s climactic title track \u2013 at Clapton&#8217;s request \u2013 came to prominently include a piano piece Gordon wrote with his then-girlfriend, Rita Coolidge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJim and Rita had written this song called \u2018Time,\u2019 back in the Delaney &#038; Bonnie days,\u201d Dominos keyboardist Bobby Whitlock <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/players\/an-oral-history-of-derek-and-the-dominos-layla\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/players\/an-oral-history-of-derek-and-the-dominos-layla\" rel=\"noopener\">told <em>Guitar Player <\/em>in 2020<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span>. \u201cThey wanted me to play piano on it, with Rita singing. But I told them, \u2018I don\u2019t feel this at all.\u2019 And it turns out that Jim brought it to Eric after we\u2019d already recorded the album [<em>Layla<\/em>], and Eric wanted to add it to the end of what we\u2019d recorded for <em>Layla <\/em>[the song].<em>&#8220;<\/em><\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet>\n<p><iframe data-lazy-priority=\"low\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/TngViNw2pOo\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>It&#8217;s a testament to the depth of Gordon&#8217;s discography, though, that that part of <em>Layla <\/em>might not even be his most endearing contribution to the world of music.<\/p>\n<p>That distinction most likely falls to his drum break from the Incredible Bongo Band\u2019s <em>Apache<\/em>, which would go on to become a foundational hip-hop sample.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div data-nosnippet>\n<p><iframe data-lazy-priority=\"low\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-Udnb6F1A0g\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Despite further session success in the early 1970s, Gordon&#8217;s life took a sharp \u2013 and eventually tragic \u2013 downward turn afterwards due to his battle with alcoholism, drug addiction, and later, schizophrenia.<\/p>\n<p>By the early 1980s, Gordon had grown increasingly isolated, and his mental state deteriorated. Finally, on June 3, 1983, Gordon \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/jim-gordon-eric-clapton-drummer-dead-obituary-1234697705\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/jim-gordon-eric-clapton-drummer-dead-obituary-1234697705\/\" rel=\"noopener\">driven, he said, by dark inner voices<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> \u2013 brutally murdered his mother with a hammer and butcher knife.<\/p>\n<p>He was sentenced in to 16 years to life in prison in 1984, and was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/music\/story\/2023-03-15\/jim-gordon-famed-session-drummer-convicted-of-murdering-his-mother-dies-at-77\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/entertainment-arts\/music\/story\/2023-03-15\/jim-gordon-famed-session-drummer-convicted-of-murdering-his-mother-dies-at-77\" rel=\"noopener\">subsequently denied parole<\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> on several occasions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vanilla.futurecdn.net\/guitarworld\/media\/img\/GW_logo.svg\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span>Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Join now for unlimited access<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>UK pricing \u00a32.99 per month or \u00a329.00 per year\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Europe pricing \u20ac3.49 per month or \u20ac34.00 per year<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span>*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vanilla.futurecdn.net\/guitarworld\/media\/img\/GW_logo.svg\">\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><span>Join now for unlimited access<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Prices from \u00a32.99\/$3.99\/\u20ac3.49<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" data-reactroot id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent\">\n<section>\n<p>We\u2019d love to stay in touch, sign up for The Pick team to contact you with great news, content and offers.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<div data-reactroot id=\"slice-container-authorBio\">\n<p>Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He\u2019s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarplayer.com\/author\/jackson-maxwell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Guitar Player<\/em><\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span>. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.loudersound.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Louder<\/em><\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span> and <a href=\"https:\/\/unrecordedmu.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Unrecorded<\/em><\/a><span> (opens in new tab)<\/span>. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.guitarworld.com\/news\/jim-gordon-derek-and-the-dominos-layla-dies\" class=\"button purchase\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Read More<\/a><br \/>\n Samatha Wrona<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News (Image credit: Estate Of Keith Morris\/Redferns) Jim Gordon, a legendary rock drummer who played in Derek and the Dominos, and co-wrote their legendary song, Layla, has died at the age of 77. His death was confirmed by publicist Bob Merlis, who reported that the drummer died of natural causes.\u00a0 In the late &#8217;60s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":618790,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30314,534,751],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-618789","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-derek","category-financial","category-gordon"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=618789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/618789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/618790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=618789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=618789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=618789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}