James Beck Gordon (born July 14, 1945) is an American musician, songwriter, and convicted felon. Gordon was a popular session

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western bands that play rock, pop, jazz, or R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeeping and embellishing the musical timbre. The drummer's ...

in the late 1960s and 1970s and was the drummer in the

blues rock Blues rock is a fusion music genre that combines elements of blues and rock music. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock (electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums, sometimes w ...

supergroup Derek and the Dominos. In 1983, in a psychotic episode associated with undiagnosed

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social w ...

, Gordon murdered his mother and was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. As of 2022, he remains incarcerated at the California Medical Facility.

Music career

Gordon was raised in the

San Fernando Valley The San Fernando Valley, known locally as the Valley, is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County, California. Located to the north of the Los Angeles Basin, it contains a large portion of the City of Los Angeles, as well as unincorporated ar ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

and attended Grant High School. He passed up a music scholarship to

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...

in order to begin his professional career in 1963, at age 17, backing the

Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...

. He went on to become one of the most sought-after recording session drummers in Los Angeles. The protégé of studio drummer Hal Blaine, Gordon performed on many notable

recordings A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, r ...

in the 1960s, including '' Pet Sounds'', by

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

(1966); '' Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers'', by

Gene Clark Harold Eugene Clark (November 17, 1944 – May 24, 1991) was an American singer-songwriter and founding member of the folk rock band the Byrds. He was the Byrds' principal songwriter between 1964 and early 1966, writing most of the band's best ...

(1967); '' The Notorious Byrd Brothers'', by

the Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...

(1968); and the hit " Classical Gas", by Mason Williams (1968). At the height of his career Gordon was reportedly so busy as a studio musician that he flew back to Los Angeles from

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Veg ...

every day to do two or three recording sessions and then returned in time to play the evening show at

Caesars Palace Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The hotel is situated on the west side of the Las Vegas Strip between Bellagio and The Mirage. It is one of Las Vegas's largest and best known landmarks. Caesar ...

. In 1969 and 1970 Gordon toured as part of the backing band for Delaney & Bonnie, which at the time included

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list o ...

. Clapton subsequently took over the group's

rhythm section A rhythm section is a group of musicians within a music ensemble or band that provides the underlying rhythm, harmony and pulse of the accompaniment, providing a rhythmic and harmonic reference and "beat" for the rest of the band. The rhyth ...

— Gordon (

), Carl Radle (

bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or a low b ...

), Bobby Whitlock ( keyboardist, singer, songwriter) — and they formed a new band, later called Derek and the Dominos. The band's first studio work was as the house band for

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

's three-disc set '' All Things Must Pass'' (1970). Gordon then played on Derek and the Dominos' 1970 double album, '' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs'' and also played with the band on subsequent U.S. and UK tours. The group split in spring 1971 before they finished recording their second album. In addition to his drumming, Gordon was credited with contributing the elegiac

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

coda for the title track, " Layla". In later years, Whitlock claimed that the coda was not actually written by Gordon: "Jim took that piano melody from his ex-girlfriend Rita Coolidge. I know because in the D&B days I lived in

John Garfield John Garfield (born Jacob Julius Garfinkle, March 4, 1913 – May 21, 1952) was an American actor who played brooding, rebellious, working-class characters. He grew up in poverty in New York City. In the early 1930s, he became a member of ...

's old house in the

Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Geography The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Un ...

and there was a guest house with an upright piano in it. Rita and Jim were up there in the guest house and invited me to join in on writing this song with them called "Time". (Her sister Priscilla wound up recording it with

Booker T. Jones Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. (born November 12, 1944) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. & the M.G.'s. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known art ...

) Jim took the melody from Rita's song and didn't give her credit for writing it. Her boyfriend ripped her off". Graham Nash (who later dated Coolidge) substantiated Whitlock's claim in his memoir. "Time" was not released by

Priscilla Coolidge Priscilla Coolidge (1941 – October 2, 2014) was an American recording artist and sister of singer Rita Coolidge. Life and career Coolidge was born in Lafayette, Tennessee. Between 1969 and 1979, she was married to Booker T. Jones, who produce ...

and Booker T. until 1973, on their album ''Chronicles''. In 1970 Gordon was part of

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

's '' Mad Dogs & Englishmen'' tour and played on Dave Mason's album ''Alone Together''. In 1971, he toured with

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

and appeared on two of their albums, including ''

The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys ''The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys'' is the fifth studio album by English rock band Traffic, released in 1971. The album was Traffic's most successful in the United States, reaching number 7 on the ''Billboard'' Top LPs chart and becoming the ...

''. That same year he played on

Harry Nilsson Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his commercial success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal ov ...

's album ''

Nilsson Schmilsson ''Nilsson Schmilsson'' is the seventh studio album by American singer Harry Nilsson, released by RCA Records in November 1971. It was Nilsson's most commercially successful work, producing three of his best-known songs. Among these was the num ...

'', contributing the drum solo to the track " Jump into the Fire". Gordon was the drummer on the Incredible Bongo Band's album ''Bongo Rock'', released in 1972, and his drum break on the LP version of "

Apache The Apache () are a group of culturally related Native American tribes in the Southwestern United States, which include the Chiricahua, Jicarilla, Lipan, Mescalero, Mimbreño, Ndendahe (Bedonkohe or Mogollon and Nednhi or Carrizaleño a ...

" has been frequently

sample Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of ...

d by

rap music Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

artists. In 1972, Gordon was also part of

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by nonconformity, free-form improvisation, sound experiments, musical virtuosity and satire of ...

's 20-piece 'Grand Wazoo' big band and the subsequent 10-piece 'Petit Wazoo' band. Perhaps his best-known recording with Zappa is the title track of the 1974 album '' Apostrophe (')'', a jam with Zappa and Tony Duran on guitar and

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disband ...

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

, for which both Bruce and Gordon received a writing credit (Zappa, when introducing Gordon onstage, frequently referred to him as "Skippy", because of his youthful appearance). Also in 1972, Gordon played drums on

Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a showbusiness family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on rad ...

's Top 20 US album '' I Am Woman''. In 1973 Gordon played on Johnny Rivers' ''Blue Suede Shoes'' as well as on Art Garfunkel's ''Angel Clare'' albums, and toured with Rivers through 1974 appearing on the ''Last Boogie in Paris'' live album. Also in 1974, Gordon played on most of the tracks on

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from liv ...

's album '' Pretzel Logic'', including the single "

Rikki Don't Lose That Number "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" is a single released in 1974 by rock/jazz rock group Steely Dan and the opening track of their third album ''Pretzel Logic''. It was the most successful single of the group's career, peaking at number 4 on the ''B ...

". He again worked with Chris Hillman of the Byrds as the drummer in the

Souther–Hillman–Furay Band The Souther Hillman Furay Band (SHF) was a country rock supergroup led by singer-songwriters Richie Furay (Buffalo Springfield, Poco), Chris Hillman (The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Manassas), and J. D. Souther (Longbranch Pennywhistle, no ...

from 1973 to 1975. He also played drums on three tracks on

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guilloti ...

's 1976 album, ''

Alice Cooper Goes to Hell ''Alice Cooper Goes to Hell'' is the second solo album by American rock musician Alice Cooper, released in 1976. A continuation of '' Welcome to My Nightmare'' as it continues the story of Steven, the concept album was written by Cooper with guit ...

''.

Mental health

Gordon developed

and began to hear voices (including his mother’s) which compelled him to starve himself and prevented him from sleeping, relaxing or playing drums. His physicians misdiagnosed the problems and instead treated him for

alcohol abuse Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of unhealthy alcohol drinking behaviors, ranging from binge drinking to alcohol dependence, in extreme cases resulting in health problems for individuals and large scale social problems such as alcohol-rela ...

. While on tour with

in the early 1970s, Gordon reportedly punched his then-girlfriend Rita Coolidge in a hotel hallway, thereby ending their relationship.

Murder of mother, conviction and incarceration

On June 3, 1983, Gordon attacked his 72-year-old mother, Osa Marie Gordon, with a

hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as wi ...

before fatally stabbing her with a

butcher knife A butcher knife or butcher's knife is a knife designed and used primarily for the butchering or dressing of animal carcasses. Use Today, the butcher knife is used throughout the world in the meat processing trade. The heftier blade works well f ...

; he claimed that a voice told him to kill her. Only after his arrest for murder was Gordon properly diagnosed with

. At his trial, the court accepted that he had acute schizophrenia, but he was not allowed to use an

insanity defense The insanity defense, also known as the mental disorder defense, is an affirmative defense by excuse in a criminal case, arguing that the defendant is not responsible for their actions due to an episodic psychiatric disease at the time of the ...

because of changes to California law due to the

Insanity Defense Reform Act The Insanity Defense Reform Act of 1984 (IDRA) was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on October 12, 1984, amending the United States federal laws governing defendants with mental diseases or defects to make it significantly more difficult ...

. On July 10, 1984, Gordon was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. He was first eligible for parole in 1991, but parole has been denied several times as he has never attended a parole hearing. In 2014, he declined to attend his hearing and was denied parole until at least 2018. A Los Angeles deputy district attorney stated at the hearing that he was still "seriously psychologically incapacitated" and "a danger when he is not taking his medication". In November 2017, Gordon was rediagnosed with schizophrenia. On March 7, 2018, Gordon was denied parole for the tenth time and was tentatively scheduled to become eligible again in March 2021. , he was serving his sentence at the California Medical Facility, a medical and psychiatric prison in Vacaville, California.

Partial discography

During his career, Gordon played with a long list of musicians and record producers, including: * Peter Allen: ''

Taught by Experts ''Taught by Experts'' is the fourth studio album by Peter Allen, released in 1976. It spawned the hit " I Go to Rio". The album featured such musicians as Thom Rotella, Jerome Richardson, Lesley Gore and Dusty Springfield. Track listing #"Put ...

'' * Duane Allman: '' An Anthology'' *

Hoyt Axton Hoyt Wayne Axton (March 25, 1938 – October 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and actor. He became prominent in the early 1960s, establishing himself on the West Coast as a folk singer with an earthy style and powerful voic ...

: ''My Griffin Is Gone'' *

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

: ''

Diamonds & Rust ''Diamonds & Rust'' is the sixteenth studio album (and eighteenth overall) by American singer-songwriter Joan Baez, released in 1975. The album covered songs written or played by Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, The Allman Brothers, Jackson Browne and ...

''; ''

From Every Stage ''From Every Stage'' is a double live album recorded by Joan Baez on tour in the summer of 1975. The first half of the album was acoustic, with Baez accompanying herself on her guitar, while the second half features electric backup. Baez' record ...

''; ''

Gulf Winds ''Gulf Winds'' is the seventeenth studio album (and nineteenth overall) by Joan Baez, released in 1976. It was her final album of new material for A&M. Baez stated in her autobiography, ''And a Voice to Sing With'', that most of the songs were w ...

''; '' Blowin' Away'' *

The Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Distinguished by the ...

: '' Pet Sounds''; '' Smiley Smile''; ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Li ...

''; ''

20/20 Visual acuity (VA) commonly refers to the clarity of vision, but technically rates an examinee's ability to recognize small details with precision. Visual acuity is dependent on optical and neural factors, i.e. (1) the sharpness of the retinal ...

'' * The

Beau Brummels The Beau Brummels was an American rock band. Formed in San Francisco in 1964, the band's original lineup included Sal Valentino (lead vocals), Ron Elliott (lead guitar), Ron Meagher (bass guitar), Declan Mulligan (rhythm guitar, bass, harmonic ...

: ''

Triangle A triangle is a polygon with three edges and three vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, any three points, when non- colline ...

'' * Stephen Bishop: '' Careless'' *

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...

: '' It Makes Me Feel Good'' *

Bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

: ''

'' * Teresa Brewer: ''16 Most Requested Songs'' *

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...

: '' The Pretender'' *

: '' Out of the Storm'' *

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) remaining the sole con ...

: '' The Notorious Byrd Brothers'' * * The Carpenters: ''

Horizon The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...

''; '' A Kind of Hush''; '' Interpretations'' * Chad and Jeremy : ''The Ark'' *

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

: '' Stars'' *

: ''

'' *

: '' Gene Clark with the Gosdin Brothers'' *

: '' Mad Dogs & Englishmen'' *

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...

: ''

Who Knows Where the Time Goes "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" is a song written by the English folk-rock singer and songwriter Sandy Denny. Denny originally recorded the song as a demo in 1967, singing and playing guitar on the track. Later that year, she briefly joined th ...

'' *

: ''

''; ''

Lace and Whiskey ''Lace and Whiskey'' is the third solo and tenth overall studio album by American rock singer Alice Cooper, released on April 29, 1977 by Warner Bros. Records. Background After many years of portraying a dark and sinister persona Alice Cooper d ...

'' *

Crosby, Stills & Nash Crosby, Stills & Nash (CSN) were a folk rock supergroup made up of American singer-songwriters David Crosby and Stephen Stills and English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. When joined by Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young as a fourth memb ...

: ''

'' *

Burton Cummings Burton Lorne Cummings (born December 31, 1947) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for leading The Guess Who during that band's most successful period from 1965 to 1975, and for a lengthy solo career. Cummings has ...

: ''Burton Cummings''; ''Dream of a Child'' * Delaney & Bonnie: ''

On Tour with Eric Clapton ''On Tour with Eric Clapton'' is a 1970 album by Delaney & Bonnie with Eric Clapton, recorded live at the Fairfield Halls, England. Released on Atco Records, it peaked at No. 29 on the ''Billboard'' 200 in April 1970, at No. 39 on the UK Albu ...

''; '' D&B Together'' * Derek and the Dominos: '' Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs''; '' In Concert''; '' Live at the Fillmore'' *

Neil Diamond Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...

: ''

Beautiful Noise ''Beautiful Noise'' is the tenth album by Neil Diamond and his third with Columbia Records, released in 1976. "Dry Your Eyes" was performed with The Band at their farewell show and is featured in Martin Scorsese's ''The Last Waltz''. Overview ...

'' *

Donovan Donovan Phillips Leitch (born 10 May 1946), known mononymously as Donovan, is a Scottish musician, songwriter, and record producer. He developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelic rock and world mus ...

: '' Essence to Essence'' *

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from ...

: '' The Sun, Moon & Herbs'' * *

The Everly Brothers The Everly Brothers were an American rock duo, known for steel-string acoustic guitar playing and close harmony singing. Consisting of Isaac Donald "Don" Everly (February 1, 1937 – August 21, 2021) and Phillip "Phil" Everly (January 19, 193 ...

: '' Gone Gone Gone''; ''

Beat & Soul ''Beat & Soul'' is an album by The Everly Brothers, originally released in 1965. It peaked at No. 141 on the Billboard Pop Albums charts. It was re-released on CD in 2005 on the Collectors' Choice Music label. Reception Writing for Allmusic, mu ...

''; '' Two Yanks in England''; ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

''; ''

Stories We Could Tell ''Stories We Could Tell'' is a country rock album by The Everly Brothers, released in 1972. It was reissued as '' Stories We Could Tell:The RCA Years'' by BMG in 2003 and included additional tracks, all stemming from the successor album ''Pass th ...

'' * Art Garfunkel: ''

Angel Clare ''Angel Clare'', the debut solo studio album by Art Garfunkel, released on September 11, 1973, is his highest-charting solo album, peaking at No. 5. It includes his only Top 10 hit in the US as a solo artist, " All I Know", which peaked at No. ...

''; '' Breakaway'' * David Gates: '' First'' *

Lowell George Lowell Thomas George (April 13, 1945 – June 29, 1979) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer, who was the primary guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and founder/leader for the rock band Little Feat. Ear ...

: ''

Thanks, I'll Eat It Here ''Thanks I'll Eat It Here'' is the only solo album by rock and roll singer-songwriter Lowell George. While George is best known for his work with Little Feat, by 1977 Lowell felt that they were moving increasingly into jazz-rock, a form in whic ...

'' *

Merle Haggard Merle Ronald Haggard (April 6, 1937 – April 6, 2016) was an American country music singer, songwriter, guitarist, and fiddler. Haggard was born in Oildale, California, toward the end of the Great Depression. His childhood was troubled a ...

: '' Same Train, a Different Time'' *

Hall & Oates Daryl Hall and John Oates, commonly known as Hall & Oates, are an American pop rock duo formed in Philadelphia in 1970. Daryl Hall is generally the lead vocalist; John Oates primarily plays electric guitar and provides backing vocals. The two ...

: '' Daryl Hall & John Oates''; ''

Bigger Than Both of Us ''Bigger Than Both of Us'' is the fifth studio album by American pop music duo Daryl Hall and John Oates. The album was released on September 8, 1976, by RCA Records and peaked at #13 on the ''Billboard'' Top 200 Albums chart. The album inclu ...

'' * Albert Hammond: '' It Never Rains in Southern California''; '' The Free Electric Band''; '' Albert Hammond'' *

: '' All Things Must Pass''; '' Living in the Material World''; '' Extra Texture (Read All About It)'' *

Jim Henson James Maury Henson (September 24, 1936 – May 16, 1990) was an American puppeteer, animator, cartoonist, actor, inventor, and filmmaker who achieved worldwide notice as the creator of The Muppets and '' Fraggle Rock'' (1983–1987) and ...

: ''

The Muppet Movie ''The Muppet Movie'' is a 1979 American musical road comedy film directed by James Frawley, produced by Jim Henson, and the first theatrical film featuring the Muppets. A co-production between the United Kingdom and the United States, the fil ...

'' * Richard "Groove" Holmes: ''

Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is re ...

'' *

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often in ...

: ''

Endless Boogie ''Endless Boogie'' is a studio album by American blues musician John Lee Hooker, released in 1971 through ABC Records. Produced by Bill Szymczyk and Ed Michel, the double album was recorded at Wally Heider Recording with session musicians such a ...

'' *

Jim Horn James Ronald Horn (born November 20, 1940) is an American saxophonist, woodwind player, and session musician. Biography Horn was born in Los Angeles, and after replacing saxophonist Steve Douglas in 1959, he toured with member Duane Eddy for ...

: ''Through the Eyes of a Horn''; ''Jim's Horn'' * Thelma Houston: ''

I've Got the Music in Me "I've Got the Music in Me" is a pop song by The Kiki Dee Band, released in 1974. It was written in 1973 by Bias Boshell, Kiki Dee Band's keyboardist. It is also the title of a Kiki Dee Band album released in 1974 and re-mastered and re-issued wit ...

'' *

The Hues Corporation The Hues Corporation was an American pop and soul trio, formed in Santa Monica, California in 1969. They are best known for their 1974 single " Rock the Boat", which sold over 2 million copies. Group name and background Before achieving main ...

: ''

Freedom for the Stallion ''Freedom For The Stallion'' is the debut album by The Hues Corporation released in 1973. The album includes the original recording of "Rock the Boat (The Hues Corporation song), Rock The Boat." A later Remix, re-mix version of this recording bec ...

''; ''Rockin' Soul''; ''Love Corporation''; ''I Caught Your Act'' * Incredible Bongo Band: "

"; ''Bongo Rock'' *

Phil Keaggy Philip Tyler Keaggy (born March 23, 1951) is an American acoustic and electric guitarist and vocalist who has released more than 55 albums and contributed to many more recordings in both the contemporary Christian music and mainstream markets. H ...

: ''

Love Broke Thru ''Love Broke Thru'' is the title of the second solo album by Phil Keaggy released in 1977, on New Song Productions. This album was listed as No. 64 in the 2001 book, '' CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music''. Track l ...

''; '' Ph'lip Side'' *

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

: '' B.B. King in London'' *

Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...

:'' The City'' * Cheryl Ladd: ''Dance Forever'' *

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

: " Power to the People" *

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: ''Lettermen 1''; '' Spin Away'' *

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960 ...

: '' Sundown''; '' Cold on the Shoulder''; '' Gord's Gold''; ''

Summertime Dream ''Summertime Dream'' is Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot's twelfth original album, released on the Reprise Records label in 1976. It peaked at #1 on the Canadian ''RPM'' national album chart, and #12 on the US ''Billboard'' pop chart. The album m ...

'' *

Nils Lofgren Nils Hilmer Lofgren (born June 21, 1951) is an American rock musician, recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Along with his work as a solo artist, he has been a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band since 1984, a membe ...

: '' Cry Tough'' * Manhattan Transfer: ''

Coming Out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

''; ''

Pastiche A pastiche is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking it ...

'' * Dave Mason: '' Alone Together'' *

Country Joe McDonald Joseph Allen "Country Joe" McDonald (born January 1, 1942) is an American musician who was the lead singer of the 1960s psychedelic rock group Country Joe and the Fish.Richard Brenneman"Country Joe McDonald Revives Anti-War Anthem", ''Berkeley ...

: ''Love is a Fire'' * *

Maria Muldaur Maria Muldaur (born Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato; September 12, 1942) is an American folk and blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s. She recorded the 1973 hit song "Midnight at the Oasis" and has ...

: ''

''; ''Waitress in a Donut Shop'' *

Elliott Murphy Elliott James Murphy (born March 16, 1949) is an American rock singer-songwriter, novelist, record producer and journalist living in Paris. Biography Elliott Murphy was born in Rockville Centre, New York, grew up in Garden City, Long Island ...

: ''Elliott Murphy''; ''Lost Generation'' *

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album '' The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

: '' Skull Session'' * Tracy Nelson: ''Time Is on My Side'' *

Randy Newman Randall Stuart Newman (born November 28, 1943) is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist known for his Southern American English, Southern-accented singing style, early Americana (music), Americana-influenced songs (often ...

: ''

''; '' 12 Songs'' *

: ''

Aerial Ballet ''Aerial Ballet'' is the third studio album by American musician Harry Nilsson, released in July 1968. Overview ''Aerial Ballet'' was Nilsson's second album for RCA Victor, and was titled after the highwire circus act of his grandparents. It ...

''; ''

Skidoo (Soundtrack) ''Skidoo'' is an album by Harry Nilsson. It is the original soundtrack recording for the 1968 Otto Preminger film '' Skidoo'', arranged and conducted by George Tipton and released by RCA Records. Track 1, "The Cast and Crew", was used at the cl ...

''; ''

Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

''; ''

''; '' Son of Dracula (Soundtrack)'' *

Goro Noguchi is a Japanese singer and actor. He debuted as a singer in 1971 and earned a spot on the Kohaku Utagassen is the Japanese word for amber. Kohaku (琥珀) may refer to: Music * Kohaku, a song by Mikuni Shimokawa Characters * Kohaku (''Dr ...

: ''Goro in Los Angeles, U.S.A.'' *

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

: ''

Fly Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwing ...

'' *

Van Dyke Parks Van Dyke Parks (born January 3, 1943) is an American musician, songwriter, arranger, and record producer who has composed various film and television soundtracks. He is best known for his 1967 album ''Song Cycle (album), Song Cycle'' and for his ...

: ''

Song Cycle A song cycle (german: Liederkreis or Liederzyklus) is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice ...

''; '' Discover America'' *

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida. Formed in 1976, the band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer S ...

: ''

''; '' Playback'' *

Kenny Rankin Kenneth Joseph Rankin (February 10, 1940 – June 7, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter in the folk rock and singer-songwriter genres; he was influenced by jazz. Rankin would often sing notes in a high range to express emotion. Biogr ...

: ''Silver Morning'' * Redeye: ''Redeye'' *

Emitt Rhodes Emitt Lynn Rhodes (February 25, 1950 – July 19, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and recording engineer. At 14 years, Rhodes began his career in musical ensembles the Palace Guard as the group's drummer before jo ...

: '' The American Dream'' *

Righteous Brothers The Righteous Brothers are an American musical duo originally formed by Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield but now comprising Medley and Bucky Heard. Medley formed the group with Hatfield in 1963. They had first performed together in 1962 in the Los ...

: ''Give It to the People'' *

Minnie Riperton Minnie Julia Riperton Rudolph (November 8, 1947 – July 12, 1979) was an American singer-songwriter best known for her 1975 single "Lovin' You" and her four octave D3 to F7 coloratura soprano range. She is also widely known for her use o ...

: '' Adventures in Paradise'' * Johnny Rivers: ''L.A. Reggae''; ''Blue Suede Shoes''; ''Last Boogie in Paris''; ''New Lovers and Old Friends''; ''Wild Night''; ''Outside Help'' * Leon Russell: ''

Leon Russell and the Shelter People ''Leon Russell and the Shelter People'' is the second solo album by the singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Leon Russell. Released in 1971, it peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 200 in the United States. The album has gold certificat ...

'' *

Seals and Crofts Seals and Crofts was an American soft rock duo made up of James Eugene Seals (October 17, 1942 – June 6, 2022) and Darrell George "Dash" Crofts (born August 14, 1938) They are best known for their hits "Summer Breeze (song), Summer Breeze" (1 ...

: ''

Seals & Crofts Seals and Crofts was an American soft rock duo made up of James Eugene Seals (October 17, 1942 – June 6, 2022) and Darrell George "Dash" Crofts (born August 14, 1938) They are best known for their hits " Summer Breeze" (1972), " Diamond Girl" ...

''; '' Summer Breeze''; '' Diamond Girl'' *

John Sebastian John Benson Sebastian (born March 17, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist and harmonicist who founded the rock band The Lovin' Spoonful. He made an impromptu appearance at the Woodstock festival in 1969Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from liv ...

: '' Pretzel Logic''; "Here at the Western World" * B. W. Stevenson: ''Lead Free''; ''My Maria''; ''Calabasas'' * John Stewart (folk musician), John Stewart: ''The Phoenix Concerts'' * Stone Poneys: "Different Drum";Myers, Marc, ''Anatomy of a Song:The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop,'' Grove Press, New York, 2016 p. 103 ''Evergreen, Volume 2'' * Barbra Streisand: ''Barbra Joan Streisand (album), Barbra Joan Streisand'' * Mariya Takeuchi: ''Love Songs'' * Bob Thiele & His Orchestra: ''I Saw Pinetop Spit Blood'' * Mel Tormé: ''Right Now! (Mel Tormé album), Right Now!'' *

: ''Welcome to the Canteen''; ''

'' * John Travolta: ''John Travolta'' * * John Valenti: ''Anything You Want'' * Tom Waits: ''The Heart of Saturday Night'' * Tim Weisberg: ''Hurtwood Edge''; ''Dreamspeaker'' * Bobby Whitlock: ''Bobby Whitlock (album), Bobby Whitlock''; ''Raw Velvet'' * Andy Williams * Mason Williams: " Classical Gas" *

: '' Apostrophe (')''; ''Läther''; 'Grand Wazoo' (tour) and 'Petit Wazoo' (tour); ''Imaginary Diseases''; ''Wazoo (album), Wazoo''; ''Little Dots''

References

External links

Drummerworld - Jim Gordon

Photo Derek and the Dominos

Derek and the Dominos

Full List Discography

Drummers of Steely Dan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Jim 1945 births Living people American rock drummers American blues drummers American session musicians Delaney & Bonnie & Friends members Derek and the Dominos members Plastic Ono Band members Souther–Hillman–Furay Band members Traffic (band) members American people convicted of murder People with schizophrenia American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by California Place of birth missing (living people) Grammy Award winners Songwriters from California Warner Music Group artists People convicted of murder by California Matricides The Wrecking Crew (music) members People from the San Fernando Valley Hall & Oates members 20th-century American drummers American male drummers Grant High School (Los Angeles) alumni