Tribute to Jim Gordon, featuring Sheldon Zoldan

Jim Gordon was a brilliant and successful drummer who played with some of the biggest names in music. He also had a tragic life.

Longtime writer/editor Sheldon Zoldan wrote this tribute to Gordon, who received a writing credit for "Layla," one of Eric Clapton's most popular songs. This is one of 44 short yet illuminating episodes about significant figures in the music industry who passed away in 2023.

 Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a music-related story sent daily to an email list of subscribers. All of those stories and these tributes include links to the featured songs. Here, you can link to “Layla" on YouTube.

To get on the Song of the Day subscriber list, email shzoldan@comcast.net with the subject line ADD ME TO SOTD.

If you want to learn more about Gordon, you can check out Joel Selvin's book, "Drums & Demons: The Tragic Journey of Jim Gordon," published in 2024.

This is Kate Jones. Thank you for listening to the show!

Available on Apple, Spotify, Audible and in other directories, and on YouTube.

Transcript

Kate
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Hello, and welcome to Everyday Creation,

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a show about living our purpose and lifting

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our vibes for ourselves and the world.

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I'm Kate Jones, here with a tribute to

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Jim Gordon,

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a brilliant drummer with a tragic story.

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This is one of 44 short yet illuminating

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episodes

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about significant figures in the music industry who

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passed away in 2023.

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My guest Sheldon Zoldan,

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a longtime writer and newspaper editor,

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wrote these tributes and recorded them.

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Here's what he says about Gordon,

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who died on March 13th last year in

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a California

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prison system medical facility.

Sheldon:
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Jim Gordon was a thief,

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a murderer,

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and one hell of a drummer.

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Gordon played with some of the most successful

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artists of the 1960s

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and '70s.

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He received a writing credit for our Song

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of the Day, "Layla."

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Gordon died March 13th

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in the California

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prison system medical facility.

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He was 77.

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Gordon started playing professionally in

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1963

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when he was 17.

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He became a studio drummer

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playing with a group of session musicians known

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as the Wrecking Crew.

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He played on the Beach Boys' classic album

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"Pet Sounds."

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He played with Dave Mason, the Birds, George

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Harrison,

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Helen Reddy, Traffic,

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Joe Cocker and Eric Clapton.

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He became a member of Derek & the

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Dominos with Clapton.

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Clapton noticed a piano section Gordon was playing

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one day and asked him if he can

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incorporate it into "Layla."

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Gordon said he could.

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What he didn't tell Clapton was he didn't

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write it. His girlfriend Rita Coolidge did.

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Gordon received a writing credit for the song,

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which meant he shared in the publishing riches

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to one of Clapton's most popular songs.

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Gordon was on the A-list of studio

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players despite his increasingly erratic behavior.

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He talked about hearing voices.

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His doctor misdiagnosed

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the problem, blaming it on alcohol.

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He wasn't diagnosed with schizophrenia

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until after he killed his mother.

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He struck his mom several times with a

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hammer in June 1983.

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He then stabbed her to death.

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He said he heard voices telling him to

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kill her. He was found guilty of murder

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and sentenced to a California prison

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from 16 years to life. He was denied

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parole several times.

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He never attended a single parole hearing.

Kate:
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This is Kate again.

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Sheldon also writes Song of the Day, a

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music-related story sent daily to an email

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list of subscribers.

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All of those stories and these tributes

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include links to the featured songs.

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In this episode's description,

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you can link to "Layla" on YouTube,

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as well as get information on how to

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join Sheldon's subscriber list.

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If you enjoyed this tribute, please check out

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the next one about Bobby Caldwell,

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who is best known for "What You Won't

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Do for Love," his only song that made

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it into Billboard's Top 40, peaking at number

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9.

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And please share the tributes with anyone who

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might appreciate these well-researched glimpses into the

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lives of the people who created some of

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the music we love.

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Thank you for listening to Everyday Creation.