Jim Gordon, Drummer for Eric Clapton and George Harrison Who Was Convicted of Murder, Dead at 77
Jim McCrary/Redferns Jim Gordon
Jim Gordon — a drummer for Eric Clapton and George Harrison who was convicted of murder — has died, PEOPLE can confirm. He was 77.
Gordon died on Monday from natural causes at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, California, "after a long incarceration and lifelong battle with mental illness," his publicist, Bob Merlis, tells PEOPLE.
The drummer is survived by his daughter Amy from his first marriage, Variety reported.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Brian Cooke/Redferns
RELATED: Paying Tribute to the Celebrities Who Have Died in 2023
Born in July 1945, Gordon would go on to perform on numerous recordings throughout the 1960s, including The Beach Boys' legendary Pet Sounds album, according to The Los Angeles Times.
In the next decade, Gordon's career continued to soar, with him playing drums on Carly Simon's "You're So Vain," in addition to songs and albums by John Lennon, Seals & Crofts and Art Garfunkel, to name a few, the outlet added.
Gordon also played for Delaney & Bonnie, whose guitarist at the time was Clapton, 77. He and the artist later went on to form Derek and the Dominos, which helped craft Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass, per the Times.
Clapton and Gordon also co-wrote the star's 1971 hit "Layla" — which garnered Gordon his first and only Grammy Award.
Brian Cooke/Redferns
RELATED: Jeremiah Green Dead at 45: Modest Mouse Drummer's Cancer Diagnosis Was Announced 4 Days Earlier
Gordon began to show signs of mental illness in 1970, when he reportedly punched his then-girlfriend, Rita Coolidge, in a hotel, per Variety.
Over a decade later in 1983, he fatally attacked his 72-year-old mother, Osa Gordon, with a hammer and a knife, according to The New York Post.
Gordon confessed to the murder, claiming that a voice inside his head told him to kill his mother, Variety reported. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia following his arrest.
In 1984 the artist was sentenced to 16 years to life in prison. He was denied parole several times throughout the years, per the Times.
