March 16, (THEWILL) – Embattled Grammy-winning American drummer, Jim Gordon, has died in a California mental hospital, nearly 40 years after being jailed for killing his mother.
According to his publicist, Gordon, who co-wrote the ‘Layla’ ballard with guitarist, Eric Clapton, died of natural causes on Monday, at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville. He was 77.
The drummer died after a long incarceration and lifelong battle with mental illness.
He was known for his stints with some of rock’s biggest names in the 60s and 70s.
However, his career was marred by schizophrenia, which resulted in the brutal stabbing and murder of his mother on June 3, 1983.
In 1993, while in prison, Gordon won a Grammy for Best Rock Song for ‘Layla’.
