Jim Gordon has Passed On...

 I hadn't realized Gordon was in J. Browne's band 1978:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wF7zc_YK6A&list=RD9wF7zc_YK6A&start_radio=1

Congratulations @atlantadrumguy, you have a very desirable and cool drumset. I too have an Oaklawn (location of the original Camco factory) set in sizes 24/16/13/12 (in Jim’s natural walnut finish), but mine are actually one of Jim’s sets!

When Jim was incarcerated he left the set in a storage facility on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City (not far from his house on the north side of the Hollywood Hills). In the early-90’s a new owner of the property found the drumset in a locker, and listed it in The Recyler, a Los Angeles buy/sell weekly paper. I drove over to the building (I lived 5 minutes away) and laid $875 in the owners hands. One unusual detail about the set is that the 24" bass drum has no internal reinforcing ring, the only Oaklawn-era Camco set I’ve seen that way.

I also have another Oaklawn set in the same sizes (I own, collect, and play only 24" bass drums), but in Natural maple finish. They’re not from Jim’s collection.

@bdp24 

Great story as always. That's a great piece of memorabilia.

@roxy54: If the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall Of Fame ever does a Derek & The Dominos display, I’d loan them the set. I didn’t manage to see Jim play live, but his playing in the videos I’ve seen is just phenomenal. When I recorded with Emitt Rhodes in his studio he told me Jim was the best musician he ever worked with.

@bdp24

Amazing story and what a kit! I read some articles with Jim and in one of his interviews, he alluded to using a 24 and a 22. So I’m guessing that he actually owned multiple Camco sets with both a 24 and a 22. I’m a big fan of his playing and I consider him one of the great drummers. I came to learn about his playing a little later on, and I was sort of on the lookout for something like it when mine showed up.  I rarely see the 24” Oaklawns appear. So you have some rare kits. Seems to be easier to find 24s of the LA era.