Jim Sullivan, Mystery, Intrigue And A Posthumous Album?

JimSullivan2

Now here is mystery which has had conspiracy theorists busy for decades.

Jim Sullivan was born in 1940. He moved to Los Angeles with his wife Barbara and young son and performed in clubs. He became friends with several Hollywood figures and even appeared as an extra in the iconic 1969 film, Easy Rider. In the same year he released his debut album, U.F.O. With no music industry contacts, it did not make a huge impact and is an album that was thought lost.

In 1972 he released a second self titled album, which again did not seriously trouble the charts. In 1975, having increasingly turned to alcohol and with his marriage falling apart he decided to travel to Nashville. Sound like another story of someone trying to make it in the music industry against the odds, and failing? Maybe, but this is where things took an unexpected twist.

Sometime between noon and 1pm on March 4th 1975, Jim Sullivan left Los Angeles in his VW Beatle to drive to Nashville. In the early hours of the 5th he was pulled over outside Santa Rosa after an officer had seen him swerving. He was taken to the local police station for a sobriety test, which he passed. The explanation was shear exhaustion from the 15-hour drive. Jim checked into the La Mesa Motel, but police reports later indicated that the bed in his room was not slept in, but the key, intriguingly, was found locked inside the room.

JimSullivan1

The following day he was seen about 26 miles away at a remote ranch. His car was later found abandoned at the ranch, and he was reportedly last seen walking away from it. The car contained Sullivan’s money, papers, guitar, clothes, and a box of his unsold records.

Some think he got lost. Some think the mafia killed him. Some even think he was abducted by aliens, because the title of his debut album. UFO. His VW and his hotel room contained, among other things, his twelve-string guitar, his wallet, his clothes and several copies of his second album. As for Sullivan, it was as if he had simply vanished into thin air.

Light In The Attic’s reissue of his debut U.F.O. introduced the world to an overlooked masterwork and won him, posthumously (presumably), legions of new fans.

Those new admirers are in for a real treat with the label releasing a lavish reissue of that self-titled second album found in the car, and the first-time release of a previously unheard 1969 studio session, If The Evening Were Dawn.

Both Albums are to be released on the 25th October.

The Amazons performing at Brighton Chalk on 1st December 2023

Seagulls And The Amazons Delight In Brighton

We’ve been following the career of Reading rock band The Amazons for years here at RockShot HQ. When their eponymous...
Glastonbury Festival 2023 (Kalpesh Patel)

Taking Children To Glastonbury Festival – Looking Back At 2023

With tickets to the 2024 edition of Glastonbury Festival now sold out across the two primary sales, those with little...
RHEA (Press)

RHEA Are Creeping Through Your Head

RHEA are living proof rock & roll is alive and well! The Belgian 5-piece still cherish the mighty riff, but on...
rlyblonde - aka Carina Allen (Caroline Safran)

Brooklyn’s rlyblonde Shares Your Angel

rlyblonde – the project of Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary artist Carina Allen – has dropped her new single, Your...
The Beaches @ HERE at Outernet (Nick Allan)

The Beaches Have London Blaming Their Ex

Canadian quartet The Beaches brought their Blame My Ex Tour to London and delivered an electrifying, sold-out...
Collette Cooper (Rankin)

Collette Cooper Presents Darkside Of Christmas, Chapter 2

Following on from 2022’s impactful album Darkside of Christmas Chapter 1, multi-talented singer, writer, performer and...
Urban Voodoo Machine @ Signature Brew, 2023.11.11 (Pauline Di Silvestro)

The Urban Voodoo Machine Celebrate 20 Years In Glorious Style

This show by the The Urban Voodoo Machine was jointly celebrating the bands leader Paul-Ronney Angel's birthday and 20...
Charles Esten - Nashville In Concert @ Royal Albert Hall (Kalpesh Patel)

Charles Esten Announces European Headline Tour

Multi-talented singer/songwriter and actor Charles Esten has announced that he will be returning to the UK/Europe in...

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing