Jim Hodder (musician)
| Jim Hodder | |
|---|---|
| Born |
December 17, 1947 Bethpage, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 5, 1990 (aged 42) Point Arena, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop rock, jazz rock, psychedelic rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Drums, percussion, vocals |
| Years active | 1967–1990 |
| Associated acts |
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Jim Hodder (December 17, 1947 – June 5, 1990) was an American drummer, best known as an early member of Steely Dan. After leading the group The Bead Game, Hodder joined the formative lineup of Steely Dan and appeared on their first three albums. He left the group in 1974 and worked as a session musician before his 1990 death.
Hodder was born in the small Long Island hamlet of Bethpage, New York in 1947. He graduated from Plainedge High School in the Plainedge Union Free School District in 1965 and relocated thereafter to the Boston area, where he became active in the local music scene.
As drummer and lead vocalist, he joined the Boston-based psychedelic rock group The Bead Game, named after Hermann Hesse's novel The Glass Bead Game. The group built a local following before attracting the attention of Avco Records and producer Gary Kannon, later known as Gary Katz. Their first album, Baptism, was cancelled, though it would receive a posthumous release in 1996 with a limited run. In 1970 they appeared in the film The People Next Door in which they performed two songs, and soon thereafter recorded the album Easy Ridin' as part of the collective Freedom Express. 1970 also saw the release of the band's only proper album, Welcome, on Avco/Embassy. This album showcased a late psychedelic/early progressive crossover sound, and featured Hodder singing lead vocals on all tracks.
In 1972, Hodder accepted an invitation from Katz and Boston guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter to relocate to Los Angeles and join Steely Dan, a new group built around songwriters Donald Fagen and Walter Becker with whom the two were working. He made the move with his girlfriend Kathi Kamen Goldmark, later a successful author and musician. He barely knew the other band members prior to beginning tracking for their first records.
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