Motorhead Sherwood
| Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Euclid James Sherwood |
| Born |
May 8, 1942 Arkansas City, Kansas, United States |
| Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Died | December 25, 2011 (aged 69) |
| Genres | Experimental rock, art rock, jazz fusion, doo-wop |
| Instruments | Baritone, soprano and tenor saxophone, tambourine, vocals, guitar |
| Years active | 1957–2011 |
| Labels | Verve, Bizarre, Rykodisc, Barking Pumpkin |
| Associated acts | Frank Zappa, The Mothers of Invention, Ruben and the Jets |
Jim "Motorhead" Sherwood (May 8, 1942 – December 25, 2011) was an American rock musician notable for playing soprano, tenor and baritone saxophone, tambourine, vocals and vocal sound effects in Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. He appeared on all the albums of the original Mothers line-up and the 'posthumous' releases Burnt Weeny Sandwich and Weasels Ripped My Flesh, as well as certain subsequent Zappa albums. He also appeared in the films 200 Motels, Video from Hell and Uncle Meat.
Sherwood was born in Arkansas City, Kansas. He and Zappa met in high school in 1956. Sherwood was in a class with Zappa's brother Bobby, who introduced the two after learning that Sherwood was a collector of blues records. Sherwood sat in with Zappa's first band, R&B group The Black-Outs, at various performances, where he was often a highlight.
Sherwood and Zappa subsequently played together in Ontario, in rock'n'roll/R&B group The Omens. Sherwood also played with the Blackouts in 1957-1962 and The Village Inn Band in 1965. Sherwood graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston. After Zappa's first marriage began to break up in 1964, he bought local producer Paul Buff's Pal Recording Studio, renaming it "Studio Z", and he and Sherwood lived in the studio for a time. Sherwood first joined The Mothers of Invention as a roadie and equipment manager, also contributing sound effects (using both his voice and saxophone) to their first album, 1966's Freak Out! He became a full member around the time of the group's experimental residence at the Garrick Theater in 1967, of which future bandmate Ruth Underwood, then an audience member, recalls that "there were some nights that you just heard pure music, and other nights, Motorhead'd be talking about fixing his car, with Jim Black's drum beat in the background".
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