Jim Hodder (musician)

Hodder was born in the small Long Islandhamlet of Bethpage, New York, in 1947. He graduated from Plainedge High School in the Plainedge Union Free School District in 1965 and relocated to the Boston area, becoming active in the local music scene.^[1]

As a drummer, he joined the Boston-based rock group Bead Game, named after Hermann Hesse's novel The Glass Bead Game.^[2] He replaced their original drummer, Joe D'Amico.^[3] However, their original lead vocalist John Leone quit, and through auditions Bead Game were unable to find a suitable replacement, so Hodder took on the role of lead vocalist solely for lack of anyone else to do it.^[4] Their first album, Baptism, was recorded without a contract with a record label and was consequently canceled. It was not released until 1996 (six years after Hodder's death), and then only in a limited edition of 900 copies.^[5]

Bead Game built a local following in Boston clubs and attracted the attention of Avco Records and producer Gary Katz.^[3] The band's second album, Welcome, was produced by Katz (under the pseudonym Gary Kannon) and issued in 1970 on Avco/Embassy. It was not a commercial success, selling approximately 50,000 copies, with nearly all sales on the East Coast.^[3] The album featured a late-psychedelic and early-progressive crossover sound. Also in 1970, Bead Game performed two songs in the film The People Next Door, and recorded the album Easy Ridin' as part of the collective Freedom Express.^[5] In addition, though no singles were released from Welcome, a non-album single by Bead Game was released, "Sweet Medusa" b/w "Country Girls".^[3]

ホダーは、ビード・ゲームとのリハーサル中にボストンのギタリスト、ジェフ・“スカンク”・バクスターと出会った。ビード・ゲームとバクスターのバンド、アルティメット・スピナッチはどちらもレイ・パレットがマネージメントしていたため、二人は意気投合した。^{[ 3 ]} 1972年、ホダーはカッツとバクスターからの誘いを受け、ロサンゼルスに移住して、ソングライターのドナルド・フェイゲンとウォルター・ベッカーを中心とした新グループ、スティーリー・ダンに加入した。^{[ 6 ]}彼はガールフレンドのキャシー・ケイメン・ゴールドマークと共に移住した。[ ^{7 ]ゴールド}マークは後に作家やミュージシャンとして成功を収めた。ホダーは最初のレコードをレコーディングするまで、他のメンバーとはほとんど面識がなかった。^{[ 1 ] [ 6 ]}しかし、1970年のビード・ゲーム解散以来、ホダーは生活できるだけの仕事を見つけるのに苦労していたため、この申し出を受ける以外に合理的な選択肢はなかった。^{[ 3 ]}

ホダーはグループのドラマーだったが、フェイゲンがボーカリストとして自信がなかったため、時折リードボーカルも担当した。^{[ 6 ]}彼は、スティーリー・ダンの最初のシングルのA面である「ダラス」と、デビューアルバム「キャント・バイ・ア・スリル」からの「ミッドナイト・クルーザー」を歌った。バンドは初期の商業的成功を受けて大規模なツアーに乗り出した。ホダーは、翌年にツアーでバンドのサウンドがまとまった後に録音されたバンド中心の作品「カウントダウン・トゥ・エクスタシー」に参加した。 ^{[ 1 ]} 1973年11月18日、ホダーとバクスターは、カリフォルニア州サウサリートからのリンダ・ロンシュタットの生放送コンサートにゲスト出演した。^{[ 8 ]}

Although still a band member, he played a diminished role on Steely Dan's third LP, Pretzel Logic (1974). Before recording began, Becker and Fagen met with Hodder and told him they planned to use session drummers on the album.^[3] With session musician Jim Gordon and future Toto member Jeff Porcaro drumming, Hodder's role was relegated to backup vocals on one track, "Parker's Band". During this time, he turned down an offer to tour with The Doobie Brothers.^[3] The touring band assembled to promote Pretzel Logic featured simultaneous drumming from Porcaro and Hodder. Hodder was initially uncomfortable with the idea, but later acknowledged the creative potential of the setup.^[1] Both he and Baxter left the group after the tour, as Becker and Fagen reduced band activity to studio sessions with guest musicians.^[1]

Hodder continued working as a session drummer, playing on select tracks on the 1976 albums Nine on a Ten Scale by Sammy Hagar^[9] and Sibling Rivalry by The Rowans.^[3] He later appeared as the sole drummer on David Soul's Playing to an Audience of One and Rocky Sullivan's 1984 Caught in the Crossfire.

On June 4 1990, Hodder was found unconscious at the bottom of the swimming pool of his Point Arena, California home. He was subsequently taken to Ukiah Medical Center where he was placed on life support. Hodder died at 3:25 AM on June 5. He was 42 years old. At the time of his death, Hodder's blood-alcohol level was at 0.28%, which is more than three times the legal limit in the state of California. ^[10]