Euclid James "Motorhead" Sherwood
May 8, 1942-December 25, 2011
Former Mothers of Invention saxophonist Jim Sherwood, aka Motorhead, passed away earlier this week on Sunday (Christmas Day). The cause of death, at this point, is unknown. Sherwood was 69. Sherwood is not only known for playing on all of the early albums by the Mothers of Invention but he was also one of Frank Zappa's best friends. The two first met in 1956 when they played together in a band called the Black Outs. Along with Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart), Sherwood was one of Zappa's long time friends. Sherwood started out as a roadie for the Mothers before officially become a member of the band. Although the original Mothers split in 1969 (only to reform a year later), Sherwood remained friends with Zappa. In 1971, he appeared in Zappa's 1971 movie 200 Motels, in which he played the role of a man who falls in love with a vacuum cleaner. Sherwood would go on to play with other Zappa related bands such as Ruben and the Jets and the Grandmothers.
It's very sad to hear of Jim's passing. In the past three years, three friends and bandmates of Frank Zappa have passed away: Jimmy Carl Black in 2008, Captain Beefheart in 2010, and now Jim.
Rest in peace, Motorhead!
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