Jim Sullivan disappeared without a trace in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. His Volkswagen Beetle was found abandoned on a ranch. Numerous theories tried to decipher the mysterious disappearance of Jim, but without much success. Jim Sullivan’s disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of the music world.

Who was Jim Sullivan

James Anthony Sullivan was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He liked to be called “Sully” and possessed a charismatic personality with a towering 6-foot-2-inches and a handlebar moustache.

Born James Anthony Sullivan in Nebraska on August 13, 1940, he was the seventh son in a working-class family. His family moved to San Diego during World War II.

Jim Sullivan moves to Los Angeles with his family

In 1968, he moved to Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Sullivan, and son, Chris Sullivan. 

Sullivan wrote songs and performed at prestigious bars in the Los Angeles region while his wife worked at Capitol Records. Eventually, he established himself at the Raft club in Malibu, where he made connections with stars like Lee Majors, Lee Marvin, and Harry Dean Stanton.

He performed on the José Feliciano television programme and appeared as an extra in the film, Easy Rider.

Sullivan had always been passionate about his guitar as it made him forget all worldly worries.

Jim Sullivan’s career

In 1969, Sullivan released his first album titled U.F.O. The album wasn’t successful and he didn’t gain much recognition. He released his second album in 1972, titled Jim Sullivan.

Sullivan, though appreciated, had a struggling career. He decided to go to Nashville alone in search of better opportunities and bring his wife and son once he could find work. 

The disappearance of Singer Jim Sullivan   

On March 4, 1975, Sullivan left Los Angles for Nashville alone in his Volkswagen Beetle and never returned or heard from again. 

Here are the series of events that led to Jim Sullivan’s disappearance, as reported by The New York Times –  

On March 5, 1975, Barbara Sullivan got a call from Jim, telling her he was all right. She’d had no reason to think otherwise — he’d only left the day before. The conversation continued cryptically. When she pressed for details, he responded, “You wouldn’t believe if I told you,” she wrote. “I said, ‘Jim, what’s the matter, is anything wrong?’ And he said, ‘Forget it. Just forget I said anything. I’ll call you from Nashville.” 

Then the days went by without any call from Jim. This worried his family, and they began checking about Jim by calling hospitals and the police. 

After days went by with no check-in, Sullivan’s family began calling hospitals and the police. An officer told Barbara’s sister that Sullivan wasn’t in jail, “but if you ask me, that’s where he belongs.” They learned that after 15 hours on the road, Sullivan had been pulled over on suspicion of driving under the influence. He passed a sobriety test and checked into the La Mesa Motel in Santa Rosa. Police told Barbara that the bed had never been slept in. On March 8, Sullivan’s car was towed away from rough, mesa-studded country about 24 miles south of town. The 12-string in the front seat was a sign something was very amiss. 

The New York Times article dated Nov 14, 2019 by Rebecca Bengal

What Happened to Jim Sullivan

As per the reports emerging out of the investigation, the musician had bought vodka at the town store. The following day, he was seen at a remote ranch about 26 miles (42 km) away. His car was later found abandoned at a ranch, and he was last seen walking away from it. Jim had left money, papers, his guitar, clothes, and a box of his unsold records.

Jim’s family traveled out to join search parties looking for him, the local papers printed missing person stories, but the search proved futile.

Search parties failed to find any trace of Sullivan. A decomposed body, resembling that of Sullivan, was later found in a remote area several miles away, but it was not established as his.

Jim Sullivan’s album UFO is re-released in 2010

Matt Sullivan (not related to Jim Sullivan), the founder of Light In The Attic Records, came across Sullivan’s song, UFO and immediately got intrigued by it. In 2010, Matt re-released U.F.O., which sparked a renewed interest in Sullivan’s music and his unsolved disappearance.

Theories behind Jim Sullivan’s disappearance

Numerous theories began to spread about the mysterious disappearance of Jim Sullivan, ranging from the Mafia, the police, and even a possible alien abduction, but none of the theories could be proved or denied.

People close to Jim claim that he would never go anywhere without his favorite guitar.

Was Jim Sullivan abducted by aliens?

Sullivan was believed to be obsessed with UFOs and extraterrestrial things which was evident in the lyrics of his album. His first album talks about driving along highways alone and being abducted by aliens. Some conspiracy theorists believe that was abducted by the aliens.

Jim Sullivan’s mysterious disappearance into thin air remains an unsolved mystery. Sadly, we will never know the cause of Jim Sullivan’s disappearance.  

Reference:
Jim Sullivan, a Rock ’n’ Roll Mystery That Remains Stubbornly Unsolved