SINGER / SONGWRITER / PRODUCER / SAXOPHONIST / MUSIC EXECUTIVE / EDUCATOR
HORATIO GORDON was a passionate musical artist with a love for music so strong that he was destined to lift his listeners out of their miseries and hardships with each song. He may have been an emerging singer, but he was already a true music and entertainment force to be reckoned with.
Horatio was a true recording talent: Singer. Songwriter. Producer. Instrumentalist. This versatile, talented showman released his first single entitled: “A WOMAN” in 2021. And what an inspiring song it is!
Horatio strove to make listeners feel heard and empowered through this tune, as well as his other compositions. He wanted people of all ages and backgrounds to hear and feel the meaningful and heartfelt messages behind his music, which is a blend of soothing R&B/pop melodies and hip-hop beats.
Horatio’s special debut song is specifically meant to uplift EVERY woman in EVERY sense– and to encourage EVERY man to be supportive. Available on all digital platforms, an audio-format music video was also released on YouTube.
Having lived in Los Angeles, Horatio Gordon carried on the historic legacy of talented Detroit-born singers and entertainers. His modern-day hip-hop music focus– with strong melodies and insightful lyrics– will connect music lovers from ages 8 to 80, all over America and around the globe.
After playing gigs with bands in Detroit as a teenager, Horatio’s foray into the professional L.A music scene was through a friendship with a fellow Motor City musician who worked with Michael Jackson and his famous Jackson 5 family in younger years. Horatio won the Fox Studios “Fox Rocks” talent contest and did technical audio work in the West Coast corporate offices of Sony/BMG Music where he assisted VPs and other executives, attending meetings for new releases where his vast knowledge of the industry could be on full display.
Horatio collaborated extensively with his fraternal twin brother, Bruce B. Gordon, and his first major-label songwriting and publishing credit was for a popular R&B artist on RCA records and was entitled: “We’ve Gotta Stop Meetin’ Like This.”
Horatio worked with legendary recording artist, Prince in an onscreen supporting role of the iconic musical genius’s music video for “Partyman,” a single from a Warner Bros. Records soundtrack album based upon director Tim Burton’s Warner Bros. Studios first “Batman” film. Horatio had another onscreen supporting role in Clint Eastwood’s “Bird” film about the iconic saxophonist, Charlie Parker, which won Eastwood the Golden Globe for Best Director. He also appeared in the 2017 Academy Award-winning ESPN 30 for 30 documentary, “O. J.: Made in America.”
Working in production support roles for music and other entertainment shows at the highest levels of the industry is another aspect of Horatio’s early career. Some of these include the Grammy Awards, American Music Awards, Kids Choice Awards, Soul Train Music Awards, as well as the prestigious American Cinematheque Awards, Race to Erase MS, etc. where he coordinated with iconic recording artists, such as Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, Jay Z, Kanye West and T.I., as well as actors Samuel L. Jackson, Kerry Washington, Jennifer Garner, Bill Maher, and Mario Lopez, among others.
Writing songs and singing on soundtracks for films was also in Horatio’s area of experiences. He sang the theme and other songs for the award-winning short film, “Whole ‘Nother Level,” which was selected at the Festival de Cannes Short Film Corner, other international festivals and released in VOD on IndieFlix, Amazon Prime Video and other platforms. In addition to producing, writing, arranging the songs with his brother, Horatio was a Production Associate of the film, which has been requested by public libraries in multiple states for disability studies in schools. He also co-wrote the theme song for an independent feature film entitled “Forgotten Heroes.”
In addition to singing his hip-hop and pop songs, Horatio was a gifted saxophonist who was mentored by Andrew Woolfolk, one of the members of the world-famous group, Earth Wind & Fire (Columbia Records). As a kid, he played sax on a U.S. and world tour for Grammy-winning UK Warner Bros. Records artist, Leo Sayer. Horatio jammed with legendary musicians such as Bootsy Collins, Verdine White, Andrae Crouch, Teena Marie, and El Debarge. He also played on several gold albums for Arista Records artist, Ray Parker, Jr., most famous for his theme song for the “Ghostbusters” series of movies released by Columbia Pictures (Sony Pictures Entertainment).
Further, Horatio was a gifted mentor and professional educator. He prided himself on giving back through his frequent work as a substitute teacher at public high schools & middle schools, frequently with historically-disadvantaged, low-income & at-risk students.
Sadly, Horatio passed away in February, 2023 as a result of heart surgery complications. However, in October 2023, Horatio’s fraternal twin brother and performing / songwriting / music production / publishing partner, Bruce B. Gordon, released a new single: “Thank You!” (An EDM Song of Gratitude to The Universe), which they created and recorded together years ago to honor The Creator.
“Thank You” is a vibrant dance track that goes beyond the conventional EDM experience. It’s designed to be a tool for practicing daily gratitude for happiness and well-being– all-year-round– and its elements of celebrating appreciation created a strong tie-in with the release at the Thanksgiving and year-end holiday seasons. What also makes this song exceptional is that Bruce performs this song with his late twin brother, Horatio and he released it to fulfill his brother’s dream of sharing this inspirational music with the world.
In February of 2024 “THANK YOU!” rocketed up to NUMBER ONE on TWO CHARTS at the Starfleet Music Pool of international DJs. It’s been added to a host of Spotify playlists by music curators across the globe and has garnered rave reviews by music blogs on multiple continents. Demographic metrics show its reach at 51 countries and counting….
In May of 2024, “THANK YOU!” was showcased in a WGNO-ABC TV “Good Morning New Orleans” FEATURE STORY by 24-time Emmy Award-winning features reporter “WILD BILL” WOOD, introducing Bruce B. Gordon as “The Thank You Man.”
How Horatio Left Us
Through an unrelated medical scan which was kind of a routine followup, Horatio found out that his heart had an aortic bulge that was a ticking time bomb, set to explode at any moment. The doctor told him to go to an emergency room immediately, since a cough, sneeze or bathroom straining could burst his heart and cause him to bleed out with instant death.
Horatio was sent to UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center and days later had a 12-hour surgery. There were complications, yet he pulled through. But his heart never regained strength enough to pump his blood effectively.
After securing the necessary long-term commitment of a host of family members, most from out of town, we had a plan in place for Horatio to receive a heart transplant. Because he was intubated, he could only nod or shake his head or fist bump or squeeze his hand to communicate. He was able to participate in the decision as we talked to him, laughed and played music together with him.
But in the next few days, his other organs began a swift decline, and the doctors told us they would shut down without the life-support equipment being used on a long-term basis. He had instructed me in writing before the surgery that, if anything happened, not to have him stay attached to the machines unless there was a good chance for his desired quality of life.
Although everything happened so fast, we have peace that it appeared to have been orchestrated by The Creator:
His aorta could have burst in a way where we didn’t know for days, since he lived alone. It could have happened at work while teaching children at school. And, even worse, it could have happened while he was driving, which could have caused other people injury or death, along with his own. So we acknowledge the BLESSING & PRIVILEGE OF HIS TRANSITION BEING PEACEFUL & DIGNIFIED.
“Coincidentally”— two months before— I was set up with a substitute teaching client job at a school RIGHT NEAR HIS HOSPITAL that I hadn’t worked at in a long time. That placed me within 9 minutes of Horatio’s ICU room RIGHT WHEN HE WAS THERE for over a week. I was able to be there to visit with him and coordinate with his medical team multiple times a day… including evenings with my wife, Gail. “Coincidentally.”
No matter how much we still cry, we have decided to be at peace with God’s plan.
To all Horatio’s family & friends: Thank you, again.
And Horatio thanks you from the other side. 
~ Bruce B. Gordon
Video: HORATIO – A LIFE IN PICTURES
Music Video: HORATIO THE SOLO SINGER-SONGWRITER (“A WOMAN”)
PDF: MEMORIAL PROGRAM / OBITUARY
Video: FULL MEMORIAL CELEBRATION OF LIFE
Map Image: RESTING AT SEA LOCATION
Click Images to View Enlarged
LINKS TO HORATIO’S MUSIC WORK
Spotify Page:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/18hORSsi2U776XX0wGrs2L
.
Apple Music Page:
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/horatio-gordon/1449512138
.
“THANK YOU” (An EDM Song of Gratitude to the Universe)
https://youtu.be/boivHerExF8
.
“SAVAGE JUNGLE LOVE”
https://youtu.be/ME0m3DZ5UgY
.
LET’S DO THIS!!
https://youtu.be/-Mz31bRclsc
.
Horatio Gordon Plays Europa on Saxophone (at Fox Studios)
https://youtu.be/quafiyqJRtQ
.
Horatio Gordon Plays Saxophone at Forest Lawn – 9/21/2020
https://youtu.be/9jooF-CkeU0
.
Horatio Gordon Being Interviewed on “The Media Industry Guru Podcast with Forbs West”
https://bit.ly/3N9kPW2
.
Horatio Gordon Working with Prince In the Music Video for “Partyman” (“Batman” Soundtrack)
https://youtu.be/4zqaTU5bGx8
(Studio photos by Alexander G Seyum @carnival_pictures_stills & Daniel Seyum @daniel_seyum_photography_)