Sumith Prasad
FX on Hulu’s biographical drama series ‘Pistol’ revolves around the origin and rise of the renowned English punk rock band Sex Pistols. The series progresses through the events that inspire the band to create their iconic tracks. The second episode of the limited series ends with a tribute to Pamela Rooke Jordan, who was a significant presence in the lives of band members Steve Jones, Johnny Rotten, Paul Cook, Glen Matlock, and Sid Vicious. Since ‘Pistol’ only offers a minimal look at Pamela’s life, one must be eager to know more about her and her death. Well, let us share what we know!
Who is Pamela Rooke Jordan?
Pamela Rooke Jordan was an English model and actress. Born on June 23, 1955, in Seaford, England, she worked in the SEX boutique, owned by Vivienne Westwood and Sex Pistols manager and Vivienne’s then-partner Malcolm McLaren. At the time, Pamela embraced the London punk subculture and had a bleached platinum-blonde bouffant or vertical spikes hairdo with dark raccoon-like eye make-up. Her appearance was an integral part of her personality and made her one of the distinguished faces of the London punk look.
During the same time, Pamela was popularly known by the name Jordan. Her time at SEX introduced her to the members of Sex Pistols. She was the de facto stylist of the Sex Pistols. She played an indispensable part in conceiving the iconic appearance of the Pistols using studded leather jackets, ripped T-shirts, and black suede creepers. In the late 1970s, she managed the London-based rock band named Adam and the Ants, especially during the creation of their famed album ‘Kings of the Wild Frontier.’
Pamela was a guest vocalist on the song “Lou” by the same band. She left the band in 1978. In 1981, she married Kevin Mooney and managed Mooney’s band Wide Boy Awake. The couple separated in 1984. She appears as Amyl Nitrate, a punk anti-historian, in Derek Jarman’s popular film ‘Jubilee.’ The style icon also appears in Jarman’s debut film ‘Sebastiane’ and Julien Temple’s ‘The Great Rock and Roll Swindle.’
After her divorce from Kevin Mooney, Pamela returned to her hometown Seaford, where she started working as a veterinary nurse and became a breeder of Burmese cats. Opening up about her decision to stay away from the spotlight in a 2019 interview with Guardian, Pamela said, “Things had become too hectic. It sounds really corny, but normality saved my life.” In the same year, she wrote her autobiography titled ‘Defying Gravity: Jordan’s Story’ with writer and journalist Cathi Unsworth, paving the way for her return to the spotlight.
How Did Pamela Rooke Jordan Die?
Pamela Rooke Jordan died on April 3, 2022, due to a rare but aggressive cholangiocarcinoma AKA bile duct cancer, at the age of 66. “She [Pamela] died peacefully a stone’s throw away from the sea in her home town of Seaford, East Sussex in the company of her loving family […],” her partner Nick Linazasoro wrote on Brighton and Hove News. “Jordan (Pamela Rooke) has left her mark on this planet, whether it be as ‘The Queen of Punk,’ or for her veterinary work and countless prize winning cats. She lived life to the full and was true to herself and others throughout the whole of her life,” Nick added.
Before Pamela’s death, she talked to Maisie Williams, who portrays her in ‘Pistol,’ and advised her concerning the role. “What I said to her [Maisie] was, ‘You’re in a position of playing a role that is very strong, a strong woman, and a woman set apart, really.’ I decided that I wanted to be me, like a walking work of art, if you like, and I was totally and utterly unshakable. So she had to bring that to the role,” Pamela said about their discussion, as per Guardian. Pamela Rooke Jordan defined the punk subculture of the 1970s. Thus, ‘Pistol’ creator Craig Pearce and director Danny Boyle pay homage to Pamela through their engrossing series.
Read More: Is Pistol Based on a True Story?
