Punk legend Jordan (aka Pamela Rooke) has died aged 66, her family have confirmed.
In a statement, her family revealed that Rooke “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 at 9pm” last night (April 3).
“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,” the family continued. “She lived life to the full and was true to herself and others throughout the whole of her life. She was totally trusted and respected by all those who knew her.
“Jordan was a blessed rare individual indeed. She did not want any speculation regarding her passing, and wished for the world to know that after a short period of illness, she succumbed to a relatively rare form of cancer known as cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer).”
“Jordan was a wonderful woman and will be remembered for countless decades to come,” her family added.
Rooke was a model who worked with Vivienne Westwood and helped create the W10 London punk look alongside Johnny Rotten, Soo Catwoman and Siouxsie Sioux.
She also attended several early Sex Pistols concerts and can be seen in Julien Temple’s The Great Rock & Roll Swindle, appearing on stage with the Sex Pistols during their first live television performance of ‘Anarchy In The UK’ in August 1976.
Jordan will be played by Maisie Williams in Pistol, Danny Boyle’s forthcoming TV series about the Sex Pistols.
Later in the ‘70s, Jordan managed Adam & The Ants and provided vocals on the track ‘Lou’, written about Lou Reed. She often joined the group onstage to perform the track, before she left the group in 1978. She went on to manage Wide Boy Awake in the 1980s.
She eventually became a veterinary nurse and bred Burmese cats.
A number of people have taken to social media to pay tribute to the punk icon, including Glen Matlock. You can see the tributes below.
Heartbroken to hear that punk icon Jordan has passed away. Just one of the loveliest people you could hope to meet, a brilliant laugh, and far more punk than so many of the charlatans who milked that movement in their rise to fame and fortune. What a horrible shock. R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/BzBZhG5KgL
— Simon Price﮷ (@simon_price01) April 4, 2022
Unfortunately, the sad news has come true
Punk rock queen Pamela Rooke aka Jordan has died aged 66, her family have annouced.
Rip a true punk icon / legend#ripjordan #jordan #punkrocklegend #punkrockicon pic.twitter.com/0HX0AWU0H7
— Punkrock History (@PunkRockStory) April 4, 2022
So sad to hear about Jordan. I was honoured to write the intro to Defying Gravity: she was a legend and an inspiration – the first Sex Pistol. Pics from Derek Jarman's 1977 photobook and with Neil Tennant from the BL May 2016 pic.twitter.com/Om2Fxf1HwO
— Jon Savage (@JonSavage1966) April 4, 2022
The Dead Thatchers are saddened to hear the death of Pamela Rooke/Mooney aka Jordan – RIP
A shocker, such a punk icon
— The Dead Thatchers (@FredMcneill) April 4, 2022
#RIP Punk icon and Vivienne Westwood model & muse Pamela Rooke aka Jordan Mooney (June 23, 1955 – April 3, 2022)
"The things I wore made people apoplectic" pic.twitter.com/IUuIpH1kbx
— Beatgrrrl 𒀭
(@Beatgrrrl) April 4, 2022
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