Current Date: 15 Feb, 2026
{{entry.title}}

Jim Sullivan's Mysterious Masterpiece: 'U.F.O.'

In 1969, a musician named Jim Sullivan recorded an album titled "UFO" which featured a song about him being abducted by aliens in the desert. Years later, Jim disappeared and his car was found abandoned in middle of New Mexico desert. His body has never been found.

You’re not alone if Jim Sullivan’s name is unfamiliar to you; he was constantly on the verge of achievement. In 1969, Sullivan released his debut album, U.F.O., and in the early 1970s, he performed regularly in Malibu, California, to enthusiastic audiences. He hung around with movie stars, but he never became famous. He thought he would have better luck in Nashville, so he moved there in 1975, leaving behind his wife and son and moving to Los Angeles. However, Sullivan never made it to Tennessee; he vanished into thin air somewhere in the New Mexico desert, never to be found again. Light in the Attic Records, a tiny label, has now reissued U.F.O.

Light in the Attic’s founder, Matt Sullivan (no relation), claims to have found the record while browsing the Internet.

“I stumbled across the album on a music blog called Waxidermy, which focuses on obscure records; the album cover caught my attention,” says Sullivan. “I downloaded the album and was mesmerized immediately.”

Jim Sullivan’s voice quality, Matt Sullivan tells All Things Considered guest host Guy Raz, inspired his response.

“His voice has this kind of weathered, worldly Americana sound,” he continues. “Kind of a country-mixed-with-rock element to it. From there, the production, the strings — it’s lush, but they’re dark and eerie. I kind of look at it as pop songs that aren’t happy. They’re filled with despair.”

It’s an odd place to find Jim Sullivan in obscurity. His lack of fame wasn’t because of a weak supporting cast — Phil Spector’s studio musicians backed him on the record. Matt Sullivan claims that some entrepreneurs thought the musician was worth investing in after seeing him perform at a bar in Malibu called the Raft.

“On Day 2, Texans walk in, hear Jim’s music and love it. They realize, ‘We should make a record with this guy,'” says Matt Sullivan. “Somehow, they hired the Wrecking Crew, the band that who backed up everyone from The Beach Boys to Phil Spector back in the day.”

Legend has it that Sullivan left his family to catch a break in Nashville, but he never made it to Tennessee.

“He leaves L.A. in March 1975, and he has $120 in his pocket, so he starts driving in his little VW bug, and 15 hours later, he’s outside Santa Rosa, N..M,” says Matt Sullivan. “He checks into a local motel. Soon after, his car is found is found 26 miles from the motel, and he’s never seen or heard from ever again.”

Jim Sullivan’s cryptic lyrics on U.F.O., where he talks about traveling long distances, leaving his family behind, and being abducted by aliens in the desert, add to the mystery surrounding his disappearance.

“With or without his disappearance, there’s something in those lyrics that is incredibly mysterious and eerie,” said Matt Sullivan. “One thing that one of Jim’s friends pointed out was that the guitar was left in the car. If Jim was going to disappear, that would have been the one thing that he would have taken, because wherever he was in the world, he could always stand on a street corner and make a few bucks playing his guitar.”

Even though Jim Sullivan’s story is peculiar, Matt Sullivan expresses his hope that the singer will be most remembered for his music.

“I hope that people remember him for making a masterpiece,” he adds.

See A Video From The Record Label

Similar Stories
Mystery of 300-year-old mummified mermaid is being probed

Mystery of 300-year-old mummified mermaid is being probed

There is a 300-year-old mummified mermaid with 30 centimetres tall and features a human-like head, two hands with what appear to be fingernails, and its lower body that look like a fish tail. The “mermaid mummy” is being probed by Japanese scientists in an attempt to unravel the mystery of its existence.

The Unsolved mystery of Bobby Dunbar's Disappearance

The Unsolved mystery of Bobby Dunbar's Disappearance

In 1912, a four-year-old boy named Bobby Dunbar went missing on a family trip, 8 months later he was found and reunited with his family. Nearly a century later, DNA testing of his descendants revealed that the child reunited with the Dunbar family was not Bobby, but rather a boy named Charles (Bruce) Anderson who resembled Bobby.

The birth or sign language in Nicaragua

The birth or sign language in Nicaragua

When 50 deaf Nicaraguan children who did not know sign language were placed in the same classroom, they created their own sign language. Scientists are still researching the unique spontaneous appearance of language, as well as its own evolution and training of grammar.

Jimmy Carter Once Promised to Release UFO Files—Here’s Why He Didn’t

Jimmy Carter Once Promised to Release UFO Files—Here’s Why He Didn’t

During his 1976 presidential campaign, Jimmy Carter declared a bold intention: if elected, he would make all government UFO information available to the public. A man who openly admitted to having seen a UFO himself, Carter embodied a promise of transparency on one of the most controversial subjects of the Cold War era. However, once in office, Carter found powerful obstacles and, citing "national security concerns," chose not to release the files. This article unpacks Carter’s famous guarantee, the political realities he faced, and the enduring mystery surrounding government UFO secrecy.

What Is the Taos Hum? The Strange Low-Frequency Noise Heard in New Mexico

What Is the Taos Hum? The Strange Low-Frequency Noise Heard in New Mexico

Since the early 1990s, residents of Taos, New Mexico, have reported hearing a mysterious low-frequency noise called the "Taos Hum." This strange, persistent buzzing or droning sound is only audible to a small fraction of the population and has baffled scientists and locals alike. Despite extensive investigations, the source of the Taos Hum remains unresolved, making it one of the most intriguing acoustic mysteries in the modern world.

El Ojo, The Mysterious Rotating Island

El Ojo, The Mysterious Rotating Island

In the middle of South America, a strange and nearly perfectly circle island moves on its own. The central landmass, known as 'El Ojo' or 'The Eye,' floats on a pond of clear and chilly water, looking strange and out of place in comparing to its surroundings. The bottom appears to be solid in compared to the marsh around it.

The Forgotten Story of Marilyn Monroe’s Stolen Dress That Returned Years Later

The Forgotten Story of Marilyn Monroe’s Stolen Dress That Returned Years Later

One of Marilyn Monroe’s most iconic gowns vanished mysteriously, disappearing into the shadows of Hollywood history. This garment, often regarded as a symbol of glamour and tragedy, slipped away for decades before resurfacing under enigmatic circumstances. Whispers of underground auctions, secret collections, and ghostly legends hint at a fascinating and almost cinematic journey for a dress that once captivated a nation. This article uncovers the intriguing saga of Marilyn Monroe’s stolen dress, tracing its path back into the public eye and exploring its lasting cultural significance.

10 Rarest and Albino animals you haven’t seen

10 Rarest and Albino animals you haven’t seen

For centuries, people have been fascinated and enchanted by the ghostly appearances of abnormally white animals. People have loved albinos and other unusually white animals so much that they may be helping to increase their numbers, despite the difficulties these animals face in the wild. While these unusual animals did not win the genetic lottery, they have persevered in the face of adversity.

Mystery SOLVED: blood Rain in India

Mystery SOLVED: blood Rain in India

The dissemination of spores of microalgae has been identified as the origin of the 'Blood Rain' phenomena, according to a new study by Indian and Austrian experts. Since 1896, reports of intermittent red-colored rain in portions of Kerala and Sri Lanka have been coming in. The most recent one occurred in 2013 over Kerala.