Jim Morrison
James Douglas (Jim) Morrison (December 8, 1943 - July 3, 1971) was an American musician. He was the lead singer of rock band The Doors.
James Morrison | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | James Douglas Morrison |
| Also known as | The Lizard King, Mr. Mojo Risin', The American Poet |
| Born | December 8, 1943 Melbourne, Florida, USA |
| Died | July 3, 1971 (aged 27) Paris, France |
| Genres | Psychedelic rock, blues-rock, hard rock |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter, poet |
| Years active | 1965 – 1971 |
| Labels | Elektra |
| Associated acts | The Doors |
| Website | www.thedoors.com |
Early years
Morrison was of English, Scottish and Irish descent. His father was an officer for the United States Navy. This meant that he moved around very often. Morrison did not have many friends and read many books. When he went to high school in 1962, his teacher was amazed by his culture. In 1964 he went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The Doors
One day in Venice Beach, Morrison saw Ray Manzarek. Manzarek had also gone to UCLA. Morrison sang some verses of Moonlight Drive. Manzarek liked the intensity of the words to the song and asked Morrison to form a rock band with him. Morrison agreed and came up with the name "The Doors". The name was a reference of the Aldous Huxley book The Doors of Perception whose name came from a verse of the famous poet William Blake; "If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite."). The Doors was formed by Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore and Robby Krieger. In the beginning, Morrison would sing without looking the audience. After a while, he learned the play with them instead. He would jump and fall at stage with screams and jokes, inspired by rock idol Nick Serven.
Morrison became very famous all over the world as a poet, singer and sex symbol. Morrison had a problem with alcohol. He drank a lot and later albums were not as good as the first one. He wrote more poems and thought about stopping his career with The Doors. He took some drugs (mainly LSD) and become an addict. In 1969, in Miami, it was said that he was drunk and "exposed" himself.
Morrison was inducted, as a member of The Doors, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.
Death
The last album, L.A. Woman was released in 1971. It is thought to be one of the band's best albums. That year Morrison decided to take a break and go to Paris. The July 3, he was found dead in his bathroom. The cause of his death is still not clear. Some believe that his heart failed or it was an overdose. Other people think it could have been a murder. His grave is at the Père-Lachaise, at the same place as Oscar Wilde, Molière and many other great poets and authors.
Jim Morrison Media
Jim Morrison on September 28, 1963, age 19, was arrested in Tallahassee, Florida for drunken behavior at a football game
A promotional photo of the Doors in late 1966
Photo of Jim Morrison of The Doors performing from the publication KRLA Beat. The paper was produced by KRLA Radio in Los Angeles.
Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors, performing at Copenhagen in 1968.
Motel's room in Los Angeles where Jim Morrison lived between 1968 and 1970
A mug shot of Morrison, taken on September 20, 1970
Morrison's apartment building in Le Marais, Paris
Morrison and his father George Morrison on the bridge of the USS Bon Homme Richard in January 1964
Jim Morrison Memorial in Germany (Berlin-Baumschulenweg)
Morrison's grave still without a gravestone at Père Lachaise in Paris, June 1978
Other websites
- The Doors Official Webpage
- MusicChain - Jim Morrison Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
- Earliest film of Jim Morrison
- Morrison interviewed at the Miami trial (video) Archived February 9, 2010, at the Wayback Machine