 As one of the most legendary and notorious rock stars in US history, Jim Morrison’s life was fueled by his artistic passions. As front man for The Doors, Jim Morrison helped shape rock and roll history. His lyrics remain unmatched; he had a way of fusing poetry with the dark side of the human experience. Those close to Morrison say that he was as unpredictable in person as he was on stage.
Jim’s sex appeal and mysterious persona catapulted him to major stardom, but Morrison struggled with the fame and attention he received. Morrison’s love for literature led him to study film at UCLA. He also began his experimentation with LSD and other substances. Soon after his time at UCLA, Jim met classmate Ray Manzarek. The two worked together making music; Morrison’s lyrics mixed with Manzarek’s keyboarding created a unique sound and the two decided to start a band. Ray and Jim recruited Robbie Krieger as a guitarist and John Densmore at the drummer. They called themselves the Doors (after Huxley’s book Doors of Perception). In 1966 the group was playing in Sunset Strip nightclubs. The Doors rose to fame in 1967. The Doors’ music was certainly making rock and roll headlines; but Jim was making even more headlines. His drinking, drug use and wild behavior made for “interesting” performances. Attending a Doors concert was like entering the world of the unknown. Whether he was mimicking sexual acts or verbally taunting the audience, Morrison was a loose canon and audiences loved him. As Melissa Shepard put it, Morrison was a “firework of emotions on stage.”
Morrison walked on the wild side. He wandered the LA streets drinking and living on the edge. Many believe that it was Morrison’s intensity and commitment to defying authority that not only allowed for his success, but his death as well. On July 3, 1971 Jim Morrison was found dead in his bath tub in Paris. Jim and his wife Pam had left the country and retreated to Paris. Morrison wanted to live a quieter and more peaceful life as a poet. The official cause of death was a heart attack. However, it is clear that his heavy drinking led to his early death. Morrison was buried in Paris, along side Moliere and Oscar Wilde. Morrison too was only 27.
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