The Doors: A Biography of Jim Morrison

By Jack Castillo

Jim Morrison is one of the most influential musicians of all time. His work with The Doors has made him an icon in the world of rock and roll.

James Douglass Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida on December 8th, 1943.

In 1947 a then four-year-old Morrison (allegedly) witnessed a car crash that included a family of indians being wounded and possibly killed, however his parents don’t recall this indecent, but do remember seeing a car crash on an indian reservation.

With Morrison’s father being in the U.S. Navy, Jim moved several times during his childhood. Jim Morrison lived in San Diego, California, Kingsville, Texas, Alameda, California, Alexandria, Virginia, & Jacksonville, Florida.

Jim Morrison was inspired by Friedrich Neitzsche and his works of philosophy and poetry.

Morrison went to live with his grandparents and attend St. Petersburg junior college. In 1962 he transferred to Florida State University (Where he was arrested for playing a prank (while intoxicated)at a football game.

In 1964 Jim Morrison transferred to University of California, Los Angeles. He enrolled in Jack Hirschman’s class on Antonin Artaud in the Comparative Literature program within the UCLA English Department (Artaud’s style of poetry inspired the darkness in Morrison’s music). Morrison also dropped out of UCLA film school after more than a few controversial student films.

After college he lived on the roof of his friends (Dennis Jacobs’)house, where he wrote many lyrics that would be later used in songs, including Moonlight Drive, and Hello, I Love You. According to Dennis Jacobs he lived months at a time living off canned beans and the drug LSD.

In the summer of 1965, Morrison and hid friend from film school Ray Manzarik started their band; The Doors (Morrison: Vocal, Manzarik: Mellotron). Manzarik read Morrison’s poems and claimed they were “Rock group material” one day on Venice Beach. Eventually drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger joined, and thus the legendary rock group was complete.

The name “The Doors” was a reference to the book The Doors Of Perception (a reference to unlocking the doors of perception via psychedelic drug use) and the books name was taken from the quote “If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” – William Blake’s The Marriage Of Heaven & Hell.

In 1966 The Doors opened for Van Morrison’s band Them at the Whiskey-A-GoGo club. Van Morrison was an important role in the development of Jim Morrison as a frontman.

The Doors made two singles (“(Break On Through) To The Other Side”, & “Light My Fire”) before finally releasing their debut album “The Doors” in 1967.

The Doors appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show (The show that popularized The Beatles in America and just Popularized Elvis Presley) performing their song “Light My Fire”. On the show they were asked to change the lyrics from “Girl, we couldn’t get much higher” to “Girl, we couldn’t get much better” because the true lyrics seemed to refer to drug use. Morrison told the producers they would comply, but preceded to sing the original lyrics. The Doors were kicked out. After the producers kicked them out saying “You’ll never do Sullivan again” Morrison reportedly said “Hey man, we just did the Sullivan show!”

In 1967 their second album “Strange Days” was released. The Doors once again had a hit record with songs like “People Are Strange” and “Moonlight Drive” the album was one of their biggest successes.

In 1966 a black-and-white photo shoot of Morrison by Joel Brodsky  called “The Young Lion” was shot. These are considered the most iconic photographs of Jim Morrison.

In 1968 they released their third album “Waiting For The Sun”. Another huge success producing songs like “Hello, I Love You” and “The Unknown Soldier”.

In 1969 The Doors released their fourth album “The Soft Parade”. This was the first album to give credit to the writers of the music on the inner sleeve. this was another success producing “Shaman’s Blues” and “Wild Child” (both by Morrison).

By 1969 Jim Morrison had gained lots of weight and grew a beard and mustache. He also started dressing differentially, trading his signature leather pants for jeans.

Morrison was also arrested twice in one week, for attempting to start a riot in the audience of his concerts and indecent exposer.

In 1970 The Doors released their fifth album “Morrison Hotel” this was also a success “Roadhouse Blues” and “Waiting For The Sun” were songs on the album.

In 1971 they released their sixth album “L.A. Woman” with songs like “Love Her Madly” and “Riders On The Storm” this was to be Morrison’s last album with The Doors.

Morrison met his long term girlfriend Pamela Courson before Jim was famous. Courson encouraged Jim to evolve his poetry. Sometimes she went under the surname Morrison when checking into hotels etc.

In March of 1971 Jim Morrison & Pamela Courson rented an apartment in Paris, France. During this time Morrison made a point to shave his beard and loose some weight he had recently gained. Jim Morrison, age 27, had died on July, 3rd 1971. He was officially said to have died of heart failure caused by a heroin overdose, but due to the lack of an autopsy conspiracy theories remain even today. Courson blamed herself, saying the heroin was hers. Jim Morrison was buried at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris, France.

In October of 1971 The Doors released “Other Voices”, their first album without Morrison. Some of the songs had been recorded with Morrison before he left for Paris.

In 1972 The Doors recorded “Full Circles”, their eighth album, their second album without Morrison. The album includes the song “The Mosquito”, the bands last hit.

In 1978 The Doors released their ninth and final studio album “An American Prayer” This album was a musical remaking of Morrison’s poems.

In 1974 Pamela Courson died of a heroin overdose, like Morrison. Also like Morrison, Courson was 27 years old.

Jim Morrison is still an inspiration for singers like P!nk, Iggy Pop, Layne Staly of Alice In Chains, Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots, and Velvet Revolver, and Julian Casablancas of The Strokes. Stephen Kings novel “The Stand” features a man who says in 1982 he saw Jim Morrison. In Wayne’s World 2 Wayne has a dream where a native american takes him to a desert where he meets Jim Morrison. Jim Morrison remains to be an inspiration.

 

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