Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors
The psychedelic rockers from Los Angeles formed in 1965 and were fronted by Jim Morrison.
The band had a string of top ten albums under their belts; 19 Gold, 14 Platinum and 5 Multi-Platinum album awards in America alone and over 100 million sold worldwide.
The band formed after Morrison met future Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek, a university pal, on a beach in California where he recited poetry. Manzarek suggested the pair collaborate and so began the start of a beautiful friendship.
In 1966, along with drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger, the Doors recorded their first demo.
The Doors released their self-titled first album in 1967 and it debuted at number two in the album charts. Eventually The Doors would become number 42 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Jim Morrison thought of himself as a poet. He oozed charisma and sex appeal and the Doors’ live shows were dominated by his overwhelming stage presence. The Doors brought a new kind of rock to America in a time of change and social unrest. They provided a voice to those who were anti-establishment and anti-war. They were edgy, exciting and erratic.
However, where success reigned, controversy was never far behind. Morrison was wild and unpredictable. Arrests were common and on one occasion, he was remanded at his own gig in New Haven.
In 1971 the band released L.A Woman, their second best earning album, but shortly after, Morrison left the band due to exhaustion.
Later that year, at the age of 27, Jim Morrison was found dead in his bath at his home, making him part of the infamous 27 club alongside Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
The Doors were placed in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and three of their albums feature in Rolling Stone magazine’s top 500 albums of all time.
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