DEAD FAMOUS: Jim Morrison

COMING SOON!

In this unique programme fusing travelogue, biography and the paranormal, cynical but curious Gail Porter and ’sensitive’ Chris Fleming take a spirited road trip through America in search of the spirits of the ’dead famous’.

Biography

Curious

Music

Quotes

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Jim Morrison
born: 08-12-1943
birth place: Melbourne, Florida
died: 03-07-1971

As he embarked on adolescence, however, Morrison discovered alcohol, and settled into a lifelong routine of excessive drinking and drug abuse which soon put paid to his parents’ dreams of naval glory. He became a disruptive student - although he did succeed in graduating from George Washington High School in Alexandria Virginia in June 1961.

His father was transferred to serve in California, and Morrison returned to Clearwater, Florida to live with his grandparents once more. He attended school at St Petersburg Junior College, but carried on drinking and carousing until late every night. He would frequently go out late and return home drunk, in order to annoy his grandparents. Neither of his grandparents drank alcohol, so he would purposely leave empty bottles and beer cans in the garbage where they would see them.

Morrison began his university career at Florida State University, but he had already developed a passion for film, so with the encouragement of one of his FSU Tutors, he transferred to UCLA’s film school in Los Angeles, the Theatre Arts Department of the College, where he completed his Bachelor’s Degree. Jim made two films whilst studying at UCLA, one called “First Love”, the other was a longer film called “Obscura”.

After graduating from UCLA in 1965, Morrison headed for the artsy, bohemian communities of artists and musicians who hung out in and around Venice Beach, a suburb of L.A. Money was tight, so Jim soon lost weight, and his face acquired the lean, chiselled features that would later became world-famous in the black-and-white photos by Joel Brodsky that would appear on the cover of his future music album, “Best Of The Doors”.

Jim was a keen poet, and whilst reading his work live at a poetry reading in Venice, he hooked up with fellow ex-UCLA student Ray Manzarek, who was immediately intrigued by Morrison’s writing and lyrics. The two budding bandmates were joined by drummer John Densmore shortly afterwards. The guitarist Robby Krieger auditioned for the group at Densmore’s recommendation - and so The Doors were born. Since experimenting with drugs was such a major part of Morrison’s lifestyle, it’s believed that the band’s title came from the title of the book written by Aldous Huxley on the effects of drugs on human perception, “The Doors of Heaven and Hell”.

The Doors soon created a sound that was highly innovative, and a fitting accompaniment to Morrison’s distinctive, haunting baritone voice. Ray Manzarek played keyboards, whilst Krieger’s guitar style featured elements drawn from both his classical training, and Spanish flamenco guitar. Interestingly, there was no bass guitar in the lineup, and this is one of the factors that made The Doors musically unique at that time. The bass element of the music was actually provided by Manzarek on his keyboard Fender bass, which was a small bass-scale version of the famous Fender Rhodes electric piano, which had in fact only just been released.

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