| Born James Douglas Morrison in Melbourne, Florida, he | | | | heavily on mysticism. |
| was the lead singer and lyricist of the popular | | | | Jim Morrison took for himself the nickname "Mr. Mojo |
| American rock band The Doors. He was also an | | | | Risin'", an anagram of "Jim Morrison", and which he |
| author of several poetry books. | | | | eventually used as a refrain in his final single, LA |
| James Douglas Morrison was the son of George | | | | Woman. He was also called The Lizard King from a |
| Stephen Morrison and his wife Clara Clark Morrison, | | | | line in his famed epic poem Celebration of the Lizard, |
| both employed by the United States Navy. His father | | | | part of which appeared on the album Waiting for the |
| was a strict military officer, who served as an | | | | Sun and which was adapted into a musical in the |
| admiral. Jim was raised by his conservative parents | | | | 1990s. |
| but would grow to express drastically different views | | | | Even before The Doors formed, Morrison began |
| than those taught to him. | | | | consuming a variety of drugs, drank alcohol |
| According to Jim Morrison the most important event | | | | consistently, and indulged in various bacchanalia, |
| of his life came in 1947 during a family trip in New | | | | sometimes showing up for recording sessions while |
| Mexico. He described the event as follows: | | | | inebriated (he can be heard hiccuping on the song |
| "The first time I discovered death... me and my | | | | "Five To One.") Jim Morrison's performances have |
| mother and father, and my grandmother and | | | | influenced many, including Patti Smith. Live shows |
| grandfather, were driving through the desert at | | | | often possessed shamanistic qualities. |
| dawn. A truckload of Indians had either hit another | | | | Morrison moved to Paris, France in March 1971 with |
| car or something- there were Indians scattered all | | | | the intention of concentrating on his writing. |
| over the highway, bleeding to death. I was just a kid, | | | | Jim Morrison died in Paris, France on July 3, 1971, in his |
| so I had to stay in the car while my father and | | | | bathtub at the age of 27; many fans and biographers |
| grandfather went to check it out. I didn't see | | | | have speculated that the cause of death was a drug |
| nothing- all I saw was funny red paint and people | | | | overdose, or possibly an assassination by American |
| lying around, but I knew something was happening, | | | | government authorities. Morrison remarked several |
| because I could dig the vibrations of the people | | | | times near his death that he was "number 3". |
| around me, and all of a sudden I realized that they | | | | Referring to himself as likely to be the third person |
| didn't know what was happening any more than I did. | | | | to die mysteriously; Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin being |
| That was the first time I tasted fear... and I do think, | | | | the first two. The official report listed "heart attack" |
| at that moment, the souls of those dead Indians- | | | | as the cause of death. Morrison is buried in the |
| maybe one or two of them-were just running | | | | famous Le Père Lachaise Cemetery in |
| around, freaking out, and just landed in my soul, and I | | | | eastern Paris: because his fans there are generally |
| was like a sponge, ready to sit there and absorb it." | | | | perceived as nuisances, leaving litter and graffiti |
| Morrison growing up, became a seeker, interested in | | | | behind them, it has been suggested that a new burial |
| exploring new avenues and new sensations, and led a | | | | site will have to be found. |
| bohemian lifestyle in California, attending UCLA, | | | | Some fans believe that Jim Morrison faked his death |
| drifting about and sleeping on couches and rooftops, | | | | in order to escape the spotlight. Conspiracy theorists |
| reading books voraciously. After graduating UCLA, | | | | point out that Morrison's longtime girlfriend, Pamela |
| Morrison read some poems to fellow student, Ray | | | | Courson, initially told the press that Morrison was |
| Manzarek and they both decided on the spot to start | | | | merely "very tired and resting in a hospital", that very |
| a rock band. To complete the band, two more | | | | few people had actually seen the corpse prior to its |
| members, Robbie Krieger and John Densmore joined | | | | burial, and that Morrison,in the months prior to his |
| the group. (The name The Doors came from an | | | | 'death', had often talked jokingly with his bandmates |
| Aldous Huxley book, The Doors of Perception, in turn | | | | about "splitting to Africa". Doors drummer, John |
| borrowed from a line of poetry by William Blake), | | | | Densmore, upon visiting Morrison's grave for the first |
| "When the doors of perception are cleansed/ Things | | | | time, is said to have remarked that it was too short. |
| will appear as they are, Infinite". He developed a | | | | To some, Jim Morrison was a rebel, to others a |
| unique singing voice and a style of poetry leaning | | | | rock-n-roll poet. |