Jim Morrison is a cult figure in the heavy music scene. The gifted singer and musician for 27 years managed to set a high bar for a new generation of musicians.
Today the name of Jim Morrison is associated with two events. Firstly, he created the cult group The Doors, which managed to leave its mark on the history of world musical culture. And secondly, he entered the list of the so-called "Club 27".
"Club 27" is the collective name for influential singers and musicians who have passed away at the age of 27. Most often, this list includes celebrities who died under very strange circumstances.
Jim Morrison's last few years have not been "holy". He was far from ideal, and, it seems, he simply "choked" in the glory that fell upon him. Alcoholism, the use of illicit drugs, disrupted concerts, problems with the law - this is what the rocker "bathed" in for several years.
Despite the fact that Jim's behavior was not ideal, today he is considered one of the best rock frontmen. His poems are compared with the work of William Blake and Rimbaud. And fans say simply - Jim is perfect.
Childhood and youth of Jim Morrison
Jim Douglas Morrison was born in 1943 in the United States of America. He was raised in the family of a military pilot, so he knows firsthand about discipline. Father and mother, in addition to Jim, raised two more children.
Since the world was in the Second World War, the father was often not at home. The head of the family did not share the concepts between work and home, therefore he introduced strict restrictions not only in his life. He invaded the personal space of every household member.
For example, during the period when he was at home, his wife and children were forbidden to bring friends, celebrate holidays, listen to music and watch TV.
Jim grew up as a peculiar child. He never obeyed the rules. This character trait was especially pronounced in adolescence. He got into fights, could throw a heavy object at a classmate, and fainted on purpose. Morrison explained his behavior as follows:
“I can't be normal. When I'm normal, I feel unwanted."
Most likely, with his "non-angelic" behavior, he compensated for the lack of parental attention. Rebelliousness did not prevent the guy from becoming one of the most erudite children in his class. He read Nietzsche, praised Kant, and developed a passion for writing poetry as a teenager.
The head of the family saw servicemen in both sons. He wanted to send Jim to a military school. Of course, Morrison Jr. did not share the position of the pope. There was a significant “chasm” between them, which eventually led to the fact that for some time the relatives did not communicate.
After graduating from high school, the guy chose an educational institution in Florida. There he studied the Renaissance and acting. He was very interested in the work of Hieronymus Bosch. He soon got tired of what he was doing. Jim frankly felt out of his element.
Morrison realized that it was time to change something. In 1964 he moved to colorful Los Angeles. His dream came true. He entered the faculty of cinematography at the prestigious UCLA University.
The creative path of Jim Morrison
Despite his mindset, Jim Morrison always put science and knowledge in second place. However, he managed to learn all the subjects and never fell behind.
During his higher education, he had the idea to create his own musical project. Jim shared the good news with his father, but he, as usual, reacted very negatively. The head of the family said that his son "does not shine" in the musical field.
Morrison Jr. took his father's statements sharply. He did not communicate with his parents. Having already become a famous person, Jim, when asked about his father and mother, answered simply: "They died." But the parents refused to comment on their son. And even Jim's death didn't instill a modicum of mercy in their hearts.
By the way, not only his father told him that he was not a creative person. Jim was supposed to make a short film as his graduate work at the university.
The guy made every effort to create the film, but teachers and classmates criticized the work. They said that the film has no artistic and moral values. After such high-profile statements, he wanted to quit his studies without waiting for the diploma. But he was dissuaded from this idea in time.
In one of the interviews, Jim said that the advantage of studying at the university was getting to know Ray Manzarek. It was with this guy that Morrison created the cult band The Doors.
Creation of The Doors
At the origins of the group The Doors were Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek. When the guys realized that they needed to expand, a few more members joined the team. Namely drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger.
In his youth, Morrison adored the works of Aldous Huxley. So he decided to name his creation after Aldous's book The Doors of Perception.
The first few months of the team's life went very badly. From the rehearsals, it became clear that none of the soloists of the group had any talent for music. They were self taught. Therefore, music was more like amateur art for a narrow circle of friends and relatives.
The concerts of The Doors deserve special attention. Jim Morrison was embarrassed when speaking in front of an audience. The singer simply turned away from the audience and performed with his back to them. Often a celebrity appeared on stage under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Jim during the performance could fall to the floor and wallow in this state until he was pumped out.
Despite the disrespectful attitude towards the public, the team had its first fans. Moreover, Jim Morrison interested the “fans” with his charm, and not with his vocal abilities. The girls squealed when they saw the artist, and he used his position.
Once a rock musician liked the producer Paul Rothschild, and he invited the guys to sign a contract. So, the group became a member of the Elektra Records label.
Group debut
In the late 1960s, the musicians presented their debut LP to fans of their work. We are talking about a record with a "modest" name The Doors. The album included two tracks, thanks to which the artist reached a new level. The musicians enjoyed worldwide popularity thanks to the songs Alabama Song and Light My Fire.
While writing and recording his debut album, Jim Morrison consumed alcoholic beverages and illegal drugs. Even the fans, through the prism of the LP's compositions, understood what state their guru was in. From the tracks breathed mysticism, which was not inherent in the minds of people who are far from drugs.
The musician inspired and made the audience feel euphoric. But at the same time, he fell to the very bottom. He spent the last few years of his life drinking heavily, using hard drugs, and canceling concerts. Once he was detained by the police right on the stage. Surprisingly, the fans did not turn away from the musician and saw him as a divine being.
He hasn't been writing any new material lately. Those tracks that were released from Morrison's pen had to be reworked by Robbie Krieger.
Jim Morrison: Details of his personal life
Since Jim Morrison's rise to popularity, he has had a significant number of short-lived romances. The girls did not demand a serious relationship from him. Morrison was handsome and attractive. This "mixture", which combined popularity and financial stability with immorality, allowed the man himself to show the girls the door.
The artist had a serious relationship with Patricia Kennelly. A year after they met, the couple got married. The fans were shocked by the information about the idol's girlfriend. But Morrison managed to keep a distance between his personal and creative life. Jim talked about wanting to marry Patricia, but the wedding was never played.
His next romance was with a girl named Pamela Courson. She became the last woman in the life of a popular musician and singer.
Jim Morrison: interesting facts
- The celebrity had a very high level of intellectual ability. So, his IQ exceeded 140.
- He was called the "king of lizards" because of his love for this species of reptiles. He could watch the animals for hours. They calmed him down.
- Based on his book sales figures, Jim is one of the most popular writers of the last century.
- According to Morrison's friend Babe Hill, Jim seemed to want to leave this world as soon as possible. He embarked on the path of self-destruction in his youth.
- When he had a large amount of money in his hands, he bought himself the car of his dreams - the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
Death of Jim Morrison
In the spring of 1971, the musician, along with his beloved Pamela Courson, went to Paris. Morrison missed the silence. He wanted to work alone on a book of his poems. Later it became known that the couple took a significant dose of alcohol and heroin.
During the night, Jim became ill. The girl offered to call an ambulance, but he refused. On July 3, 1971, at about three in the morning, Pamela discovered the body of the artist in the bathroom, in hot water.
To this day, the death of Jim Morrison remains a mystery to fans. There is a lot of speculation and rumors around his unexpected death. The official version is that he died of a heart attack.
But there is speculation that he committed suicide. And there is also a version that Jim's death was beneficial to the FBI. Investigators also considered the possibility that the drug dealer treated the singer with a strong brand of heroin.
Pamela Courson is the only witness to Jim Morrison's death. However, they were unable to interrogate her. Soon the girl also died from a drug overdose.
Jim's body was buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris. It is in this place that hundreds of fans of the musician come to pay tribute to their idol.
Seven years have passed, Jim Morrison's studio album American Prayer was released. The collection included recordings in which a celebrity reads poetry to rhythmic music.
