Biography
Though they emerged amid the West coast psychedelic revolution of the late '60s, The Doors were anything but flower children. They brought a moodiness and poetic power to the table that set them apart from the pack and made them heroes of the era as well giving them a timeless legacy that would continue to be celebrated long after they were gone. The band had its beginnings in Rick and The Ravens, a bluesy garage-rock group, founded by Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek's guitarist brother Rick in 1961. By 1965 the band included Ray, drummer John Densmore, and singer Jim Morrison. They cut their first demo that year, and shortly afterwards Rick was replaced by Robby Krieger and the band officially became The Doors. By 1966 they began to earn a reputation for their shows on L.A.'s Sunset Strip scene, and they eventually landed a deal with Elektra Records. Their self-titled 1967 debut album was a huge success, boosted by the No. 1 single "Light My Fire," which would become one of the most ubiquitous songs of the classic-rock era. Between their distinctive sound - incorporating Krieger's unconventional guitar work, Densmore's jazzy drumming, and Manzarek's up-front organ lines - and Morrison's poetic imagery and photogenic quality, The Doors quickly became top-tier rock stars. Their next two LPs, Strange Days and Waiting for the Sun, brought even wider fame and more hits, including the latter's No. 1 song, "Hello, I Love You." But the combination of Morrison's alcoholism, unpredictable nature, and confrontational performance style was creating trouble at concerts, and it came to a head in March of 1969 at a Miami show where he was charged with exposing himself onstage. The singer was given a six-month jail sentence, that would remain on appeal for the rest of his tragically short life, but subsequent Doors shows were frequently tense affairs, and many were cancelled. Nevertheless, 1969's Soft Parade was a commercial success, spawning the No. 3 single "Touch Me," and an artistic advance, featuring expansive arrangements including horns and strings. Nevertheless, The Doors pared things back down for 1970's Morrison Hotel and even more so for the now-classic, blues-based 1971 album L.A. Woman. After finishing that record, Morrison relocated to Paris with his girlfriend for an unspecified amount of time, leaving the band in limbo. Before their next step could be definitely determined, the singer died in his bathtub from undetermined causes generally assumed to be related to his substance abuse issues. The surviving members released two more Doors albums sans Morrison in the early '70s, receiving little attention. The Doors reunited for their 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, and again for the 2000 TV show VH1 Storytellers, both times using guest singers. Manzarek and Krieger began performing with singer Ian Astbury of The Cult as The Doors of the 21st Century in 2002. Densmore refused to participate, and sued to keep them from using The Doors' name. Manzarek passed away in 2013 at the age of 74.
