The history of the Doors is deep and wide, and you could spend an entire movie or book or many movies and books trying to tell it. But, in basic, the Doors were one of the best bands to emerge from the 60s rock revolution.
To say Jim Morrison had charisma was an understatement. The guy may have invented the word for all we know. His stage presence was fueled by drugs and alcohol and hard days and nights. Which put an end to the band’s chances of survival when Jim himself passed away in 1971 at just 27 years old.
In 1966, the band formed its’ name based on the title to Aldous Huxley’s book, the Doors of Perception. Morrison along with keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore met in LA, and were off and running with an Elektra Records deal. Whatever inspiration they had to somehow produce eight albums in just five years probably helped rocket them to the top of many charts, including one that saw the Doors become the first American band to accumulate eight consecutive gold LP records.
Besides the presence of Jim Morrison, and his lyrics, a hauntingly present organ and keyboard sound perfected by Manzerek may have attributed to the very unique sound with which the Doors have become known for.
While the band wanted to continue forward as a trio following the death of Morrison, they only released two more albums together before disbanding in 1973. Surviving members Manzarek and Krieger got together in 2002 with Ian Astbury of The Cult to revive the band as “The Doors of the 21st Century,” though that march was abruptly halted after the estates of drummer Densmore and Morrison sued the newly formed trio. The name changed once again to Riders on the Storm, then “Manzarek-Krieger,” and continued on until Ray’s death in 2013.
The Doors remain one of the greatest artists of all time, placing at number 41 on the Rolling Stone list of 100 Greats. In 1993, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and continues to show pieces of the band’s history in their underground museum.
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