For some he is god, for others is the devil, Jim Morrison (1943-1971), frontman of the extraordinary band “The Doors”, would have turned 81 today, December 8, the same day in which John Lennon was shot.
Together with pianist Ray Manzarek, Morrison founded the Doors in 1965. in Venice, California. The band spent two years in complete anonymity until they rose to prominence with their US number one single, "Light My Fire", taken from their self-titled debut album. Morrison recorded a total of six studio albums with the Doors, all of which sold well and received critical acclaim. His improvisations of reciting poetic passages while the band played live became his trademark.
Ray Manzarek calls Morrison "epitomized the rebellion of the hippie counterculture".
Morrison developed an alcohol addiction during the band's career, which sometimes affected his performances on stage. On July 3, 1971 Morrison died unexpectedly in Paris at the age of 27, and several conflicting witness reports have emerged on the case. His untimely death is often associated with Club 27.
Because an autopsy has not been performed, Morrison's cause of death remains in dispute.
Although the three remaining members of the Doors recorded two more albums as a trio after Morrison's death, his death seriously affected the group's fortunes and they broke up two years later.
In 1991 Oliver Stone has crafted a powerful psychedelic musical portrait that brilliantly captures the frenetic energy of the ’60s and the myth of the iconic frontman of the band whose music shaped an era. Morrison's life is marked by resistance, scandals, sex, drugs – and spectacular success. A story that ends abruptly when he is found dead in his bathtub at the age of 27.
In 1993 Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the other members of the Doors. In 2011 Rolling Stone's readers' choice ranked Morrison fifth on the “Greatest Lead Singers of All Time” magazine, and in another Rolling Stone list “The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time” he was ranked 47th. He was also ranked as the 22nd greatest singer in rock by Classic Rock magazine.