94-486: Lizard King may refer to: People [ edit ] Jim Morrison (1943–1971), an American musician, singer for the Doors The Lizard King , a play about Jim Morrison, starring Stephen Nichols Lizardking , stage name of Gustaf Grefberg, a Swedish musician Wong Keng Liang , a Malaysian wildlife trafficker Miles Mikolas , baseball pitcher for
188-586: A middle school in Alexandria , in June 1961. While attending George Washington High School, Morrison maintained a grade average of 88 and tested in the top 0.1% with an IQ of 149. Morrison's senior year English teacher later said, "Jim read as much and probably more than any student in class, but everything he read was so offbeat I had another teacher (who was going to the Library of Congress ) check to see if
282-416: A neopagan handfasting ceremony with her. According to Kennealy, the couple signed a handwritten document, and were declared wed by a Celtic high priestess and high priest on Midsummer night in 1970, but none of the necessary paperwork for a legal marriage was filed with the state. No witness to this ceremony was ever named. In an interview for the book Rock Wives , Kennealy was asked if Morrison took
376-586: A 1988 Australian television film Lizard king ( Dungeons & Dragons ) , a variant of the fictional Lizardfolk See also [ edit ] Island of the Lizard King , a 1984 single-player adventure gamebook King Lizard , an English rock band Moko (mythology) , the king of lizards in the mythology of Mangaia in the Cook Islands Tomb of the Lizard King , a 1982 Dungeons & Dragons adventure module Topics referred to by
470-557: A Buick with a sledgehammer on television, should the commercial be aired. "Light My Fire" is notated in the key of A Minor . Ray Manzarek's keyboard playing descends from G to D Major , then goes to F and B-flat major ; continuing onto the pitches of E-flat and A-flat major , before returning to the initial key of A Major . This alternation was based on Johann Bach's " Two and Three Part Inventions ", but author Philip Clark has suggested that it may have been inspired by Dave Brubeck 's compositions. The extended solo arrangement
564-452: A beard, and begun dressing more casually, abandoning the leather pants and concho belts for slacks, jeans, and T-shirts. The Soft Parade , the Doors' fourth album, was released later that year. It was the first album where each band member was given individual songwriting credit, by name, for their work. Previously, each song on their albums had been credited simply to "The Doors". During
658-471: A bit. There were guys down there, black guys, that would go each day before I went on. It took about five minutes and they would get twenty or twenty-five years in jail. If I hadn't had unlimited funds to continue fighting my case, I'd be in jail right now for three years. It's just if you have money you generally don't go to jail. On December 8, 2010 – the 67th anniversary of Morrison's birth – Florida governor Charlie Crist and
752-608: A composition by Robby Krieger , who said that he was inspired by the melody of " Hey Joe " and the lyrics of the Rolling Stones ' " Play with Fire ". On taking his initial composition to the band, John Densmore suggested that it should have more of a Latin rhythm, Jim Morrison wrote the second verse and part of the chorus ("Try to set the night on fire"), while Ray Manzarek added the Bach -influenced introductory organ motif; Densmore also suggested that it should open with
846-641: A concert by the Velvet Underground at The Trip in Los Angeles, and Andy Warhol claimed in his book Popism that his "black leather" look had been heavily influenced by the dancer Gerard Malanga who performed at the concert. Conversely, Krieger and Manzarek claim that Morrison was inspired to wear leather pants by Marlon Brando from his role in The Fugitive Kind . No One Here Gets Out Alive repeatedly mentions that Morrison
940-688: A concert on March 1, 1969, at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, a visibly intoxicated Morrison attempted to spark a riot in the audience, in part by screaming, "You wanna see my cock?" and other obscenities. Three days later, six warrants for his arrest were issued by the Dade County Public Safety Department for indecent exposure , among other accusations. Consequently, many of the Doors' scheduled concerts were canceled. On September 20, 1970, Morrison
1034-660: A documentary about the film Obscura . While living in Venice Beach, Morrison befriended writers at the Los Angeles Free Press , and he advocated for the publication until his 1971 death, conducting a lengthy and in-depth interview with Bob Chorush and Andy Kent of the Free Press in December 1970, and was planning to visit the headquarters of the busy newspaper shortly before leaving for Paris. In
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#17327878253901128-662: A future rear admiral in the United States Navy . His ancestors were Scottish, Irish, and English. In August 1964, Admiral Morrison was commanding U.S. naval forces during the Gulf of Tonkin incident . The following year, in 1965, the incident was a leading pretext used to justify U.S. engagement in the Vietnam War . Morrison had a younger sister, Anne Robin, who was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1947, and
1222-432: A mixture of classic Spanish guitar , and soul , with American pop. It contains "proto- Latin rock " stylings, and a slower tempo than the Doors original version. In a 1969 interview, Feliciano said that he liked the song when he first heard it, but felt that he should wait a year before releasing the song. He also said that " California Dreamin ' " was the original A-side of the single. The single helped to spur
1316-656: A number of original songs and distinctive cover versions , such as their rendition of " Alabama Song " from Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill 's opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny . The band also performed a number of extended concept works, including the songs " The End ", " When the Music's Over ", and " Celebration of the Lizard ". On the evening of December 9, 1967, during a concert in New Haven, Connecticut , Morrison
1410-477: A producer tell the band they would never appear on his show again, and their planned six further bookings were canceled. In a defiant tone, Morrison said to the producer, "Hey man. So what? We just did the Sullivan Show!" By the release of their second album, Strange Days , the Doors had become one of the most popular rock bands in the U.S. Their blend of blues and dark psychedelic rock included
1504-445: A rock star, as "a great poet"; she constantly encouraged him and pushed him to write. Courson attended his concerts and focused on supporting his career. Like Morrison, she was described by many as fiery, determined and attractive, as someone who was tough despite appearing fragile. Manzarek called Pamela "Jim's other half" and said, "I never knew another person who could so complement his bizarreness." After her death in 1974, Courson
1598-442: A school recruitment film. At Florida State, Morrison was arrested on September 28, 1963, for disturbing the peace and petty larceny while drunk at a home Florida State Seminoles football game at Doak Campbell Stadium . A voracious reader from an early age, Morrison was particularly inspired by the writings of several philosophers and poets. He was influenced by Friedrich Nietzsche , whose views on aesthetics, morality, and
1692-474: A series of black-and-white photos of a shirtless Morrison in a photo shoot known as "The Young Lion" photo session. These photographs are considered among the most iconic images of Jim Morrison and are frequently used as covers for compilation albums, books, and other memorabilia related to Morrison and the Doors. The Doors achieved national recognition in 1967 after signing with Elektra Records . The single " Light My Fire " spent three weeks at number one on
1786-523: A shorter version be released as a single. Despite the band's reluctance, Rothchild edited a single version, cut down to under three minutes with nearly all the instrumental break removed for airplay on AM radio . The band appeared on various TV shows, such as American Bandstand , miming to a playback of the single. "Light My Fire" was also performed live by the Doors on The Ed Sullivan Show broadcast on September 17, 1967. The Doors were asked by producer Bob Precht, Ed Sullivan 's son-in-law, to change
1880-464: A single snare drum hit. The band started playing the song in performances in April 1966, and extended it with a jazzy improvisation. When the Doors performed the song at live concerts, Manzarek played the song's bass line with his left hand on a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass , while performing the main keyboard lines on a Vox Continental using his right hand. When they came to record the song later in
1974-612: A single on the RCA Victor label. It is perhaps the best known cover of this song, peaking at number 3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts for the three consecutive weeks of August 31 and September 7 and 14, only a year after the original had been a number-one hit on the same chart. His version became the bigger hit in Australia and also in Canada, where it reached number one. Feliciano's remake blended Latin influences, including
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#17327878253902068-534: A younger brother, Andrew Lee Morrison, who was born in Los Altos, California in 1948. In 1947, when he was three to four years old, Morrison allegedly witnessed a car accident in the desert, during which a truck overturned and some Native Americans were lying injured on the side of the road. He referred to this incident in the Doors' song " Peace Frog " from their 1970 album Morrison Hotel , and in his spoken word performances "Dawn's Highway" and "Ghost Song" on
2162-553: Is actually the one, when he did it, everybody started doing it. He did a whole different arrangement on it." Feliciano revisited the song, performing a duet with Minnie Riperton on her 1979 album Minnie . In 1979, Amii Stewart released a disco version of "Light My Fire", together with a medley titled "137 Disco Heaven". It was a big hit in the UK , where it reached No. 5, and a mild hit in West Germany, peaking at No. 26. In
2256-730: Is contrasted sharply with Morrison's tale of "Indians scattered all over the highway, bleeding to death." In another book, his sister says that his version of the event is likely exaggerated, writing that, "he says we saw a dead Indian on the side of the road, and I don't even know if that's true." Raised a military brat , Morrison spent part of his childhood in San Diego , completed third grade at Fairfax Elementary School in Fairfax County, Virginia , and attended Charles H. Flato Elementary School in Kingsville, Texas , while his father
2350-419: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band The Doors . Due to his energetic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive voice, erratic and unpredictable performances, along with
2444-425: Is performed throughout the keys of A Minor and B Minor , the same chord progression used by John Coltrane on his cover version of " My Favorite Things ". According to Manzarek, the instrumental sections were an homage to John Coltrane whom the band admired. Parts of the solos are polyrhythmic . The 40th Anniversary mix of the debut album presents a stereo version of "Light My Fire" in speed-corrected form for
2538-637: The Billboard Hot 100 chart in July/August 1967, a far cry from the Doors opening for Simon and Garfunkel or playing at a high school as they did in Connecticut that same year. Later on, the Doors appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show , a popular Sunday night variety series that had given the Beatles and Elvis Presley national exposure. Ed Sullivan requested two songs from the Doors for
2632-721: The 1969 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance , the same year he also won the Grammy for Best New Artist . In 1998, the track was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame under the category Rock (single). Artists such as Brian Wilson , Jean-Jacques Burnel , and Feliciano himself, among others, are admirers of the song. The Doors Additional musician Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. The Puerto Rican vocalist and guitarist José Feliciano enjoyed significant international success when he released his version of "Light My Fire" in 1968 as
2726-761: The Apollonian and Dionysian duality would appear in his conversation, poetry, and songs. Some of his formative influences were Plutarch 's Parallel Lives and the works of the French Symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud , whose style would later influence the form of Morrison's short prose poems. He was also influenced by William S. Burroughs , Jack Kerouac , Allen Ginsberg , Louis-Ferdinand Céline , Lawrence Ferlinghetti , Charles Baudelaire , Vladimir Nabokov , Molière , Franz Kafka , Albert Camus , Honoré de Balzac , Jean Cocteau , and most French existentialist philosophers. Morrison soon transferred to
2820-581: The Billboard Hot 100 in 1968 following the success of José Feliciano 's cover version (which charted at number three), peaking at number 87. The song also spent one week on the Cash Box Top 100 , nearly a year after its recording. At the 11th Annual Grammy Awards in 1969, the cover by Feliciano won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Male Pop Vocal Performance . Feliciano also won
2914-552: The Maharishi Mahesh Yogi 's meditation practices at the time, attending scheduled classes, but Morrison was not involved in these series of classes. Morrison was inspired to name the band after the title of Aldous Huxley 's book The Doors of Perception (a reference to the unlocking of doors of perception through psychedelic drug use). Huxley's own concept was based on a quotation from William Blake 's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell , in which Blake wrote: "If
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3008-492: The 2006 remasters, only the original 45 RPM singles ("Light My Fire" and "Break On Through") were produced at the correct speed. A live version was released in 1983 on their live album Alive, She Cried , the first of several live albums released in subsequent decades to include the song. "Light My Fire" achieved modest success in Australia, where it peaked at number 22 on the ARIA chart. The single originally reached number 49 in
3102-516: The College of Fine Arts in 1965. Refusing to attend the graduation ceremony, he went to Venice Beach in Los Angeles, and the university later mailed his diploma to his mother in Coronado, California . He made several short films while attending UCLA. First Love , the first of these films, made with Morrison's classmate and roommate Max Schwartz, was released to the public when it appeared in
3196-708: The DVD Live at the Hollywood Bowl . While in Los Angeles, Morrison spent time with Mick Jagger , discussing their mutual hesitation and awkwardness about dancing in front of an audience, with Jagger asking Morrison's advice on "how to work for a big crowd". On September 6 and 7, 1968, the Doors played in Europe for the first time, with four performances at the Roundhouse in London with Jefferson Airplane , which
3290-529: The Doors in 1965 in Venice, California . The group spent two years in obscurity until shooting to prominence with their number-one hit single in the United States, " 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 many of which received critical acclaim. He frequently gave spoken word poetry passages while
3384-631: The Doors recorded two more albums after Jim Morrison died, his death greatly affected the band's fortunes, and they split up two years later. In 1993, Morrison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with the other Doors members. Rolling Stone , NME , and Classic Rock have ranked him among the greatest rock singers of all time. Morrison was born on December 8, 1943, in Melbourne, Florida , to Clara Virginia (née Clarke; 1919–2005) and Lt.(j.g.) George Stephen Morrison (1919–2008),
3478-532: The Doors' signature song, and a quintessential work of the psychedelic rock genre. In 2004 and 2010, the song was ranked at number 35 on Rolling Stone ' s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time , then it was re-ranked at number 310 on the 2021 list. It was included in RIAA's Songs of the Century list, at number 52. In 2014 NME ranked the song 199th in its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. Feliciano's cover won
3572-575: The Grammy Award for Best New Artist . Jim had been writing all the songs and then one day we realized we didn't have enough tunes, so he said, "Hey, why don't you guys try and write songs?" I wrote "Light My Fire" that night and brought it to the next rehearsal ... It's always kind of bugged me that so many people don't know I was the composer. – Robby Krieger , discussing the song's writing process during an interview with Guitar World . "Light My Fire" originated in early 1966 as
3666-563: The Highway", among other songs, may have been written about her. Though the relationship was "tumultuous" much of the time, and both also had relationships with others, they always maintained a unique and ongoing connection with one another until the end of Morrison's life. Throughout his career, Morrison had regular sexual and romantic encounters with fans (including groupies ) such as Pamela Des Barres , as well as ongoing affairs with other musicians, writers, and photographers involved in
3760-486: The Other Side) ", which was their first single release. The film featured the four group members playing the song on a darkened set with alternating views and close-ups of the performers while Morrison lip-synched the lyrics. Morrison and the Doors continued to make short music films, including " The Unknown Soldier ", " Strange Days " and " People Are Strange ". On September 18, 1967, photographer Joel Brodsky took
3854-573: The St. Louis Cardinals Robert California , a fictional character on the U.S. comedy series The Office Other uses [ edit ] "The Lizard King" ( Spider-Man ) , an episode of the TV series Spider-Man Lizard King Records , a New York and London-based label Jacksonville Lizard Kings , a defunct minor league ice hockey team in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. The Lizard King (film) ,
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3948-537: The U.S., the song peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 36 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart. It reached the top 10 in the UK a second time in 1985, in remixed form together with " Knock on Wood /Ash 48". This release peaked at No. 7. English singer and Pop Idol series 1 winner Will Young covered "Light My Fire" in 2002. He originally performed a piano version of
4042-729: The UK in 1967, but experienced belated success in that country in 1991, when a reissue peaked at number seven. This reissue was more successful in Ireland, peaking atop the IRMA chart for two weeks in June. The reissue occurred due to revived interest in the band following Oliver Stone's film biopic The Doors . The single was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in September 1967 for exceeding one million units shipped. As of December 1971, it
4136-409: The band was playing live. Manzarek said Morrison "embodied hippie counterculture rebellion". Morrison developed an alcohol dependency , which at times affected his performances on stage. In 1971, Morrison died unexpectedly in a Paris apartment at the age of 27 , amid several conflicting witness reports. Since no autopsy was performed, the cause of Morrison's death remains disputed. Although
4230-715: The books Jim was reporting on actually existed. I suspected he was making them up, as they were English books on sixteenth- and seventeenth-century demonology . I'd never heard of them, but they existed, and I'm convinced from the paper he wrote that he read them, and the Library of Congress would've been the only source." Morrison went to live with his paternal grandparents in Clearwater, Florida , and attended St. Petersburg Junior College . In 1962, he transferred to Florida State University in Tallahassee , and appeared in
4324-434: The breakdown in family communications as the result of an argument over his assessment of his son's musical talents. He said he could not blame his son for being reluctant to initiate contact and that he was proud of him. Morrison spoke fondly of his Scottish and Irish ancestry and was inspired by Celtic mythology in his poetry and songs. Celtic Family Magazine revealed in its 2016 Spring Issue that his Morrison clan
4418-427: The city. During this time, he shaved his beard and lost some of the weight he had gained in the previous months. He also telephoned John Densmore to ask him how L.A. Woman was doing commercially; he was the last band member to ever speak with him. On July 3, 1971, Morrison was found dead in the bathtub of the apartment at approximately 6:00 a.m. by Courson. He was 27 years old. The official cause of death
4512-424: The club's bathrooms after a purported heroin overdose around 2:00 a.m. and that his body was taken away from the club by two men supposed to be the drug dealers. Because of the lack of an autopsy, however, these statements could never be confirmed. According to music journalist Ben Fong-Torres , it was suggested that his death was kept a secret, and the reporters who had telephoned Paris were told that Morrison
4606-523: The concertgoers an obscenity-filled version of the incident. New Haven police arrested him for indecency and public obscenity, but the charges were later dropped. Morrison was the first rock performer arrested onstage. In 1968, the Doors released their third studio album, Waiting for the Sun . On July 5, the band performed at the Hollywood Bowl ; footage from this performance was later released on
4700-563: The deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin . All of these popular musicians died at the age of 27, leading to the emergence of the 27 Club urban legend . Since the date of his demise, there have been a number of conspiracy theories concerning Morrison's death. Morrison's early life was the semi-nomadic existence typical of military families. Jerry Hopkins recorded Morrison's brother, Andy, explaining that his parents had determined never to use corporal punishment such as spanking on their children. They instead instilled discipline by
4794-477: The doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite." Although Morrison was known as the lyricist of the group, Krieger also made lyrical contributions, writing or co-writing some of the group's biggest hits, including " Light My Fire ", " Love Me Two Times ", " Love Her Madly " and " Touch Me ". On the other hand, Morrison, who did not write most songs using an instrument, would come up with vocal melodies for his own lyrics, with
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#17327878253904888-400: The dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and early death, Morrison is regarded by music critics and fans as one of the most influential frontmen in rock history. Since his death, his fame has endured as one of popular culture's top rebellious and oft-displayed icons , representing the generation gap and youth counterculture . Together with keyboardist Ray Manzarek , Morrison founded
4982-418: The dressing room, in one version of the story, an angry and defiant Morrison told the band he wasn't changing a word and sang the song with the original lyrics deliberately; in another, Morrison sang mistakenly the unaltered lyric out of anxiety from performing on live television. Either way, Sullivan was unhappy and refused to shake hands with Morrison or any other band member after their performance. He then had
5076-541: The earliest examples of psychedelic rock , it was recorded in August 1966 and released in January 1967 on their eponymous debut album . Due to its erotic lyrics and innovative structure, the track has come to be regarded as synonymous with the '60s psychedelic and sexual revolutions . Issued as an edited single on April 24, 1967, the song spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart; it re-entered
5170-630: The film program at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he enrolled in Jack Hirschman 's class on Antonin Artaud in UCLA's Comparative Literature program. Artaud's surrealist theater brand profoundly impacted Morrison's dark poetic sensibility of cinematic theatricality. Morrison completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA's film school within the Theater Arts department of
5264-407: The first members of the Doors, forming the group during that summer. Manzarek narrated the story that he was lying on Venice Beach one day when he coincidentally encountered Morrison. He was impressed with Morrison's poetic lyrics, claiming that they were "rock group" material. Subsequently, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore joined. All three musicians shared a common interest in
5358-405: The first time. The speed discrepancy (being about 3.5% slow) was brought to Bruce Botnick 's attention by Brigham Young University professor Michael Hicks , who noted that all video and audio live performances of the Doors performing the song, the sheet music, and statements of band members show the song in a key almost a half step higher (key of A) than the stereo LP release (key of A♭/G♯). Until
5452-445: The handfasting ceremony seriously. She is seen on video saying, "Probably not too seriously". She added, he turned "really cold" when she claimed she became pregnant, leading her to speculate that maybe he had not taken the wedding as seriously as she had. Kennealy showed up unexpectedly in Miami during the indecency trial, and Morrison was curt with her. She later said, "he was scared to death. They were really out to put him away. Jim
5546-875: The head with a bottle of whiskey during a fight in front of witnesses, and thereafter referred to Morrison as "that asshole" whenever his name was brought up in conversation. During her appearance on the Dick Cavett Show in 1969, when host Dick Cavett offered to light her cigarette, asking "May I light your fire , my child?", she jokingly replied, "That's my favorite singer ... I guess not." Rock critic Patricia Kennealy described her fling with Morrison in No One Here Gets Out Alive , Break On Through , and later in Kennealy's own memoir, Strange Days: My Life With and Without Jim Morrison . Kennealy said that Morrison participated in
5640-469: The line "girl, we couldn't get much higher", as the sponsors were uncomfortable with the possible reference to drugs. However, the meaning of the line was confirmed to be literal, as in "high in the sky". The band agreed to do so, and did a rehearsal using the amended lyrics, "girl, we couldn't get much better ". However, during the live performance, lead singer Jim Morrison sang the original, unaltered lyrics. Sullivan did not shake Morrison's hand as he left
5734-575: The middle of 1965, after graduating with a bachelor's degree from the UCLA film school, Morrison led a bohemian lifestyle in Venice Beach. Living on the rooftop of a building inhabited by his UCLA classmate, Dennis Jakob, he wrote the lyrics of many of the early songs the Doors would later perform live and record on albums, such as " Moonlight Drive " and " Hello, I Love You ". According to fellow UCLA student Ray Manzarek , he lived on canned beans and LSD for several months. Morrison and Manzarek, who had met months earlier as cinematography students, were
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#17327878253905828-443: The military tradition known as "dressing down", which consisted of yelling at and berating the children until they were reduced to tears and acknowledged their failings. Once Morrison graduated from UCLA, he broke off most contact with his family. By the time his music ascended to the top of the charts (in 1967) he had not been in communication with his family for more than a year and falsely claimed that everyone in his immediate family
5922-467: The music business. They included Nico ; singer Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane ; and editor Gloria Stavers of 16 Magazine , as well as an alleged alcohol-fueled encounter with Janis Joplin . David Crosby stated many years later that Morrison treated Joplin cruelly at a party at the Calabasas, California , home of John Davidson while Davidson was out of town. She reportedly hit him over
6016-425: The other band members contributing chords and rhythm. Morrison did not play an instrument live (except for maracas and tambourine for most shows, and harmonica on a few occasions) or in the studio (excluding maracas, tambourine, handclaps , and whistling ). However, he did play the grand piano on " Orange County Suite " and a Moog synthesizer on " Strange Days ". In May 1966, Morrison reportedly attended
6110-443: The posthumous 1978 album An American Prayer . Morrison described this incident as the most formative event of his life, and made repeated references to it in the imagery in his songs, poems, and interviews. Morrison believed the spirits or the ghosts of those "dead Indians leaped into [his] soul," and that he was "like a sponge, ready to sit there and absorb it." Morrison's family does not recall this traffic incident happening in
6204-429: The recording sessions for the album began, producer Paul A. Rothchild – who had overseen all of their previous recordings – left the project, and engineer Bruce Botnick took over as producer. I got a phone call and I didn't believe it because we used to hear shit like that all the time—that Jim jumped off a cliff or something. So we sent our manager off to Paris, and he called and said it
6298-419: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Lizard King . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lizard_King&oldid=1247937833 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
6392-595: The show's producer. Drummer John Densmore recalled that Buick offered $ 75,000 in October 1968 to adapt the song for use in a Buick TV commercial ("Come on, Buick, light my fire"). Morrison, however, was still in London after a European tour had just ended on September 20, and could not be contacted by the other band members, who agreed to the deal in his absence. As the band had agreed in 1965 to both equal splits and everyone having veto power in decisions, Morrison consequently called Buick and threatened to personally smash
6486-409: The show, "People Are Strange" and "Light My Fire". Sullivan's censors insisted that the Doors change the lyrics of the song "Light My Fire" from "Girl we couldn't get much higher" to "Girl we couldn't get much better" for the television viewers; this was reportedly due to what was perceived as a reference to drugs in the original lyrics. After giving reluctant assurances of compliance to the producer in
6580-479: The song in the final 50 of Pop Idol , and again, with a backing track, in the final 10. A studio version, recorded in the style of Puerto Rican musician José Feliciano 's version, was later released as his second single. The song went straight to the number one spot in the UK Singles Chart , selling 177,000 copies in its first week of release, while staying at number one for two weeks. Young also performed
6674-579: The stage. The band had been negotiating a multi-episode deal with the producers; however, after violating the agreement not to perform the offending line, they were informed they would never perform on the show again. Morrison's response was "Hey man. We just did the Sullivan show." This performance was portrayed in Oliver Stone's 1991 biopic film , but with Morrison singing "higher" more emphatically and without his subsequent retort to Sullivan and
6768-458: The state clemency board unanimously signed a complete posthumous pardon for Morrison. All the other members of the band, along with Doors' road manager Vince Treanor, have insisted that Morrison did not expose himself on stage that night. Following The Soft Parade , the Doors released Morrison Hotel . After a lengthy break, the group reconvened in October 1970 to record their final album with Morrison, titled L.A. Woman . Shortly after
6862-511: The summer of 1962. In a 2005 interview with the St. Petersburg Times , she said Morrison spoke to her before a photo shoot for the Doors' fourth album and told her the first three albums were about her. She also stated in the interview that she was not a fan of the band and never attended a concert by them. Werbelow broke off the relationship in Los Angeles in the summer of 1965, a few months before Morrison began rehearsals. Manzarek said of Werbelow, "She
6956-551: The way he told it. According to the Morrison biography No One Here Gets Out Alive , his family did drive past a car accident on an Indian reservation when he was a child, and he was very upset by it. The book The Doors , written by the surviving members of the band, explains how Morrison's account of the incident differed from that of his father, who is quoted as saying, "We went by several Indians. It did make an impression on him. He always thought about that crying Indian." This
7050-420: The way he would improvise poetry to a rock beat, even his habit of crouching down by the bass drum during instrumental breaks." On the final night, the two Morrisons and their two bands jammed together on " Gloria ". Van later described Jim as being "really raw. He knew what he was doing and could do it very well." In November 1966, Morrison and the Doors produced a promotional film for " Break On Through (To
7144-401: The worldwide success of its album, Feliciano! , which was nominated for multiple Grammy Awards in 1969. Feliciano's arrangement of "Light My Fire" has influenced several subsequent versions, including that by Will Young . Songwriter Robby Krieger said in an interview about the cover: "It's really a great feeling to have written a classic. I think I owe a big debt to Jose Feliciano because he
7238-465: The year, producer Paul A. Rothchild brought in session musician Larry Knechtel to overdub a Fender Precision Bass guitar to double the keyboard bass line. Rothchild also suggested that the recording repeat the introductory motif at the end of the track. Although the album version was just over seven minutes long, it was widely requested for radio play, notably by Los Angeles DJ Dave Diamond , and Elektra Records owner Jac Holzman asked that
7332-424: Was Jim's first love. She held a deep place in his soul." Manzarek also noted that Morrison's song "The End" was intended originally to be "a short goodbye love song to Mary," with the longer oedipal middle section a later addition. Morrison spent the majority of his adult life in an open and at times very charged and intense relationship with Pamela Courson. Through to the end, Courson saw Morrison as more than
7426-510: Was a "person graced with a talent" admired by many of his peers. Interviewed by Bob Chorush of the L.A. Free Press , Morrison expressed both bafflement and clarity about the Miami incident: I wasted a lot of time and energy with the Miami trial. About a year and a half. But I guess it was a valuable experience because before the trial, I had a very unrealistic schoolboy attitude about the American judicial system . My eyes have been opened up
7520-399: Was arrested on stage in an incident that further added to his mystique and emphasized his rebellious image. Before the show, a police officer found Morrison and a woman in the showers backstage. Not recognizing the singer, the policeman ordered him to leave, to which Morrison mockingly replied, "Eat me." He was subsequently maced by the officer, and the show was delayed. Once onstage, he told
7614-596: Was buried by her family as Pamela Susan Morrison. Her parents petitioned the court for inheritance of Morrison's estate. The probate court in California judged that she and Morrison had what qualified as a common-law marriage . Morrison's will at the time of his death named Courson as the sole heir. Morrison dedicated his published poetry books The Lords and New Creatures and the lost writings Wilderness to Courson. A number of writers have speculated that songs like " Love Street ", "Orange County Suite" and "Queen of
7708-448: Was convicted of indecent exposure and profanity by a six-person jury in Miami after a sixteen-day trial. Morrison, who attended the October 30 sentencing "in a wool jacket adorned with Indian designs", silently listened as he was sentenced to six months in prison and had to pay a $ 500 fine. However, Morrison remained free on a $ 50,000 bond while the verdict was being appealed. At the sentencing, Judge Murray Goodman told Morrison that he
7802-453: Was dead (or claimed that he was an only child). However, Morrison told Hopkins in a 1969 interview for Rolling Stone magazine that he did this because he did not want to involve his family in his musical career. His sister similarly believed that "he did it to protect my dad, who was moving up in the Navy, and to keep his life separate, not to shake it up on both sides." Morrison's father
7896-415: Was devastated that he wasn't getting any public support." Morrison moved to Paris with Pamela and never had his day in court due to his unexpected passing while living there. Light My Fire " Light My Fire " is a song by the American rock band the Doors . Although it was principally written by the band's guitarist, Robby Krieger , songwriting was credited to the entire band. Recognized as one of
7990-617: Was especially drawn to the look and posture of the ancient Greek king Alexander the Great . In June 1966, Morrison and the Doors were the opening act at the Whisky a Go Go in the last week of the residency of Van Morrison 's band Them . Van's influence on Jim's developing stage performance was later noted by Brian Hinton in his book Celtic Crossroads: The Art of Van Morrison : "Jim Morrison learned quickly from his near namesake's stagecraft, his apparent recklessness, his air of subdued menace,
8084-440: Was filmed by Granada Television for the television documentary The Doors Are Open , directed by John Sheppard. Around this time, Morrison – who had long been a heavy drinker – started showing up for recording sessions visibly inebriated . He was also frequently appearing in live performances and studio recordings late or stoned. By early 1969, the formerly svelte Morrison had gained weight, grown
8178-528: Was listed as heart failure, although no autopsy was performed as it was not required by French law . Courson said that Morrison's last words , as he was bathing, were, "Pam, are you still there?" Several individuals who say they were eyewitnesses, including Marianne Faithfull , claim that his death was due to an accidental heroin overdose. Sam Bernett, founder and manager of the Rock 'n' Roll Circus night club, affirmed that he had found Morrison unconscious in
8272-483: Was not deceased but tired and resting at a hospital. Morrison's friend, film director Agnès Varda , admitted that she was the one who was responsible for hiding the incident from becoming public. In her last media interview before her death in 2019, Varda confirmed that she was one of the only four mourners to attend Morrison's burial. Morrison's death came two years to the day after the death of Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones and approximately nine months after
8366-573: Was not supportive of his career in music. One day, Andy brought over a record thought to have Morrison on the cover, which was the Doors' debut album . Upon hearing the record, Morrison's father wrote him a letter telling him "to give up any idea of singing or any connection with a music group because of what I consider to be a complete lack of talent in this direction." In a letter to the Florida Probation and Parole Commission District Office dated October 2, 1970, Admiral Morrison acknowledged
8460-732: Was originally from the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, while his Irish side, the Clelland clan who married into the Morrison line, were from County Down in Northern Ireland. Morrison was sought after by many as a photographer's model, confidant, romantic partner and sexual conquest. He had several serious relationships and many casual encounters. By many accounts, he could also be inconsistent with his partners, displaying what some recall as "a dual personality". Rothchild recalls, "Jim really
8554-557: Was stationed at NAS Kingsville in 1952. He continued at St. John's Methodist School in Albuquerque, New Mexico , and then Longfellow School Sixth Grade Graduation Program in San Diego. In 1957, Morrison attended Alameda High School in Alameda, California for his freshman year and the first semester of his sophomore year. In 1959, his family returned to Northern Virginia , where he graduated from George Washington High School, now
8648-502: Was the band's best-selling single with over 927,000 copies sold. It was also certified 2x Platinum by the RIAA in November 2024 for reaching 2,000,000 digital units. Billboard described the single as a "top discotheque offering" with an "infectious beat" that "really grooves from start to finish." Cash Box called the single a "potent, pounding foot-stomper with unlimited potential." "Light My Fire" has been widely considered as
8742-603: Was true. –Robby Krieger, recalling when the band learned about Morrison's death. After recording L.A. Woman with the Doors in Los Angeles, Morrison announced to the band his intention to go to Paris. His bandmates generally felt it was a good idea. In March 1971, he joined girlfriend Pamela Courson in Paris at an apartment she had rented at 17–19, Rue Beautreillis in Le Marais , 4th arrondissement . In letters to friends, he described going alone for long walks through
8836-506: Was two very distinct and different people. A Jekyll and Hyde . When he was sober, he was Jekyll, the most erudite, balanced, friendly kind of guy ... He was Mr. America. When he would start to drink, he'd be okay at first, then, suddenly, he would turn into a maniac. Turn into Hyde." One of Morrison's early significant relationships was with Mary Werbelow, whom he met on the beach in Clearwater, Florida, when they were teenagers in
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