How Jim Morrison’s reputation was ruined, according to Ray Manzarek
From public displays of indecency to drug addiction and inebriated television appearances, there are a number of things that one could point towards as being catalysts for the downfall of Jim Morrison, alongside the experiences of Ray Manzarek.
It is most certainly the case that the Doors frontman was one of the most electrifying performers of his generation, but he was also a tragic figure who was plagued by personal struggles and a string of controversies throughout his career. In their short-lived time as a band, at least with him as their leader, they established themselves as one of the foremost psychedelic and blues rock bands of the counterculture era, and over the course of the six albums they released with him, they became one of the most influential acts in their sphere.
However, it was the prospect of fame that ended up being the most damaging thing to Morrison, and his death in 1971 at the age of 27, while heartbreaking to many, was also not much of a shock to those around him. His substance abuse largely arose as a method of dealing with the attention that he’d received as a performer, poet and sex symbol, and he allowed it to consume him to a point where it was inevitable that catastrophe would eventually strike.
While the remaining members of the band, Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger and John Densmore, attempted to keep things going after Morrison’s passing, it was evident that they were missing a vital ingredient to what made their sound so special. After just two disappointing albums without Morrison, The Doors decided to disband, and while it was ultimately the right decision, it’s something that Manzarek laments to this day.
In a 1998 interview with The Tapes Archive, while promoting his autobiography, My Life With the Doors, Manzarek claimed that his reasons for publishing the book were to inform the next generation of the truth behind the band and to correct all of the past mistruths that were perpetuated about the former frontman, something which he believes was the most damaging thing of all to Morrison’s reputation.
Speaking about the then-current fears of the new millennium bringing about an apocalypse, Manzarek said that he wanted to set things right with regard to the ‘end times’. “I’m trying to allay those fears,” the keyboard player argued. “I want the young people to know that there’s another way to approach God and man and existence, and that this is how we did it in the sixties.” He then went on to criticise many of the works written on the subject of Morrison’s life, stating that he wanted to set the record straight on the truth about his life.
“All those crap-assed books about Jim,” he continued. “Holy cow. I mean, enough was enough already; I got sick of those crap-assed books. God Almighty, people writing books about who gave Jim a blowjob, and are all of a sudden, his love for life? Like God, stop it, will you? ‘I had anal sex with Jim Morrison’s witch-wife, or something. Those books are sick.”
While the way in which Morrison lived his life may have been detrimental to him, Manzarek truly seemed to believe that the legacy of the band was ruined by salacious gossip pieces and rumours that were spread about Morrison, replacing genuine discussions of their artistry and importance as a band. It may be the case that a lot of tales about him are untrue, but in no way have they destroyed their reputation. In fact, one might argue that it only adds to the mystique and interest surrounding their work.
