Watch rare footage of Jim Morrison filmed shortly before his death
Despite his short life, Jim Morrison left an indelible imprint on rock music during his time fronting The Doors. The singer expressed an intense interest in literature from an early age, citing Arthur Rimbaud, Charles Baudelaire, Vladimir Nabokov and Franz Kafka as some of his favourites, noting how they inspired him to start writing. After graduating from UCLA with a film degree, his friend Ray Manzarek recognised Morrison’s poetry and lyrics as perfect “rock group” material.
The two formed the Doors and named the group after Aldous Huxley’s book The Doors of Perception, an LSD reference that aligned with the singer’s bohemian, drug-fuelled lifestyle. Soon after, the pair recruited Robby Kreiger on guitar and John Densmore on drums, and the group soon began playing live shows. Morrison became known for his captivating stage presence, which inspired iconic musicians such as Iggy Pop.
Later, Iggy Pop himself would recall watching The Doors play in Michigan, stating: “So, here’s this guy, out of his head on acid, dressed in leather with his hair all oiled and curled. The stage was tiny, and it was really low. It got confrontational. I found it really interesting. I loved the performance … Part of me was like, ‘Wow, this is great. He’s really pissing people off, and he’s lurching around, making these guys angry’.”
Morrison engaged in prototypical rockstar behaviour, becoming the first to be arrested on stage. His leather outfits, inspired by Andy Warhol associate Gerard Malanga, became an iconic symbol of being a rockstar, as did his erratic on-stage behaviour and hedonistic lifestyle. Sadly, Morrison’s wild conduct led to his premature death at the age of 27 in 1971.
Two years prior, in 1969, the singer, known for embodying a mysterious, sexy look, had gained weight and grown out a beard, ditching the leather trousers for some rather basic jeans. By March, Morrison had been arrested after screaming obscenities such as “you wanna see my cock?” to a Miami audience. The band’s remaining tour dates were cancelled, and Morrison was convicted of indecent exposure and profanity. The singer was sentenced to six months in prison and forced to pay a $500 fine. However, a reassessment of the case in 2010 pardoned Morrison’s actions, with the other band members denying that the singer actually exposed himself.
Once the band had finished recording L.A. Woman, Morrison decided to spend some time in Paris, away from his looming sentencing, hoping to straighten himself out. He arrived in the French city with his girlfriend Pamela Courson in March 1971, his alcohol and heroin dependency at an all-time high. Morrison thought Paris would give him a chance to get clean. Unfortunately, it became his resting place, passing away just a few months after he arrived.
Below is rare video footage of Morrison taken in November 1970, a few months before he set off for Paris. In the clip, Morrison sightsees and drives around, with one YouTube user stating that the footage looks like it was shot in different areas of California, including Ventura and San Simeon.
