Seth Frank

The Doors Were Pioneers Of Rock

In 1965, two men, James Morrison and Ray Manzarek, were in the right place at the right time on Venice Beach, in Venice, California, while some people believe in fate and others might put more belief in divine intervention, but when it came to the formation of The Doors.

Both James Morrison and Ray Manzarek were Alumni of UCLA, and were acquaintances, but Manzarek insisted that they start combining their efforts when Morrison said that he was writing music, and after sampling “Moonlight Drive”.

By September of that year their first six-track demo was finished, only one month after the group was assembled. At Los Angeles’ prestigious Whiskey A Go Go on the Sunset Strip, they began playing and were talented to succeed, and that’s where they were spotted by Jac Holzman, President of Elektra Records. Less than twelve months after their first track was recorded, Holzman signed the group to his label on August 18th.

From August 24th-31st The Doors shifted directly into the studio and recorded their debut album, and it hit stores in January of 1967. Hits such as “Break on Through (To the Other Side)” and “Light My Fire” which was the band’s first single, and Elektra’s first track to climb to the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 were listed on the album. They had repeated TV appearances and were a hit from the very beginning, becoming heavy hitters during the age of vinyl records.

On December 9th, 1967, Jim Morrison became immortalized for becoming the first artist to ever be arrested while on stage, in the middle of a show at the New Haven Arena in New haven Connecticut. While busy with a female fan backstage, Morrison was spotted by a police officer who was working the venue. The officer, who had threatened to mace the two of them, followed up on his claim and sprayed them when, after he requested for them to break it up, Morrison challenged him. Halfway into the set, Morrison went on an over-the-top rant, verbally bashing the New Haven Police Department, and was dragged off-stage, causing a riot to form. The charges were later dismissed, but the spectacle had already gone down in history, and afterward Morrison became a living legend.

Becoming increasingly aggressive with authorities during performances and going on drunken binges, the band played on in infamy, and Morrison continued to indulge his rebellious image, almost breaking the band up on some occasions. On July 3rd, 1971, at 27 years old, Morrison was uncovered dead in a bathtub in an apartment in Paris, France. Because his death did not appear to be a result of foul play no autopsy was administered, though it is presumed that he died of a heroin overdose.

The band continued to perform and record together until 1973, but it was never the same after Morrison’s death.Doors vinyl remains a big item to this day although they only recorded nine albums, The Doors will always have a place in rock and roll history.

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