Recap

The Doors & Jim Morrison

Starting in the first hour, author R. Gary Patterson was joined by guitarist Robby Krieger and keyboardist Ray Manzarek, both from the legendary Doors. The two musicians discussed being part of the group, working with Jim Morrison, and questions surrounding his death in Paris in 1971. Manzarek said he and Morrison decided to form the Doors after running into each other on the beach in Venice in 1965 (they had gone to school together at UCLA). Two years later, they had a #1 hit with Light My Fire, which was written by Krieger.

Morrison and the Doors sought in their performances to create a ceremony to "release the Dionysian impulse" and offer a "séance to palliate the dead," Manzarek explained, adding that Morrison always had a strong interest in the subject of death. The Doors' manager went to Paris to deal with Morrison's death, but later admitted he never saw the body, and the coffin was sealed, Krieger recounted. Manzarek doubted that he could still be alive, as some have claimed, but that if he had faked his death, it would mean he doesn't want to be found.

Krieger noted that towards the time of Morrison's death, he appeared to have a serious medical condition and was coughing up blood. The condition might have been TB, said Patterson, who commented there were many unanswered questions in the star's death. In the last hour, Patterson took calls about Morrison, and other rock 'n' roll mysteries.

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Riders on the Storm

Doors founding members Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger formed the group Riders on the Storm, which currently features Brett Scallions (formerly of Fuel) as the lead singer. A listing of YouTube videos of the group is posted here.

Photo Credit: Miss Shela