James Douglas Morrison

James Douglas Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida, USA on December 8th 1943. His father was an officer in the US Navy (the future Admiral George Stephen Morrison) He had a brother and sister a few years younger than himself.
As a youngster in 1947, before the birth of his siblings, Morrison witnessed a bad car accident in which (it is believed) a family of Native Americans were killed. Morrison often said that this was one of the dominant memories of his youth and it featured in a number of his works. Interviews with Morrison’s family in later life describe a different sequence of events to those Morrison describe but there is evidence he witnessed at least the aftermath of a bad accident in early life.
Hid father’s career in the Navy meant that Morrison had an unsettled childhood living wherever his father’s postings took him. He started school in California and graduated in Virginia before starting College at St Petersburg Junior College in Florida before transferring to Florida State University. He finally completed his education at UCLA obtaining a degree from UCLA's film school, the Theatre Arts department of the College of Fine Arts in 1965. It was at UCLA that he directed his first films.
It was also at this time that he began writing and became friends with members of the Los Angeles Free Press and a supporter of the underground newspapers.
Whilst living at Venice Beach Morrison and another UCLA student Ray Manzarek started the group The Doors. They were soon joined by Drummer John Densmore and by guitarist Robby Krieger and went on to write and perform some very influential pieces and achieve International acclaim. They had number one hits and appeared on several chat and music TV shows. This included a memorable appearance on the ED Sullivan show on which Morrison sang the original version of Light My Fire instead of a version without drug references that had been previously agreed. This infuriated Sullivan so much that Morrison did not appear on his show again.
A few years later when The Doors were at the height of their career Morrison began to suffer markedly from the effect of drink and drugs. He gained weight and he became more radical in his activities. At one performance he unsuccessfully attempted to foment a riot in the young audience and he was arrested a few days later.
Morrison published two volumes of his poetry in 1969 (The Lords / Notes on Vision and The New Creatures). Of these New Creatures is regarded as the more poetic in structure, feel and appearance. These were subsequently published in a single volume entitled The Lords and The New Creatures. After his death Morrison's friend, photographer Frank Lisciandro selected and published two further volumes. Volume 1 of “The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison – Wilderness” which was an instant best seller and Volume 2 -- The American Night which was released in 1990 and was also successful.
Morrison moved to Paris in March 1971. In subsequent months it is said he often became drunk and depressed and was planning to return to the US. Morrison died on July 3, 1971. Since no autopsy was carried out all that his known is that he died in his bath, however his gitl friend claimed that he had died of a heroin overdose, having inhaled what he believed to be cocaine. Courson in fact gave numerous contradictory versions of Morrison's death, at times saying that she had killed her common-law husband. The truth will probably never be known. JS