ABOUT THE BOOK

Rock star, poet, filmmaker, and self-proclaimed shaman — Jim Morrison is the archetype of the modern rock star. As lead singer of the celebrated 1960s rock band The Doors, Morrison electrified audiences with his wild front man persona. Defiantly strutting the stage in his trademark leather pants, Morrison scowled, smiled, whispered and screamed his way to rock star immortality, a spellbinding entertainer at the pinnacle of his art.

Morrisons primal scream was an invitation to the other side — the Jungian collective unconscious of dreams and nightmares. He advocated an all-out pursuit of personal freedom. As a symbol, Morrison is the blueprint for the modern rock star, a sultry rebel oozing sex and danger.

Morrison is one of the most influential singer-songwriters in music history. As the poet punk of his time — The Doors were arguably historys first punk rock band, if not in sound then certainly in style and philosophy — Morrison influenced a long line of talented poet-musicians. Just as Elvis Presley influenced a generation of musicians, the anarchic spirit of Jim Morrison lives on. Personifying an aggressive punk rock ethos, Morrison changed rock music forever.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Published poetry and short stories while working as a newspaper journalist. After selling gas masks and chopping wood in an industrial lumberyard, quit job to finish college. BA, Political Science. Spent five years teaching English, History and creative writing in the bay area. Interested in provocative music, muscle cars, gritty movies and beatnik literature. You can usually find me getting caffeinated at a local coffee joint, making friends with strangers or trying to chip away at my insane book collection. I dig writing about anything under the sun but especially music, cinema, pop culture, and sports. Currently working as a freelance journalist and indie filmmaker.

EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK

The music of The Doors is a celebration of a poetic rage coursing inside us all. A mixture of blues, acid rock and experimental jazz tones, the music conjures the ancient image of a carnival or circus, with Morrison the deranged ringleader leading us deeper into the unknown.

Fueled by an insatiable hunger for life, a rage to live, Morrisons meteoric rise to fame crowned him the male sex symbol of his generation. His decline was just as spectacular, however, as a disillusioned Morrison sunk into a self-destructive malaise. In a symbolic escape from stardom, Morrison subverted his sex symbol image by growing a beard and gaining weight, transforming his celebrity aura into the grim vibe of a world-weary beatnik.

The change was absolutely stunning.

The self-proclaimed Lizard King who once stoked Americas adolescent fantasies was now an expatriated recluse pounding whiskey and snorting coke as he listened to old Doors records late into the night. Morrisons mysterious death in Paris only fueled curiosity about his life, artistic vision and the inner demons that ultimately destroyed him.

In his poetry, Morrison describes his singing voice as a sick croon. His smoky voice continues to haunt the waking world. Questions linger. Why was he running away from the spotlight? How could a world famous rock star die of a heart attack at 27? Rumors swirl. Was Morrison assassinated? Did he play a prank on the world and fake his death? Over 40 years after that fateful night in Paris, when his girlfriend Pamela Courson found him dead in a bathtub, the question still remains: who was Jim Morrison?

CHAPTER OUTLINE

Biography of Jim Morrison

+ Introduction

+ Background and Upbringing

+ Major Accomplishments and Awards

+ Personal Life

+ …and much more