Jim Morrison , born James Douglas Morrison on December 8, 1943, became an icon of his decade as the frontman of the rock band The Doors . Known not only for his poetic lyrics and intense performances, but also for his controversial personal life, the vocalist struggled with alcoholism and drug use, which contributed to his premature death at the age of 27 on July 3, 1971, in Paris.
Jim Morrison was an enigmatic man and is still revered today. In his memory, the website Louder selected some interesting facts taken from the book Jim Morrison: Friends Gathered Together , by Frank Lisciandro . Check out some of them.
Asthma could have been the cause of death.
Morrison suffered from asthma and took a prescription medication called Marax via inhaler. The medication was later banned in the United States after it was discovered that its use in conjunction with alcohol could result in death. Pamela Courson , Jim's longtime partner, said that the singer's asthma "was somehow linked to his heart. Rheumatic heart? Maybe. That's what the doctor said."
Jim would not have recorded another album with The Doors.
The Doors released six albums with Jim Morrison on vocals, the last being LA Woman (1971). But according to Hungarian artist Eva Gardonyi , who dated Jim for a year, it was unlikely that the vocalist would record anything new with the band at that time. "He wasn't getting along with any of them. And he was deeply disappointed with all of them," she states.
I preferred Frank Sinatra to Led Zeppelin.
When asked what he thought of Led Zeppelin , Morrison replied: “To be honest, I don’t listen to rock and roll, so I’ve never heard anything like that. I usually listen to classical music, or Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley .” His favorite blues musician was Jimmy Reed , especially the song “Baby What You Want Me to Do.”
He was once helped by nuns.
In 1968, during a European tour, Morrison performed with The Doors at a show in Amsterdam. On that occasion, he swallowed a piece of hashish given to him by Bob Hite , the vocalist of Canned Heat , and passed out. The singer was rushed to a hospital run by nuns, which was a source of embarrassment when he recovered. Jim's best friend and confidant between 1969 and 1971, Babe Hill , said that Morrison must have thought he had died and gone to heaven. "Jim told a funny story about it because those nuns knew what he had done and why he was there. They were there changing his bed linens and not giving him any privacy."
Jim hated parties and festivals.
Right after the show at the Hollywood Bowl on July 5, 1968, Jim spent the night at the Alta Cienega Motel, a place he always liked to stay, across from the Doors' office on La Cienega Blvd. He didn't attend parties or stay at the famous Chateau Marmont. The motel manager, Eddy, would greet him saying, “Did you do well tonight? Are you a big star? Do people like you?” Jim wasn't a fan of festivals either. According to The Doors' press officer, Leon Barnard , Jim described Woodstock to Tony Thomas of Canadian Broadcasting in May 1970 as “half a million people wallowing in limbo.” “He didn't see it as a festival of love,” said Leon.
Passion for her dogs
Jim and his longtime girlfriend Pamela Courson had a dog, Sage . When he moved to Paris in 1971, Morrison sent money via FedEx for the dog's well-being. He was frequently photographed with Sage, as well as with two other dogs, named Stoner and Thor .
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