Thursday, December 26, was a sad day in rock music history. The famed Morrison Hotel, made famous by The Doors’ album of the same name from 1970, has completely burnt down following an enormous fire that broke out on Thursday.
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The fire burned for about two hours before it was finally brought under control by over 100 Los Angeles firefighters.
The four-story historic building had been vacant for over 10 years. It is believed that a number of squatters had been living in the over 100-year-old building at the time, as dozens of people were inside the building when the fire began. Everyone in the building exited safely. Only three individuals needed to be rescued via the fire escapes on the side of the hotel. Thankfully, no injuries have been reported.
Currently, there is no word on what caused the fire.
The Legacy of the Morrison Hotel Lives On
The Morrison Hotel was originally located on South Hope Street in historic Downtown Los Angeles.
The Morrison Hotel was the namesake of the fifth studio album by The Doors, Morrison Hotel. Released in 1970, that particular record features hits including “Roadhouse Blues” and You Make Me Real”. The album was a huge success upon its initial release, and it faired well internationally compared to the band’s previous releases. It was particularly successful in the United Kingdom.
The cover of the album famously shows the outside of the hotel’s front window, with the members of The Doors on the other side of the glass. The cover was originally photographed by Henry Diltz.
The actual photoshoot itself is something of a legend as well, according to Diltz. Allegedly, The Doors did not have permission to take the famous photo. So, they ran in and snapped the shot very quickly while the front lobby clerk was called away from their desk.
“The Doors didn’t have permission to take pictures, so when the lobby was empty, they ran in quickly and sat behind the window,” said Diltz of the shoot in 2020. “One roll of film shot before we got asked to leave.”
The rear cover photo of the album depicts the Hard Rock Cafe near the Morrison Hotel on East 5th Street.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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