This year marks the 60th anniversary of the formation of The Doors, and the band recently launched a yearlong celebration in commemoration of the milestone.
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In conjunction with the anniversary celebration, The Doors’ two surviving members, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger, recently sat down for an extensive interview with noted YouTube personality and music expert Rick Beato. During the lengthy conversation, Densmore and Krieger reminisced about The Doors’ talented and volatile late frontman, Jim Morrison.
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Both John and Robby marveled at the singer’s vocal talents, melodic sensibilities, and charisma. They also lamented the self-destructive tendencies that led to Morrison’s untimely death at age 27 in July 1971.
At one point during the interview, Beato commented about what an “amazing singer” Jim was.
In response, Densmore pointed out, “[He] never had any throat trouble like [Jefferson Airplane singer] Grace Slick or whoever. [Jim] sang from the bowels. [It sounded] like it’s ripping his lungs out.”
Krieger then chimed in, “Did you notice how big his neck was? I mean, he could have played football or something. … I mean, I’ve had so many people sing Doors songs with me, and none of ’em can do it as good as him. Never ever.”
Densmore added that Morrison was “just gifted baritone.”
About Morrison as a Performer
Morrison, of course, was known for his intense and sometimes unpredictable live performances, although, as depicted in the 1991 biopic The Doors, he was extremely shy when the band first started playing shows.
Densmore recalled that, as portrayed in the movie, Morrison would face the band rather than the audience when The Doors played their early gigs at the Sunset Strip club The London Fog.
“He faced us … like we were rehearsing,” John shared. “The audience [would say], ‘Wow, look at his back.’”
Densmore then explained that when Morrison did begin to engage with the audience, John wasn’t sure what to make of his performing style at first.
“[When] he got the courage to turn around, and I thought, ‘F—, this is not the next Mick Jagger. I don’t know,’” Densmore admitted. “And then I realized, ‘Oh, he’s sort of developing this persona. Like the mic cord is a snake, and he’s the Lizard King or something. … Wow, [there’s] something going on here.’”
Eventually, Morrison became more and more unpredictable onstage, and his performances often were affected by the amount of alcohol he drank.
“We never knew what he was going to do most of the time,” Densmore told Beato. “It [was] just like, ‘Oh my God!’”
Asked by Beato whether the other band members used to dread how Morrison was going to act onstage, Densmore said, “Not dread, but worry. ‘What kind of mood is he going to be in tonight? OK …’”
Although Morrison began to overindulge more and more as time went on, Krieger and Densmore both noted that he never missed a show.
“There’s nowhere he would rather be but … on stage,” Robby pointed out.
On Dealing with Morrison’s Erratic Behavior
Beato asked Krieger and Densmore if they got frustrated with Morrison’s erratic behavior and substance-abuse issues.
“Yeah, but, you know, man, it was the ’60s,” Krieger maintained. “You know, we thought, ‘Oh, this is how it’s supposed to be. It’s crazy. Everything’s cool,’ you know?”
Densmore then explained, “[A]lso, we had a hunch we were making some good stuff. And our karma was to have this kamikaze maniac singer, but he had these pipes and these lyrics and melodies. Oh my God, this guy’s gifted!”
Kreiger added, “Yeah, it was worth [it]. We would have done anything to keep it going.”
Densmore then recalled how he almost quit The Doors in frustration while they were recording their third album.
“I threw my sticks down. I quit in the middle of the studio,” he shared. “I came back the next day. How am I gonna give that up? I mean, this is like a gift. To make music, a living at making music? S—!”
Krieger and Densmore Performed Together at the End of the Interview
Beato’s interview Krieger and Densmore was held at Sunset Sound studio in Hollywood, where The Doors recorded their early albums. At the end of the interview, John sat down at a drum kit and Robby picked up a guitar and the two old bandmates jammed on a couple Doors classics—“Riders on the Storm” and “Light My Fire.”
Krieger’s 2025 Performance Plans
As previously reported, Krieger and his solo band will celebrate The Doors’ 60th anniversary by playing a series of six monthly shows at the famed Sunset Strip venue the Whisky a Go Go. Each show will feature a full performance of a different Doors album.
The concerts are scheduled for March 29, April 26, May 29, June 28, and July 26. The gigs will feature as-yet-unannounced special guests.
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