Rock and roll has always had a rebellious heart, but classic rockstar Jim Morrison was one of the first to push the limits of what audiences would tolerate—and he did it over and over again until his flame burned out bright.
1. He Grew Up Different
Born in Florida in the early 1940s, Morrison experienced a unique childhood with his military father. For one, his family moved around quite a bit during his youth, so he grew up in several states. More interestingly, though, unlike most families form that era, his parents never spanked him.
But what his dad did instead might have been eve worse.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
2. They Crushed Him
Rather than hitting his children. Morrison’s father screamed and talked down to his children to punish them, much like they were his troops. Only, his troops didn't end up sobbing every time. That alone seems like more than any child should have to endure—but an even more gruesome scene from his childhood changed his life forever.
Joel Brodsky, Wikimedia Commons
3. He Couldn’t Cope
When he was just four years old, Morrison witnessed a chilling sight. A truck had rolled off the road, and the bodies of the victims were littered across the road. Morrison said the image stayed with him forever, and he even felt their spirits somehow entered into him.
His parents remember things differently, but perhaps all his childhood issues explain the questionable decisions he made once on his own…
Estate of Edmund Teske, Getty Images
4. He Got Caught
In 1962, Morrison began college at Florida State University. He actually turned out to be a pretty good student—but he quickly himself in serious trouble. When he drank way too much during a football game in 1963, authorities took him in. Though it’s not explicitly stated, perhaps that explains his pretty long distance next move.
Dade County Public Safety Department, Wikimedia Commons
5. He Did His Time
The very next year, Morrison headed off to UCLA to study film in Los Angeles, California, but it wasn't exactly out of an intense passion for continued education. He only did so to dodge getting drafted for Vietnam. Even so, though, he did take along something—or someone—to help ease his dissatisfaction with higher education.
6. He Fell In Love
Back at Florida State, Morrison fell hard for classmate Mary Werbelow. She seemingly fell hard for him too, so hard that she headed to Los Angeles with him, switching schools to continue to be with him as he studied. Though later reports call her Morrison’s first true love, she would soon regret dropping everything for him.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
7. He Cut It Off
Morrison finished his UCLA degree, but he skipped his graduation. Furthermore, he basically cut off communication with his family once he left school. Instead, he started spending all his time on Venice Beach. And considering what he did while he was there, his parents probably wouldn’t have wanted to be in the know anyway.
Elektra Records, Wikimedia Commons
8. He Became A Bum
Reportedly, life on the beach consisted of lots of laying around, drinking, and doing psychedelic substances. He actually lived on the roof of a friend’s apartment building, but he spent most of his time kicking it at the beach. He passed his time writing poetry and music, something Werbelow didn’t seem to care for, and that soon put him in the right place at the right time.
9. He Met His Match
On Venice Beach, Morrison reconnected with a former UCLA classmate, Ray Manzarrek. When Morrison shared his music, Manzarek immediately saw his potential and the two decided to start a band together. They found two other members and formed the rock band the Doors. That’s just about the time Werbelow decided to jump ship.
Elektra Records, Wikimedia Commons
10. She Didn’t Believe In Him
Werbelow broke up with Morrison in 1965. Some reports claim she felt more interested in pursuing her own career as a gogo dancer than anything else. But Werbelow also didn’t care for Morrison’s music, and didn’t think he’d be very successful.
Unfortunately for her, not only did she turn out to be ridiculously wrong, but Morrison also moved on pretty quickly.
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11. He Met His Soulmate
While he worked on getting things together with the Doors, Morrison continued his fairly offbeat life, which included quite a bit of partying and gigging with the new band. During one of his nights doing a gig on the Sunset Strip, he bumped into an art student named Pamela Courson.
They started a pretty turbulent relationship—and just in time for his life to really blow up.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
12. He Hit It Big
The Doors went from another new band performing at nightclubs to a national sensation in 1967 with their hit single, “Light My Fire”. It topped the chart for several weeks, efficiently launching Morrison and the band into the national spotlight.
But all that glitters ain’t gold, and the seemingly instant success came with serious drawbacks.
Joel Brodsky, Wikimedia Commons
13. He Went Harder
The Doors released a second album, Strange Days, that same year, and it also skyrocketed to success. Now a certified rock star, Morrison seemingly doubled down on his bad boy persona. Right before a concert in Connecticut that year, authorities discovered him in a compromising position with a woman in the backstage showers. It all went downhill from there.
Joel Brodsky; Distributed by Elektra Records, Wikimedia Commons
14. He Defied Authority
The officers didn’t realize they’d discovered one of the stars about to go on stage, and demanded Morrison leave the premises. His response? “Eat me”. Yeah—that definitely didn’t go over well. The officers maced him, ultimately delaying the concert. But the show must go on, and that didn’t spell the end of the whole commotion…
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
15. He Wouldn’t Let It Go
When he finally did hit the stage, Morrison decided to relay the entire story to the audience. But, allegedly, his version turned out to be a lot more obscene than the actual events. All details aside, the authorities didn’t like it, and quite literally got on stage to take him away.
Ultimately, they dropped the charges, but Morrison was on a highway—and not to heaven.
16. He Lied About His Family
Once he hit it big, Morrison started denying his family completely. In fact he spread multiple rumors to the effect that he had no family, sometimes claiming they all passed, and sometimes claiming himself an only child. Later on, he’d allege he wanted to protect them from the ravages of fame—but another sad truth seems like the better explanation.
17. His Father Didn’t Approve
Reportedly, Morrison’s father didn’t approve of his son’s lifestyle from back in his Venice Beach days. But, even worse, he hated his music. After listening to the first Doors album, he wrote his son a letter insisting Morrison had no talent and should find some other career. That probably stung, but that wasn’t his only unstable relationship.
Polfoto/Jan Persson, Wikimedia Commons
18. They Kept Things Open
Morrison maintained his romantic relationship with Pamela Courson as he quickly rose to fame, and eventually came to call her his “cosmic partner”. Despite that term of endearment, the relationship wasn't all roses and daisies. They reportedly maintained an open relationship, and both kept dating around.
Which is good, considering his many sensual pursuits…
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19. He Got Busy
With more celebrity and access than ever before, Morrison really got around—if you know what I mean. He built up a reputation for very freely sleeping around, including trysts with fans and groupies. He got down with celebrities too, including one now infamous romantic liaison with one very iconic “Cry Baby” female rock singer…
Grossman Glotzer, Wikimedia Commons
20. He Loved Up A Superstar
The details around their relationship remain a bit murky, but Morrison allegedly got down with Janis Joplin on a night infused with much drinking. After they hooked up, though, he switched up on her, publicly insulting her at a party. If you think Janis Joplin was going to take that, you've got another thing coming.
She promptly cracked him over the head with a glass bottle and called it quits. But that behavior turned into one of Morrison’s calling cards.
Albert B. Grossman Management, Wikimedia Commons
21. He Had Two Personalities
Many of Morrison’s lovers allege he showed them two very different personas during their time with him. They called Morrison pretty great to be around when sober—but a total monster when on substances of any kind. And tragically for him, his consistent substance use started to bleed into all the other parts of his life as well.
22. He Spiraled
Even as the Doors continued to see success, even moving into international touring, Morrison fell into a downward spiral when it came to his drinking. He started showing up to both recording sessions and live performances under the influence.
In some cases, it probably just played into his rock star persona, but in other cases, it got him in deep trouble.
23. He Got Caught (Again!)
Things came to a head again one evening in January 1968. It’s not clear what state Morrison arrived at the Las Vegas club in that night, but he definitely ended up both inebriated and high by the end of it all. Reportedly, bouncers tried to get at him for lighting up in the club.
But when they actually laid hands on him, all chaos broke loose.
Dade County Public Safety Department, Wikimedia Commons
24. He Went Down Fighting
Morrison retaliated against the bouncers who pounced on him, but in the end, authorities took him away once again. As usual, it seems either they dropped the charges or never officially charged him. Whether due to his celebrity or not, we may never know.
But Morrison couldn’t dodge the consequences of his actions forever.
Donaldson Collection, Getty Images
25. He Went Too Far
It all started on another concert performance day, this time in Miami. As he often did, Morrison reportedly spent most of the day drinking. When the band got to the venue for the night, they found it in questionable condition. The auditorium was hot and without any cooling system—and well over its audience limit.
In other words, it was a recipe for disaster.
Carolco Pictures, The Doors (1991)
26. He Couldn’t Deliver
Due to his substance induced state, Morrison reportedly failed to deliver a good performance. That seemed to push the already uncomfortable audience right over the edge. They erupted into utter mayhem. But things escalated even more when one of the fans found their way on stage with a champagne bottle, and headed straight for Morrison.
Estate of Edmund Teske, Getty Images
27. He Went Ballistic
While pandemonium continued to ensue in the concert venue, the fan on stage poured the bottle of champagne all over Morrison. That’s where things really got crazy. Morrison took his shirt off, and allegedly said “Let’s see a little skin”.
And with that, reports say audience members started getting undressed too—things devolved even further from from there.
28. Things Got Freaky
Eventually, authorities cleared everyone out of the venue. But stories about what took place quickly started flying around. Some claimed that Morrison actually took his clothes completely off, purposely showing his privates.
Others claim he even engaged in acts with other band members publicly. Fact or fiction, what happened next stayed on his record.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
29. They Wouldn’t Let Him Off
Shortly after the incident, authorities officially charged Morrison for revealing himself in public, among several other charges. And this time, he didn’t get away with any of it. Months later, the court sentenced him to time in the slammer as well as a $500 fine.
He got out on bail while his lawyer appealed the decision, but his life changed forever.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
30. He Saw Himself
This situation seemed to shake Morrison out of his self-destructive ways. In the few years since the Doors first hit single came out, he’d seemed to lose his edge, even gaining weight and neglecting his original very leather, rockstar look. Even more than that, having to sit in court made him realize he could really lose everything.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
31. He Woke Up
In his own words, Morrison said that before the incident he harbored “a very unrealistic schoolboy attitude about the American judicial system”. He seemed to realize that, in this case, his money saved him, and he didn’t necessarily have as many chances as he thought. And with that in mind, he made a huge decision.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
32. He Ran Away
In 1971, Morrison took off to Paris with Courson and settled down there. Some reports claim he wanted to escape the possibility that the courts wouldn’t overturn his case, but it also seems he possibly wanted some type of a fresh start.
And judging by the things he did while there, a fresh start seemed to be right on the horizon—until it wasn’t.
Estate of Edmund Teske , Getty Images
33. He Tried To Change
While living in Paris, Morrison wrote letters to his friends back home about his new life. Reportedly he started to clean up physically, losing weight and getting rid of his bushy beard. He wrote about taking walks in Paris, and checked in on the status of the Doors’ latest album.
But tragedy hit suddenly and swiftly just months after he got there.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
34. She Found Him
On July 3, 1971, just about four months after relocating to France, Courson allegedly found Morrison’s body in the bathtub of their apartment bathroom. Just 27 years old at the time, she said he uttered his last words as he bathed—“Pam, are you still there?”
But if you think that sounds a bit odd, stay tuned. Things aren’t necessarily what they seem.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
35. The Rumors Flew
Morrison’s passing came as a total shock, and rumors about what actually happened started to circulate. On first hearing the news, many thought he must actually still be alive. They theorized that perhaps he faked it to escape his life or fame or maybe even his court case.
Eventually, though, his passing was confirmed—though what happened exactly remained a mystery.
36. They Didn’t Check
Authorities supposedly claimed Morrison succumbed to a heart issue, but ultimately ended up unable to provide any proof of that. The French law did not mandate an autopsy, so they sent him to burial without officially investigating the cause.
But what’s done in the dark comes to the light—and the real story is even more tragic than the made up one.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
37. He Gave Up
While not one hundred percent confirmed, some witnesses from a French rock club, including the owner, seem to have the version of the story closest to the truth. According to the owner, Sam Bernett, he actually found Morrison passed out in the bathroom at his club very early that morning. What he saw made him think the worst.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
38. He Ended It All
Bernett claimed that Morrison appeared to be overdosed on opioids. What makes that unusual is the alleged fact that, despite all his drinking and substance use, he never actually shot up with that substance. Due to that detail, some postulate Morrison actually ended his life on purpose.
Either way, what happened next explains where Courson found him.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
39. They Tried To Revive Him
Allegedly, two men then took Morrison’s body back to his apartment and put him in the bathtub filled with cold water. The story of the two men varies—some claim they were dealers, while others postulate they were his friends trying to revive him with the bath.
Regardless, the story ends the same. With Morrison leaving the earth way too young.
Dade County Public Safety Department, Wikimedia Commons
40. He Joined The Club
Interestingly enough, Morrison became just another celebrity in the notorious “27 club”. In just a few years, several other music stars passed tragically at the age of 27, including Janice Joplin, Brian Jones, and Janis Joplin. Perhaps even more tragic, though, is the fact that his closest confidante followed not too far behind.
Olavi Kaskisuo, Wikimedia Commons
41. He Left Her Everything
Though they never officially married, Morrison left his entire estate to Courson. His family contested this after his passing though, claiming it should go to them instead. It took three years, but courts ultimately upheld Morrison’s will and gave Courson his fortune. Not that she stayed alive long enough to make much use of it.
Estate of Edmund Teske, Getty Images
42. She Followed Him
Just months after finally receiving the money from Morrison’s will, Courson passed in a fashion eerily similar to her longtime love. She over indulged in the very same substance, and her friends found her body much in the same manner she found Morrison.
Another sad end—but if you thought Morrison’s chaos went into the grave with him, you thought wrong.
Estate of Edmund Teske, Getty Images
43. They Put Him In A Prime Position
Morrison’s body laid to final rest in one of the most famous tourist attractions in France, the Pere Lachaise cemetery. It came as a great honor, considering the other greats buried there like famous playwright Oscar Wilde. But how did Morrison’s real fans honor his gravesite? In the most rock and roll way you could think of.
44. They Kept On Rocking
The gravesite became a well-known spot for vandalism and lewd behavior of all kinds. Reportedly, his fans showed up there to do substances and even hook up in behavior that honored the nature of Morrison’s own antics.
By now, you’re probably wondering how his family reacted to all this. Well, it seems a case of too little too late.
Sander Lamme, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
45. He Changed His Mind
Years after his son’s passing, Morrison’s father finally seemed to regret his approach to his son’s life and music. It seems they never truly reconciled, but he recognized that Morrison had no good reason to try to make things right. And in a final act of honor, and possibly contrition, he found a way to honor the man he raised.
Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
46. He Accepted Him
It took Morrison’s early passing to get there, but his father finally accepted the rocker Morrison turned out to be. In 1990, he collaborated with a professor to create a marker for his grave stating “true to his own spirit” in Greek. Honestly, I don’t think better words could describe Morrison. And despite his many missteps, he left an unforgettable legacy.
MarkGGN, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
47. They Never Forgot Him
Even now, musicians, fans, and historians alike consider Morrison an authentic icon of the rock and roll era, as well as one of its greatest influencers. Critics posthumously inducted him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and he sits comfortably on several lists of the greatest singers to ever grace the stage.
Andrew Hitchcock, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
48. They Tried To Change Him
Invitations to perform started coming out of the woodworks. That same year, The Ed Sullivan Show
invited the Doors to perform live on their television show, following in the footsteps of other music greats. But Sullivan gave them one restriction.
He requested Morrison change a line in the hit song to be more appropriate for audiences. He had other ideas.
Elektra Records, Wikimedia Commons
49. He Rebelled
Instead of singing the more friendly “Girl we couldn’t get much better” in “Light My Fire”, Morrison sang the original, “Girl we couldn’t get much higher”. Seems pretty harmless to me, but considering Morrison’s background with substances, it sounded like an allusion to that kind of dangerous behavior. Sullivan didn’t take it well.
50. A Celebrity Snubbed Him
Not only did Sullivan cancel all the Doors performances his team scheduled, but he also refused to shake Morrison’s hand at the end of the show. Some say Morrison felt nervous and mistakenly sang the original, while others say he did it on purpose. What do you think?
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