Jim Morrison

James Douglas "Jim" Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet, best remembered as the lead singer of the Doors. Due to his lyrics, wild personality, performances, and the dramatic circumstances surrounding his life and early death, Morrison is regarded by critics and fans as one of the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock music history.

Morrison co-founded the Doors in the summer of 1965 in Venice, California. The band spent two years in obscurity until shooting to prominence with the #1 single in the USA, "Light My Fire", taken from their self-titled first album. Morrison recorded a total of six studio albums with the Doors, all of which sold well and received critical acclaim. Though the Doors recorded two more albums after his death, the loss of Morrison was crippling to the band, and they disbanded in 1973. In 1993, Morrison, as a member of the Doors, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Since his death, his fame has endured as one of popular culture's most rebellious and oft-displayed icons, representing the generation gap and youth counterculture. He was also well known for improvising spoken word poetry passages while the band played live. Morrison was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time", and number 22 on Classic Rock magazine's "50 Greatest Singers In Rock". Ray Manzarek, who co-founded The Doors with him, said Morrison "embodied hippie counterculture rebellion". Morrison was sometimes referred to by other nicknames, such as "Lizard King", "Mr. Mojo Risin" and "King of Orgasmic Rock".

Morrison developed an alcohol dependency during the 1960s, which at times affected his performances on stage. He died at the age of 27 in Paris. As no autopsy was performed, the exact cause of Morrison's death is not known. Morrison is interred at Père Lachaise Cemetery in eastern Paris.