Death of Jim Morrison: Approaching 40 Years

The music world was still reeling from the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin when it was announced that The Doors' lead singer Jim Morrison was found dead in the bathtub of a Paris flat on July 3, 1971. 

Last night, I finished reading "No One Here Gets Out Alive" by Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugerman, the "celebrated biography of Jim Morrison." 

 Left, the Rolling Stone magazine (issue no. 88) on the death of Jim Morrison. I still have the copy of this issue I bought at the time. 

Allegedly fed up with the music business and desiring to write, Morrison went to Paris, France to join his "common law wife" Pamela Courson. They stayed at a flat belonging to Elizabeth "ZoZo" Lariviere, a young french cover girl. During his time in Paris, starting in March 1971, 

Morrison would take long walks through Paris neighborhoods, going to restaurants and bars, attended the Rock 'N' Roll Circus and just drank. 

 The official story (according to Courson) was that she and Morrison were alone at the flat sometime after midnight on July 3, when Morrison regurgitated a small quantity of blood. He had been feeling ill for several days. Morrison claimed he was alright and said he would take a bath. 

Courson fell asleep while Morrison was in the tub. (According to The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek, Courson told him that Morrison's last words were, "Pam, are you still there?") 

At about 5:00 in the morning, Courson woke up and found that Morrison had not returned to bed. She then went into the bathroom and found Morrison in the tub with his arms on the sides and his head back with a smile on his face. She thought he was playing a joke. But when she couldn't get him to respond, she called the fire department. He was pronounced dead.

  Above, Jim Morrison and Pamela Courson. 

 The BBC's announcement at the time was:

Jim Morrison, the lead singer of American rock group The Doors has died in Paris aged 27. He was found in a bathtub at his apartment at 17 Rue Beautraillis by his girlfriend, Pamela Courson. A doctor's report stated the cause of death was heart failure aggravated by heavy drinking. The rest of the band - keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore - are currently in the United States. Morrison, also known as the Lizard King, was born in Florida in 1943, his father Stephen was in the US Navy and rose to the rank of admiral. He formed The Doors with Ray Manzarek in 1965 in Los Angeles.

After the news of the deaths of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin a few months before, Morrison would joke, "You're drinking with number three." He was right. 

The death of Jim Morrison was controversial from the start as there was no autopsy and that the roadie/manager, Bill Siddons, who Manzarek sent to Paris failed to see Morrison's body and to "make sure." Siddons said Morrison was in "a sealed coffin" and that he "was afraid" to demand to see it. Manzarek raged, "How do you even know he was in the coffin? How do you know it wasn't one hundred fifty pounds of f*cking sand?!" 

Since then, there have been rumors that Morrison faked his death; overdosed at the Rock 'N' Roll Circus; was murdered by the CIA; and so on. Unfortunately, due to Siddons' failure to follow Manzarek's instructions and the fact that Pamela Courson died of a heroin overdose in April 1974 (thereby taking the secrets to the grave with her), the actual truth of Morrison's death will never be 100% positively known. 

In a little over a month from now, the 40th anniversary of Jim Morrison's death will be noted in the media, no doubt. The Doors' music is as popular as ever, perhaps even more so. It is generally conceded that they were the greatest band to come out of Los Angeles. 

On the death of Jim Morrison, Manzarek said it best: "Whatever happened to him, he went out grinning."