On the weekend of the 50th anniversary of his untimely death, Jim Morrison fans gathered in Paris to pay tribute to one of rock’s true greats.
As the wild and enigmatic frontman of The Doors, one of the defining bands of the 60’s burned briefly and brightly at the end of that decade. They released albums The Doors and Strange Days in 1967, The Soft Parade in 1968, and Morrison Hotel in 1970. As excellent as the music was, more often than not, fans were attracted to the band for Morrison’s overwhelming stage presence, a chaotic bundle of theatricality and swagger.
After struggling with alcoholism and being arrested several times, Morrison decided to move to Paris after making his final album with The Doors, 1971’s L.A. Woman. It was here where he died unexpectedly in Paris on July 3rd, 1971, aged just 27.
An autopsy wasn’t performed by the French authorities at the time, leading to one of the most infamous entries in the annals of rock music history. Although the official cause of death was listed as heart failure, some claimed it was an accidental heroin overdose in a nightclub; some other undeterred diehard fans think that he faked his own demise, so disillusioned was he with the life of a rockstar.
Fans gather in Paris at Morrison’s grave:
His grave in Paris’s Pére Lachaise cemetery (also the final resting place of Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Moliére) has become a point of pilgrimage for fans and a large crowd gathered on Saturday to remember the icon on the 50th anniversary of his passing, as per The Guardian. Some recited Morrison’s poems while some played his music with guitars. Others came to pay their respects quietly, with many leaving candles and pictures.
People even came from beyond Paris, such was the connection to Morrison and his music. “I come here as often as I can, either for the anniversary or on 8 December for his birthday,” Imelda Bogaard from Rotterdam, Netherlands said. “The music brings so much happiness – and it also brings everyone together.”
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Michael Luke from Darlington, England, also made the journey. “There’s a really special atmosphere here – and it attracts a certain kind of person – with a flow of weird and wonderful people,” he explained. “I think this reflects the interest in the music, which even now, 50 years on, still sells millions of copies.”
Whatever the circumstances of his death back in 1971, the fact that so many people still deigned to come to Pére Lachaise under a torrent of rain 50 years later is testament to his enduring presence in the minds of music fans.
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Check out ‘Riders On The Storm’ by The Doors:
