For the very few that may not know, Jim Morrison was/is a very talented and controversial figure in music and pop culture. He was the lead vocalist for the Doors. Jim is regarded by critics and fans as one of the most iconic and influential front-men in rock music history. Jim actually attended my campus for a short period of time before moving on to FSU. Not only was his career with the Doors very interesting, but so are the circumstances concerning his "Death." At the height of his career, and at the age of 27, Jim Morrison "supposedly" died on July 3rd, 1971 from a heroin overdose. I say "supposedly" due to the fact of the many rumors and speculation surrounding Jim possibly faking his own death. Jim was tired of being a "rock star."
He actually wanted to be a poet. he was in Paris at the time of death. No autopsy was ever performed on his body. In fact, the band, management and family members have all claimed to have never even seen his body. For some odd reason, French authorities have refused to exhume his body, or have it transported back to the States. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but, even the remaining band members have stated: "If anyone had the means, the reason, or the mentality to fake his own death, it would be Jim Morrison." The day after Jim died, his 1967 Shelby GT 500 Mustang known as "the blue lady" disappeared. To this day, it is still being searched for.
Jim wrote a poem called "The Celebration of the Lizard" The poem contained the line: "I am the Lizard King, I can do anything." Many people thought that Jim was referring to himself instead of the fictional character that he had created. The nickname stuck, and, after a while, the band added music and the poem/song was performed several times live. Jim also had a huge problem with authority figures. He would denounce and verbally attack the police while they were working security at the venues where the Doors were performing. In 1969 he was accused of allegedly exposing himself on stage that resulted in two misdemeanor convictions and a warrant for his arrest. That incident has been disputed for decades. Jim died while awaiting his trial date.
Despite the fact that there were 10,000 people in the venue that evening, no one has a picture of the actual exposure. On December 9th, 2010 the Florida Board of Executive Clemency along with Florida Governor Charlie Crist voted unanimously to pardon the legendary lead vocalist, four decades after he was convicted of indecent exposure.
