Jim Morrison

James "Jim" Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American rock singer, songwriter, author, and poet. He was born in Melbourne, Florida, to a naval officer father, and during his childhood and teenage years, he moved with his family to Texas, California, and Virginia. Between 1964 and 1965, he studied literature and film at the College of Fine Arts at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 1965, he co-founded the band "The Doors" with Ray Manzarek, leaving his mark as a singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most charismatic performers in the history of rock. He also published two small poetry books ("The Lords/Notes on Vision" and "The New Creatures," 1969) and directed a short documentary and two music videos ("The Unknown Soldier" and "People are Strange"). Living a life completely free from conventions, he died unexpectedly at the age of 27 in Paris from drug use (inhaling heroin, which he mistook for cocaine, according to his partner Pamela Courson's account) and was buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris. The circumstances of his death and the fact that no autopsy was performed gave rise to various rumors about his death, none of which were confirmed. In 1970, a book of poetic excerpts titled "An American Prayer" was published (a title also given to the posthumous album by "The Doors" in 1978). After his death, two volumes of his writings were published: "Wilderness: The Lost Writings of Jim Morrison," 1988, and "The American Night: The Writings of Jim Morrison," 1990.