Morrison, Jim

Morrison, Jim
(1943–1971)
   Born James Douglas Morrison. Lead singer and songwriter of the late 1960s–early 1970s American rhythm-and-blues-, blues-, and jazz-influenced psychedelic rock band the Doors. The band’s name was taken from Aldous Huxley’s book The Doors of Perception (in turn borrowed from William Blake’s poem “The Marriage of Heaven and Hell”: “If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it truly is, infinite”), chronicling Huxley’s experiments with mescaline and LSD.
   With his saturnine good looks, exuberant stage presence, and cryptic lyrics, Morrison attained cult status among fans. He has been labeled a shaman due to his experiments with LSD and other drugs, the symbolic content of his improvised lyrics/poetry, his bohemian California lifestyle, and his interest in mysticism. Morrison’s wild, ecstatic, and magnetic stage performances in his alter ego, the Lizard King— involving shouting, screaming, and playing dead on the stage floor, as well as dancing as an eagle with arms outstretched—are visually reminiscent of shamanic rites. Oliver Stone’s biopic The Doors (1991) provides a particularly shamanic interpretation, associating Morrison with Native American mythology and desert vision quests, as well as the poetry of William Blake and Arthur Rimbaud and the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Keen to be taken seriously as an artist, Morrison published two books of poetry in his lifetime, An American Prayer (1970) and The Lords and the New Creatures (1971); he also directed the film A Feast of Friends. Morrison died in Paris in 1971 at the age of 27; the registered cause of death was heart attack, but rumors of a heroin overdose persist.

Historical dictionary of shamanism. . 2007.

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  • Morrison, Jim — (1943–1971)    One of the most glamorous and intellectually challenging rock stars of his generation, Jim Morrison was also an accomplished poet. According to Stephen Davis, “He was arguably the major poet to emerge from the turmoil of the… …   Encyclopedia of Beat Literature

  • Morrison, Jim — orig. James Douglas Morrison born Dec. 8, 1943, Melbourne, Fla., U.S. died July 3, 1971, Paris, France U.S. rock singer and songwriter. He studied film at the University of California in Los Angeles, where he met Ray Manzarek (b. 1935); with… …   Universalium

  • Morrison, Jim — orig. James Douglas Morrison (8 dic. 1943, Melbourne, Fla., EE.UU.–3 jul. 1971, París, Francia). Cantautor de rock estadounidense. Estudió cine en la Universidad de California en Los Ángeles, donde conoció a Ray Manzarek (n. 1935). Ambos, junto… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Jim Morisson — Jim Morrison Jim Morrison Portrait de Jim Morrison Nom James Douglas Morrison …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Jim Morrison — Portrait de Jim Morrison. Nom James Douglas Morrison Naissance 8 décembre  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Morrison (James Douglas) — Jim Morrison Jim Morrison Portrait de Jim Morrison Nom James Douglas Morrison …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Jim Morrison — en 1970 Datos generales Nombre real James Douglas Morrison Clarke …   Wikipedia Español

  • Morrison — Morrison, Toni * * * (as used in expressions) Flagler, Henry M(orrison) MacIver, Robert M(orrison) Morrison, Jim James Douglas Morrison Morrison, Toni Frank Morrison Spillane Waite, Morrison (Remick) Marion Michael Morrison …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Jim — /jim/, n. a male given name, form of James. * * * (as used in expressions) Beckwourth Jim Bowie Jim Bridger Jim Brown Jim Henson Jim Wong Tung Jim Jim Crow Law Jones Jim Morrison Jim Player Gary Jim Thorpe Jim * * * …   Universalium

  • Jim Morrison — For other people named James or Jim Morrison, see James Morrison (disambiguation). Jim Morrison Performing with The Doors, Frankfurt, Germany, 1968. Background information Birth name …   Wikipedia

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