In the summer of 1965 vocalist Jim Morrison (born Melbourne FL,
December 8, 1943) and keyboard player Ray Manzarek (born
Chicago, IL, February 12, 1939) met on the beach in Venice, CA and
decided to form a band. They had known each other from UCLA
Film School. They recruited guitarist Robby Kreiger
(born Los Angeles CA, January 8, 1946) and drummer John Densmore
(born Santa Monica CA, December 1, 1944). The group took their name from
a short book about mind expanding drugs, “The Doors of Perception”
by Aldous Huxley. Following a performance at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go
on the Sunset Strip, The Doors were signed to Elektra records.

In 1967 their first album, The Doors, contained the hit “Break On Through
To The Other Side” and their best known song “Light My Fire”, which
became a # 1 chart topping gold single. Additional tracks including
“Back Door Man” and “The End” became staples of newly
emerging FM rock radio stations. Later the same year, The Doors released
the album “Strange Days” which included the top 40 radio hit
“People Are Strange” and the Rock FM tracks “Love Me Two Times”
and “When The Music’s Gone”. The Doors’ 1968 album "Waiting For The Sun"
contained another #1 hit “Hello, I Love You”. The Soft Parade, released
the following year, had a top five hit, “Touch Me”. 1970’ Morrison Hotel
received primarily FM rock airplay. Later that year, the group released their
first live album “Absolutely Live”. Their "LA Woman" album
contained the hits “Riders On The Storm” and “Love Her Madly”.

Jim Morrison died on July 3, 1971 in Paris France. The six studio albums
and the live album released during his lifetime all had gone gold and most
eventually went platinum.

The Doors continued for a time as a trio and in 1978 put music to
some poety Jim had read on their American Prayer album. Their label
issued a number of greatest hits compilations as well as the live albums
Alive She Cried (1987) and In Concert (1991).

The Doors were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame
in 1993. The Doors received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy
Award in 2007, and the same year The Best Of The Doors was
certified 10X Platinum. The surviving members of the group
continue individual careers in music.