John Densmore, the drummer for The Doors, has spoken candidly about his complex relationship with the late frontman Jim Morrison. In a recent interview, Densmore, now 75, reflected on Morrison's self-destructive behaviour and the decades it took him to come to terms with it. 'Did I hate Jim? No. I hated his self-destruction,' he said. 'He was a kamikaze who went out at 27 – what can I say?'
Densmore described Morrison as a 'Dionysian madman' and a 'psychopath' who struck terror in him. He recalled lobbying to get Morrison off the road before his death in 1971, and even quitting the band at one point. 'Some people wanted to keep shovelling coal in the engine and I was like: Wait a minute. So what if we have one less album? Maybe he'll live?' he said. Densmore added that he now believes Morrison would have got sober if he had lived, despite previously thinking otherwise.
In the decades since Morrison's death, Densmore has become a fierce protector of the band's legacy. He famously sued his bandmates Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger to stop them from touring under The Doors name and from licensing the band's music for a Cadillac commercial. 'I know. I sued my bandmates – am I CRAZY?!' he exclaimed. The legal battle lasted six years, with Densmore turning down offers of up to $15 million (£11.4 million). He eventually won and donated the profits from a book about the case to the Occupy movement.
Densmore also spoke about his friendship with Tom Petty, who died in 2017. 'I interviewed Tom Petty a few months before he died,' Densmore said. 'He had trouble with his hip. I guess he was taking painkillers and brown powder, too. Damn it … I just ache losing him.' Densmore's comments come ahead of a documentary about Manzarek, who died in 2013, which is set for release next month.
