Posted on 11/09/2006 10:38:15 AM PST by weegee
LOS ANGELES -- The father of late Doors singer Jim Morrison has broken his silence to share memories of his estranged son, who once sang about killing him and joked that his family was dead.
George Morrison, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, is one of the contributors to The Doors by the Doors, an authorized memoir released this week. The book's author, rock journalist Ben Fong-Torres, also interviewed the band's three surviving members and Jim's younger brother and sister, among others.
"We look back on him with great delight ... The fact that he's dead is unfortunate but looking back on his life it's a very pleasant thought," George Morrison says in the book.
Jim Morrison, a difficult teen who rebelled against his father's military lifestyle, went on to become one of the most magnetic performers in rock 'n' roll. But he disowned his family, and once made a throwaway comment that they were dead. He also referenced his parents in the Oedipal rant The End, singing that he wanted to kill his father and sleep with his mother.
Andy Morrison recalls that his mother, Clara, who died last year, took him to a Doors concert in Washington, D.C., and asked to see Jim, but he refused to meet with her, and she drove home in tears.
The Morrisons surmise that Jim's hostility was really designed to shield them from too much attention.
"I had the feeling that he felt we'd just as soon not be associated with his career," George Morrison says. "He knew I didn't think rock music was the best goal for him. Maybe he was trying to protect us."
Adds his sister, Anne, "He liked mystique, too. He didn't want to be from somewhere."
Jim Morrison died of a heart attack in Paris in 1971, and his grave at the Pere Lachaise cemetery is one of the city's top tourist attractions. His family pays the authorities to take care of the site.
George Morrison said it was "quite an honor ... for the family" to have his son buried near cultural giants like Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and Frederic Chopin.
Oh man, I would hope that if I died, my dad would say something better than "that's unfortunate"!!
The Lizard King worshipped his Mojo Rising.
Under the circumstances described above, I think he was being very kind.
Anyone seen Almost Famous? Wasn't Fong-Torres a 'character' in that?
.....just like every other guy in a rock band...hahahahahaha
I guess that's one way of looking at it...
Morrison was a sick and depraved drug addict. His father is being kind.
Yep.
Either that, or Jim was just an arse.
I say the latter.
Is there something in the water that keeps people from telling the truth these days???
The family can believe whatever they want. Truth is, Jim Morrison was an addict of drugs, alcohol, and anything else he could use to get high. Real shame too, 'cause he was so gifted.
I've been to that cemetery and it's disgraceful what the "tourists" have done to the grave there. It's not hard at all to find Morrison's grave.......just follow the graffiti. I heard a year or so ago that the descendants of people buried there were trying to get Morrison's grave moved out because they were so disgusted with the defacing of their loved ones' grave stones.
Hi Eggs! Haven't seen you in a while.
Hey Slim! Been doing the low profile routine lately. Not much to say I guess.
How's NM these days?
Well the plots there are not sold, they are rented. His lease was up. Some figured it would present the first opportunity for a Stateside funeral.
His parents didn't get to attend the first one. Morrison was buried before word got out.
Nice here.
Nice here too. Very clear and warm for November.
Getting ready for winter to hit.
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