Jim Morrison, lead singer of popular 1960s band The Doors, was a leader of not just a band, but a social revolution. Although his life was shrouded in controversy, he showed several leadership qualities, such as determination, challenging the status quo, intelligence, and charisma, which led to a legacy of influence on music and popular culture, creating music that people still enjoy today, and leaving behind music for future generations.
Although Jim Morrison was a great leader and very talented, some claim that he was too pretentious. He has been called the ‘patron saint of the pretentious prat’ and his lyrics have been called ‘brain dribble of a self-absorbed drunk’. It has been said that he believed ‘rambling speak-singing is in itself…show more content… When John Densmore, The Doors’ drummer, first met him in keyboardist Ray Manzarek’s garage, he recalled that Jim said he would be a singer, even though he had never sung before. (Fong-Torres, 34) Morrison had also come up with the name ‘The Doors’ about a month before the band formed, and was determined to use it. (Fong-Torres, 44) One time when they were preparing for a show, Jim insisted they play the eleven minute “When The Music’s Over” first, even though his bandmates thought they should start with something shorter and faster, such as “Break on Through To The Other Side”. They ended up beginning with “When The Music’s Over”. Manzarek recalls, “Robby and Jim come in with a scream and a smashing guitar chord, and it just exploded, and the audience went ‘YEAH!!’ and we had them. We had them and they were ours and we were theirs”. Morrison was not discouraged when six performances on the Ed Sullivan Show, a popular variety show that had featured bands such as The Beatles, were canceled (He had said the word ‘higher’ during a performance of ‘Light My Fire’, which Sullivan thought was a drug reference). Upon hearing the news of the cancellations, Morrison had said, “Hey man, we just did the Ed Sullivan Show.” The Doors had the #1 single in the country at that time, and another performance on the Ed Sullivan Show wouldn’t make much of a difference. (Fong-Torres, 93) In an interview, John Densmore recalled that Morrison once said he wanted to be…show more content… American musician Henry Rollins claims, “Morrison’s passing stamped the Doors with a seal of legend and immortality’’. He also said that “It was a different time. Almost primitive compared to the contemporary music world. The Doors played for far bigger stakes than the artists who crowd the airwaves now. They will continue to endure, illuminate, and inspire.” (Fong-Torres, ix) Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver said that, “It was that mysterious sound, that eerie, almost frightening sound… it is kind of where blues, rock ‘n’ roll, and art rock collide. And I think they were really the first band to do that.” Weiland also said, “Morrison was a rock star unparalleled, the kind of person that every magazine would be clamoring to speak to… If they came out right now, I think it would probably save rock ‘n’ roll.” (Fong-Torres, 244) Folk rock singer Ben Harper said of Doors music, “There has been no one before or after with that production that sounded anything like that. It was just super unique, which is kind of a mundane statement to make, but no one even tries to imitate it, it is just so blatantly The Doors.’’ (Fong-Torres, 240) Matchbox 20’s Rob Thomas claims that “The beginnings of alternative and goth are