How did Jim Morrison die?

The iconic rock band The Doors, formed in 1965, and their frontman, Jim Morrison was one of the most charismatic and controversial figures in rock music. He found himself in hot water on more than one occasion for his antics, which to some, just added to his image. The Doors were considered one of the most successful bands of their time, and they released several albums before Morrison left the band in 1971.

Jim Morrison’s final performance

On Dec. 12, 1970, The Doors, who were on tour, performed at The Warehouse in New Orleans. Unbeknownst to them, it would be their last concert. At that time, Morrison was free on bond and was in the process of appealing his conviction after being charged and convicted of indecent exposure at one of their concerts the previous year.

It was well known that Morrison used substances, and he also drank heavily in the last years of his life. According to David Dutkowski, The Doors’ official archivist, Morrison was a shadow of his former self during his final performance. He described the frontman as “living his life like a Roman candle burning at both ends.” 

Morrison entered the stage in a drunken stupor and forgot some of the words to their songs. At one point, the frontman stopped singing and sat on stage. At the end of the show, he was in the middle of a rant when he grabbed the mic stand and smashed it, creating a hole in the stage’s floor. He then walked off. After that incident, the three other band members decided it was best for everyone to call off the tour.

Jim Morrison’s death

After the final concert, The Doors reunited in Los Angeles to spend time in the studio and record their sixth studio album, L.A. Woman. By all accounts, Morrison was satisfied with the album they created. However, he decided to take a break and move to Paris with his girlfriend, Pamela Courson, in March 1971. At first, the new environment seemed to be good for Morrison. He was able to escape the rock n’ roll lifestyle that he had been basking in for the last several years, and focused on his poetry. It seemed that he was doing well.

The night before his death, according to Courson, was uneventful. The couple ate at a Chinese restaurant for dinner before watching a movie. They then went back to their apartment and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, Courson woke up and heard Morrison having difficulty breathing. He told her he’d be taking a bath, and Courson returned to bed. Hours later at dawn, Courson woke up and found Morrison unconscious in the bathtub. She called for emergency services, but it was too late. Morrison was declared dead on July 3, 1971, at just 27 years old.

An autopsy wasn’t performed, and his official cause of death was listed as heart failure. Upon hearing of Morrison’s death, The Doors manager Bill Siddons flew to Paris. A few days later, Morrison was buried at Père Lachaise cemetery. By the time he arrived, the coffin had already been sealed. “There was no service, and that made it all the better. We just threw some flowers and dirt and said goodbye,” Siddons said.

Another account of his death

Many found Morrison’s death suspicious, and speculations were fueled in 2007 when Sam Bernett released the book The End: Jim Morrison. Bernett, Morrison’s friend and a former journalist, wrote his account of how the singer died. He claims that in the early hours of July 3, Morrison showed up at the Rock & Roll Circus, a club in Paris that he managed. He said the singer was looking for heroin for Courson, and when he got some, he went to the club’s bathroom. 

After several minutes, a cloakroom attendant told Bernett that someone was locked in a bathroom cubicle. They got a bouncer to forcefully open the door, and he claims that’s when he saw Morrison’s body positioned over the toilet. He allegedly had blood and a foamy substance coming out of his mouth. The drug dealers then appeared and said that Morrison had just passed out, and they carried him out of the premises. According to his account, Morrison overdosed in the club’s bathroom and his body was brought back to his apartment to cover up the incident. As for why it took decades for him to tell his story, Bernett said, “I want to get rid of my heavy load.”

The only other person present in Morrison’s apartment was Courson, who died of a heroin overdose in 1974, and her account was differed from Bernett’s. To this day, there are several conspiracy theories surrounding Morrison’s death, from him being murdered by the CIA to faking his own death in order to live a new life. Unfortunately, no one knows for sure what happened on that fateful night. Despite his short life, Morrison’s influence on rock music still endures to this day.