Jim Morrison

Rock Musician

Jim Morrison was the lead singer and lyricist for the rock band The Doors, who emerged from the Los Angeles clubs to be one of the top national acts at the close of the 1960s. Morrison's dark and suggestive lyrics were controversial, but his antics on stage were legendary: in 1969 he was arrested for exposing himself to concertgoers in Miami, Florida. His alcohol/drug abuse and open disdain for authority made him a rock hero; his mysterious death in Paris, France at the age of 27 made him a pop culture icon.

Extra credit: Morrison was buried at the historic Pere LaChaise cemetery in Paris, where his grave has become a popular destination for rock-n-roll pilgrims... Morrison nicknamed himself "Mr. Mojo Risin'" (an anagram of Jim Morrison) and was also called the Lizard King, a name taken from his poem "The Celebration of the Lizard King," which was included in the 1968 album Waiting For the Sun.

Who2 has profiles of other rock stars who died young, including Jimi Hendrix, D. Boon, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain.

Blog posts mentioning Jim Morrison:
The Curious Birthday of Sarah Bernhardt