I Scared My First Love
When Jim Morrison was fourteen, he began a relationship with Tandy Martin that lasted about two and a half years. She recalled that during that time he behaved strangely and treated her harshly at times. Martin remembered waking at night to Morrison peering silently through the street into her room’s windows. A few days before leaving for college in Florida, Morrison confessed his love, but Martin did not feel the same way.
Then a startling moment happened. Morrison grabbed her hand and pulled it painfully behind her back. She muffled a scream and listened as he claimed she must do one thing: she took a knife and cut her face, leaving a visible scar, and he said no one should look at her but him.
One scary childhood memory
At the age of four, Morrison witnessed a serious car crash that claimed the lives of a Native American family. He recalled seeing a truck crash and the family bleeding on the highway. As an adult, he believed that the soul of one of the Indians could have entered his body. He later described the event as one of the pivotal moments in his life, and he returned to it in songs and poems, including Dawn’s Highway, Peace Frog and Ghost Song.
His IQ and early talents
Sources note that during his time at Washington High School, Morrison maintained a high GPA and boasted an IQ of 149. In college, his scores surpassed the national average in mathematics and in literature. He enjoyed reading work by philosophers and poets, from Nietzsche to Kerouac and Ginsberg. A teacher suggested that Morrison might have studied demonology, citing English books on the subject from earlier centuries that the student reportedly read in the Library of Congress. Inspired by these readings, Morrison began to jot down ideas in a notebook and developed an interest in poetry and prose.
Conflicted with his father about a musical path
Relations with a strict military father were strained. After entering the University of California at Los Angeles in 1964, Morrison cut off contact with his family and claimed they were no longer alive. When his father learned of the rock career, he wrote a letter urging him to reconsider, even casting doubt on his talent in that direction. For years, Jim spoke to his father on the phone only once.
Influence of Alexander the Great
Morrison patterned himself after Alexander the Great and even adopted a similar hairstyle. An article described how Morrison presented a torn replica of a statue of Alexander and declared, Here’s him. The piece also noted Morrison aimed to resemble a god like the Macedonian conqueror who was seen as a embodiment of Dionysus in his time.
Fascination with reptiles
The singer earned the nickname The Lizard King, a moniker born from his affection for reptiles. He used the line I am the lizard king. I can do anything in performances of the song Not To Touch The Earth. In 2013, a giant ancient lizard was named after him by a paleontologist, a creature measuring about 180 centimeters in length and weighing around 30 kilograms.
Two arrests for stage behavior
On December 10, 1967, Morrison was arrested during a New Haven demonstration after refusing to stop kissing a woman and speaking out against local officials. He faced charges of public indecency and inciting a riot. During a Doors show in Miami on March 1, 1969, he mimed sexual acts on stage. While some eyewitnesses claimed more, no documentary evidence confirmed that, though he was found guilty of indecent behavior and faced a sentence that was later reduced on appeal. A witness later recanted his testimony in a later interview.
Disregard for traffic rules
Known for cruising in a Ford Mustang nicknamed The Blue Lady, Morrison sometimes drove in dangerous ways to scare onlookers. A close associate remembered a near incident near the Beverly Hills Police Department when the car went off course and crashed. The memory includes a tense moment when the driver believed they might not survive.
The mysterious death
On the morning of July 3, 1971, Morrison’s body was found in the bathroom of the Paris apartment he shared with his partner. He had felt unwell the night before and reportedly decided to take a hot bath; his partner slept, and when she awoke, he did not respond. Official records list heart failure as the cause, and no autopsy was performed. Over the years, rumors persisted, including claims of an overdose and theories involving possible external involvement.
Joining the Club 27
Morrison died two years after Brian Jones was found in a pool and just months before Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. He joined a group known as Club 27, later joined by other iconic artists like Kurt Cobain and Amy Winehouse. The association remains a cautionary touchpoint in rock history.