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Ray Manzarek was the co-founder and keyboardist for legendary rock band, the Doors. Born in Chicago, Manzarek moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA film school during the early ’60s. It was there that he met Jim Morrison who told him he had written some songs and sang him a rough version of “Moonlight Drive,” and the Doors was born. In January of 1966, John Densmore and Robby Krieger were added to the mix, and the group soon became the house band at The London Fog in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the group did very little to bring new patrons into the dingy bar so they were eventually fired only to be picked up by the Whiskey a Go Go the very same day. Their first gig at the Whiskey was opening for Them which got them some notice, and lead to a contract with Columbia Records. After languishing there for a few months they asked to be released from their contract and were soon signed by Jac Holzman to Elektra Records. The band’s first album, simply titled The Doors debuted in January of 1967 and soared to #2 on the Billboard charts on its way to selling over 12 million copies. The album included the band’s biggest single, “Light My Fire.” The Doors went on to become one of the most important rock bands all time thanks to their brilliant compositions and Morrison’s dynamic stage presence. After Morrison’s untimely death in 1971, the band forged on as a trio until calling it quits in 1973. In later years, the Doors occasionally reformed for special engagements. Outside of the band, Manzerek released several solo albums and formed a group he called Nite City. He also collaborated with the likes of X, Echo & the Bunnymen, and Iggy Pop. On May 20, 2013, Ray Manzarek died from bile duct cancer. He was 74.
If there was such a thing as a “5th Door,” Danny Sugarman would likely have been it. Besides being the Doors’ second manager, Sugarman the two definitive books on Jim Morrison and the band, No One Here Gets Out Alive (1980, with Jerry Hopkins) and Wonderland Avenue: Tales Of Glamour And Success (1989) . Born and raised in Los Angeles, Sugarman was a rabid fan of the band, and when given the opportunity at the age of 13 to respond to fan mail on their behalf. He quickly became a close friend and confidant of Morrison’s. After Morrison’s death, the band and original manager, Bill Siddons parted ways so Sugarman took over managerial duties. He also served as consultant on Oliver Stone’s 1991 biopic, The Doors. Also that year, he married Fawn Hall of Oliver North/Iran-Contra affair fame. Besides the above-mentioned books, Sugarman authored The Doors (1983), The Doors: The Illustrated History (1983), and Appetite For Destruction: The Days Of Guns N’ Roses (1991). He also managed Iggy Pop at one point. Danny Sugarman died of lung cancer on January 5, 2005. He was 50.
Hilly Kristal
September 23, 1931 – August 28, 2007
Hilly Kristal with Little Steven
Opened in 1973, Hilly Kristal’s CBGB became the epicenter of the punk and new wave movement thanks to his early bookings of such acts as Blondie, Talking Heads, New York Dolls, Patti Smith, Television and the Ramones. After moving to New York City after serving in the Marines, Kristal became manager of the storied Village Vanguard jazz club where he booked such acts as Miles Davis. In 1968, he co-founded the Central Park’s Schaefer Music Festival which, over the next decade, hosted the likes of the Who, Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, the Doors and Aerosmith. In 1973, he opened CBGB – OMFUG, which stood for “Country, BlueGrass, Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormandizers.” He closed the club during a much publicized rent dispute in 2006. Hilly Kristal died of lung cancer at the age of 75.
Larry Knecthel was a Los Angeles session keyboardist and bassist who played on hits by the likes of the Doors, Simon & Garfunkel and the Beach Boys. After spending a few years as part of Duane Eddy’s touring band in the early ’60s, Knechtel went to work in the studio with Phil Spector, adding his own mark to the legendary “wall of sound.” Knechtel also played on several Doors records since they didn’t have their own bassist. He joined the easy rock band, Bread in 1971. In later years, Knecthel did session work for producer Rick Rubin, most notably on albums by the Dixie Chicks and Neil Diamond. Larry Knechtel passed away in a Yakima hospital just two weeks after his 69th birthday.
Thanks to Craig Rosen at Number1Albums for the assist
As the charismatic front man for the Doors, Jim Morrison exemplified all that is rock music. In life and in death, his impact on popular culture cannot be denied. Moving to Los Angeles in 1964, Morrison enrolled in UCLA’s film school where he met Ray Manzarek. The following year they formed the Doors with Robbie Krieger and John Densmore. In 1967, the Doors signed with Elektra Records and were soon invited to perform on the Ed Sullivan Show where Morrison’s use of the lyric “higher” instead of “better” maddened Sullivan enough to forever ban them from the show. If anything, that only added momentum to the Doors’ ascent, and by the time of their second release, they were one of the most popular bands in the world. The Doors continued to record several now-classic rock albums and blow away concert audiences along the way. By 1969 though, Morrison’s physical appearance had dramatically changed…the once leather-wearing rock god was now a husky bearded mountain-of-a-man more closely resembling a lumberjack than a rock star. And his performances were becoming more erratic as well. One concert in Miami ended with a warrant out for Morrison’s arrest on indecent exposure charges after he tried to incite a riot out of the crowd. He was later exonerated of those charges. Morrison moved to Paris in April of 1971 with long-time companion Pamela Courson. On July 3, 1971, Courson found Morrison dead in his bathtub, but under French law, no autopsy was conducted. The coroner claimed to have found no evidence of foul play and ruled it heart failure. Of course, there have been numerous articles and books written about Morrison’s mysterious death. Some say suicide, while others claim that Courson was responsible either accidentally or intentionally. While still others believe he staged the whole thing and is alive and well somewhere.
If there was such a thing as a “5th Door,” Danny Sugarman would likely have been it. Besides being the Doors’ second manager, Sugarman the two definitive books on 
Larry Knecthel was a Los Angeles session keyboardist and bassist who played on hits by the likes of the Doors, Simon & Garfunkel and the Beach Boys. After spending a few years as part of Duane Eddy’s touring band in the early ’60s, Knechtel went to work in the studio with Phil Spector, adding his own mark to the legendary “wall of sound.” Knechtel also played on several Doors records since they didn’t have their own bassist. He joined the easy rock band, Bread in 1971. In later years, Knecthel did session work for producer Rick Rubin, most notably on albums by the Dixie Chicks and Neil Diamond. Larry Knechtel passed away in a Yakima hospital just two weeks after his 69th birthday.
