Jim Morrison: Arrested on stage 45 years ago

He was a shocking figure to be sure, and yesterday marked the anniversary of his arrest in New Haven on December 9, 1967 for taunting a cop who had maced him before the show.

Read the full story here.

Jim also would have celebrated his 69th birthday this past weekend.

He was born on December 8, 1943 in Melbourne, Florida and was the child of a military family, moving frequently (which I can say from my own experience is extremely challenging for a kid but also helps broaden the mind to embrace new experiences, places, people and ideas).

In his brief and outrageous life, Jim left us with a wealth of music and poetry and some pretty good stories of debauchery, too.

A poet, a rebel, a singer-songwriter, a filmmaker, some say a visionary, Jim made his indelible mark on the world, and in particular spoke to the restlessness and rebellion of youth, especially during the 60's, with his theatrical shock tactics and disturbing lyrical imagery.

Of course, the life of a rock star takes it's toll and Jim would die on July 3rd, 1971 in Paris of a heart attack brought on possibly by a heroin overdose; but true to the mysteriousness of this legendary figure, since no autopsy was performed, we will never know for certain how he joined the 27-club.

From biography.com:

Morrison's goal as a lyricist and singer was to open the minds of those who listened to his words, to encourage them to leave behind the familiar in search of the new. As Morrison put it, paraphrasing Aldous Huxley who was himself paraphrasing William Blake, "There are things known, and there are things unknown, and in between are The Doors."

I wonder what he's found on the Other Side of those doors.