The Doors’ Robby Krieger Describes the Real Jim Morrison in New Book ‘Set the Night on Fire’

: by Peter Larsen, Orange County Register; on October 28, 2021

ADV. FOR WKD. EDS, NOV. 28-30–FILE–Members of the Doors pose for an undated publicity photo. From left; John Densmore, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison. Morrison died in 1971 at age 27. A four-CD boxed set of Doors material has been released, breaking sales records for boxed sets this year in its first week of release, according to Electra Records. (AP Photo/file)

The Doors’ Robby Krieger thinks Oliver Stone’s 1991 film about the band is one of the best rock and roll movies ever made. That movie, and a popular 1980 biography of Doors’ singer Jim Morrison, rekindled interest in the band that endures today.

But now that the guitarist is 75, now that it’s been 50 years since Morrison’s death, Krieger says he’s ready to tell the iconic L.A. group’s story the way he remembers it and correct some of the sensationalized stories that have been told before.

That’s how Krieger found himself rehabilitating the public record of Morrison, the Doors’ charismatic lead singer.

“I saw another side of him quite often that most people didn’t,” Krieger says of Morrison and his empathetic portrayal in “Set the Night on Fire: Living, Dying, and Playing Guitar with the Doors.”