Ray Manzarek

Ray Manzarek, born February 12, 1939, to Polish immigrants in Chicago, Illinois, earned lasting recognition as one of the most influential keyboard players in rock music through his foundational role with the Doors. As a youth he developed an admiration for the boogie-woogie pianists who rose to prominence during the 1950s. After leaving UCLA’s law program he briefly reconsidered further study and ultimately returned to the university’s acclaimed film school, where he joined the formation of the Doors. The group, widely regarded as one of America’s most influential rock bands, issued multiple albums until the death of vocalist Jim Morrison in July 1971. The loss prompted two further albums recorded without Morrison and with Manzarek handling vocals, yet limited fan interest led to the band’s gradual dissolution.

In 1973 he issued his debut solo effort, The Golden Scarab, and resumed touring. The following year brought The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now It’s Out of Control. Seeking another band setting, Manzarek assembled Ray Manzarek’s Nite City, which delivered an eponymous album in 1976 and Golden Days Diamond Nights in 1977; neither release matched the commercial reach of the Doors and the project dissolved. Soon afterward the punk scene gained momentum in Los Angeles, and the band X approached him about producing their debut. The resulting record, Los Angeles, stands as one of the era’s landmark punk albums. Energized by the experience, he turned to Carmina Burana, a high-concept solo project exploring opera and minstrel traditions that appeared in 1983. Critics dismissed the work as overly pretentious, prompting nearly a decade of reduced visibility.

The 1991 release of Oliver Stone’s biographical film The Doors drew Manzarek out of semi-retirement to express his dissatisfaction with the director’s depiction of the band. In 1993 he collaborated with poet Michael McClure on Love Lion, setting McClure’s beat poetry to keyboard accompaniment; the album received favorable notices. The pair toured extensively while Manzarek completed an autobiography and assembled a Doors tribute album. Both projects eventually appeared, and he repeatedly expressed interest in creating a stage musical chronicling the band’s career. Around the turn of the century he recorded an album with British musician and actor Darryl Read, and his son secured a major-label contract with the group A.I. Subsequent projects included adventurous and distinctive recordings such as the 2006 soundtrack to Love Her Madly, yet his defining impact on rock remained tied to the Doors, a connection he appeared fully at ease with. Manzarek died in May 2013 in Rosenheim, Germany, at age 74 after a struggle with bile duct cancer.