Early Life and The Doors
Born in Los Angeles, Densmore attended Santa Monica City College and Cal State Northridge; at the latter he studied ethnic music under jazz cellist Fred Katz.
He joined The Doors in 1965 and remained a member until the band's dissolution in 1973. Densmore met keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger at a Transcendental Meditation lecture. Densmore says, "There wouldn't be any Doors without Maharishi." According to Densmore's own book, he quit the band on one occasion in reaction to Morrison's increasingly self-destructive behavior, although he returned the next day. He repeatedly suggested that the band stop touring, but Krieger and Manzarek were resistant to this notion. After the Doors' last performance with Morrison in New Orleans in 1970, the band agreed to discontinue performing live.
Densmore allowed "Riders on the Storm" to be used to sell Pirelli Tires, in England only. Densmore later stated that he "heard Jim's voice" in his ears and ended up donating the money earned to charity. In 2002, Densmore vetoed an offer by Cadillac for $15 million for "Break on Through (To the Other Side)" because of his strong views to conserve the environment.
Read more about this topic: John Densmore
Famous quotes containing the words early, life and/or doors:
“Parents ... are sometimes a bit of a disappointment to their children. They don’t fulfil the promise of their early years.”
—Anthony Powell (b. 1905)
“It is a momentous fact that a man may be good, or he may be bad; his life may be true, or it may be false; it may be either a shame or a glory to him. The good man builds himself up; the bad man destroys himself.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“Too late in the wrong rain
They come together whom their love parted:
The windows pour into their heart
And the doors burn in their brain.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)