Jim Morrison’s Net Worth might not reflect how talented the late songwriter was, but his influence in the industry is still very evident.
Jim Morrison was a talented American songwriter and a rock singer, revered by his fans and lived his life as a larger-than-life character. Morrison was born James Douglas Morrison on December 8, 1943. His father, George Stephen Morrison, was a naval aviator, while his mother, Clara Clarke Morrison, was a homemaker.
As a child, Morrison was very bright and intelligent, and he took a kin interest in reading, writing, and drawing. He also performed excellently in school. Morrison’s father was a talented pianist; his son got his music gifts, but that only became evident while studying film at the University of California, Los Angeles.
During his graduation year, Morrison joined pianist Robbie Krieger and drummer John Densmore to create a band called “The Doors.” Afterward, Elektra Records signed them, and two years later, the band released its self-titled album.
Although their first single, “Break On Through (To the Other Side,)” achieved modest success, the band’s second single, “Light My Fire,” was very successful. The song peaked at number one on Billboard pop charts.
“Light My Fire” was the first song that brought them into the limelight, with Jim Morrison being the lead vocalist. The band flourished by combining Morrison’s darkly poetic lyrics with their outlandish stage presence and unique brand of music.
In 1967 they released their sophomore album titled “Strange Days.” the album featured a couple of hit songs, including “Love Me Two Times,” “People Are Strange,” and “When the Music’s Over.”
Through their years of success, Morrison remained at the forefront, becoming the most recognized member of the band. However, his problems with alcohol and drugs later hampered the band’s progression. Those factors also contributed to his death in 1971.
Jim Morrison’s Net Worth
Jim Morrison’s influence in making ‘The Doors” one of the most recognized music bands in the 1960s cannot be understated. Besides being the lead vocalist, he wrote mainly most of their beloved lyrics.
During their glorious years, “The Doors” released multiple songs that topped charts for weeks, and their live shows were even more beloved. Even after his death, the band achieved success generating millions of dollars yearly. However, According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jim Morrison had a net worth of $400 thousand. However, due to the inflation in dollars now, it is approximately $2.5 million.
Meanwhile, the band still prospers today mainly from their music royalties and merchandise. However, all bonuses are shared equally among the members, late Morrison inclusive; all go to his remaining relatives.
He Was a Poetic Genius
Besides his impressive stage performance, one thing that made Jim Morrison stand out was his lyrics. His poetic prowess was widely recognized and evident in the band’s music. Songs like “Unknown Soldier,” “The End,” and “Riders On The Storm” showcased his poetic talents.
Also, Morrison himself wanted people to identify him with his poems and not just music. His love for poetry started at a young age, favoring prose pieces from the likes of Friedrich Nietzsche and Charles Baudelaire.
Even the band’s name, “The Doors,” was extracted from a William Blake text, another of his favorite poets. In 1969, Morrison published two separate volumes of his poetry. After moving to Paris in 1971 to hide away from the limelight, Morrison took to writing more poems. Some of his favorite places to write were Café De Flore and Les Deux Magots.
Morrison’s spoken poetry recordings layered over “The Doors” 1978 LP “An American Prayer.” Then, in 1988, a book of his lost poetic writings, “Wilderness” became an instant New York Times bestseller. Morrison’s influence on rock culture back then and presently speaks to his enormous talents.
He Was a Drunkard and Womanizer.
Despite his many talents and success, Morrison’s issues with alcohol remained unresolved till his death. In addition to his larger-than-life rock star outlook, Morrison had a reputation for being a drunkard and womanizer. His substance use issues often became evident; he would verbally abuse his fans during live performances. He was not only doing alcohol but taking harder drugs as well.
His issues with these substances led to the unraveling of his professional and personal life. Sometimes in 1969, Morrison went on the stage unclad for his show. His drug use also led to a run-in with the law; however, the singer was reportedly pardoned.
The rock star also did harder drugs apart from alcohol, which later affected his physical appearance. Morrison was often pictured keeping an unkempt beard, which made him look homeless.
Morrison was also an unrepentant womanizer, with over 200 paternity suits filed against him at the time of his death. Many of the women who came out were from his numerous one-night stands.
He Died Mysteriously at the Age of 27
The news of Jim Morrison’s death on July 03, 1971, left fans and the world in awe. There was never a report of him having health issues, and he was relatively young at just 27, to just have passed away,
He was reportedly found dead in the bathtub by his lover, Pamela Courson, and without conducting an autopsy, the French officials said he died of heart failure. After leaving for Paris in 1969, Morrison seemed to have found real happiness and balance. He wrote to his family every time and focused primarily on poetry.
A few days before his death, he posted a picture with Pamela, looking trimmed and clean, but shortly after his death, there was news that he and Pamela still got involved in old habits even in Paris.
However, as expected, controversies surrounded the strange and sudden death of the rock icon. Morrison’s story is largely similar to that of Amy Winehouse, who also had substance issues and died at age 27.
Morrison’s Last Notebook Was Auctioned
In 2013, Jim Morrison’s last notebook, which contained entries from months before his tragic death in Paris, was auctioned. Profiles in History which placed the marble-bound notebook on auction, expected it to fetch about $200-300,000.
The notebook’s content included poems titled “The Hive,” “The Peep Show,” “The City,” and “Brothers on a Sun Deck,” respectively. Other writing pieces included in the notebook are Morrison’s Color appreciation, “Red is the perfect color,” “Cinema,” and “Proust.”
Graham Nash was the person who placed Morrison’s last notebook on auction. He had acquired it from Bill Siddons, who picked up Morrison’s body in Paris. Meanwhile, another of Morrison’s notebooks had sold in 2008 for $91,000.
