If you want to jump straight into the Jim Morrison facts then skip the intro.

Jim Morrison & The Doors – Short Introduction

Born on December 8, 1943, in Melbourne, Florida – Jim Morrison was a rock and roll legend and sex icon of the 1960s. He rose to fame as the lead vocalist of the American rock band The Doors.

He won the hearts of millions with his distinctive deep voice, talent for poetry, and eccentric personality. Often praised by fans and critics as one of the most iconic and influential frontman in music history.

In 1965, alongside Ray Manzarek (keyboardist), John Densmore (drummer) and Robby Krieger (guitarist) Jim Morrison formed the now world-famous band The Doors. The name of the band was suggested by Jim Morrison. He got the idea from a book he had read by Aldous Huxley called ‘The Doors of Perception’.

A year after the formation of the band, The Doors signed a deal with Elektra Records, and at the beginning of 1967 they released their self-titled debut album.

Their first single ‘Break on Through’ was a minor in the UK (No.64) while in the US it stalled at No.126. However, their second single ‘Light My Fire’ catapulted them into the stars. The song went to number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and Cash Box Top 100 charts.

But despite the band’s success and his worldwide fame, Jim Morrison struggled with drugs and depression. This led to his temporary departure from The Doors in the spring of 1971 when he attempted to get his life back in order. But sadly in the summer of 1971, Jim Morrison died of a heart failure in the bathtub of his apartment in Paris.

His name and legacy will live on forever.

Now lets indulge into some fun facts about Jim Morrison.

10 Interesting Jim Morrison Facts

1. Jim Morrison introduced his rebellious nature to the world on The Ed Sullivan Show

When talking about Jim Morrison’s wild personality, its hard to not mention his rebellious performance on The Ed Sullivan Show.

Apparently, The Doors were supposed to perform ‘Light My Fire ‘live on the show. But because of the song’s obvious reference to drugs (“girl we couldn’t get much higher”), they had to alter the lyrics or skip that part while performing on air.

However, Morrison the rebel, decided to break the promise and sang the forbidden lyrics in front of millions of people on national TV.

2. Had an IQ of 149

Maybe one of the not-so-surprising Jim Morrison facts is that he had a genius-level IQ.

Surprisingly, he still had an average score on his SATs. The rock legend scored 528 in math and 630 for verbal. But in the end, he completed his Bachelor’s Degree in the Theater Arts Department of UCLA and even directed two films while in college.

3. Received a blowjob while recording a song

Yes, you read that right.

His girlfriend Pamela Courson gave him head during the recording of ‘You’re Lost, Little girl’. The reason? The band wanted Jim to soften his voice but he couldn’t do it since his voice was too deep. And guess what, the fellatio worked like a charm!

Jim Morrison facts can be quite strange sometimes…

4. Obsessed with reptiles

A well-known Jim Morrison fact is that his nickname was The Lizard King. But why was that his nickname? That’s because he was obsessed with reptiles and called himself the Lizard King, simple as that.

The nickname, however, stuck with him after the release of the performance piece called ‘The Celebration of the Lizard’ where Morrison says “I am the Lizard King, I can do anything”. A performance that many fans of The Doors have probably already seen or heard.

For those who haven’t, here it is

5. Fought with Janis Joplin

One of the wildest Jim Morrison facts is that he fought with Janis Joplin.
It happened at a party in 1967 in L.A. that Jim and Janis both attended. Apparently, Jim was teasing her and Joplin threw a bottle at his face.

But the story doesn’t end here and it gets even more bizarre. Apparently, Jim Morrison left the party to summon a reptile army with a Native American dance in the garden. But unfortunately, the summoning wasn’t successful.

6. Arrested on stage while performing

While The Doors were preparing for a show in 1967, a police officer found Morrison with a girl in the backstage showers and did not recognize the rockstar. The cop told the couple to leave but Morrison resisted and the cop attacked him with a mace. Consequently, the show was then delayed.

However, later during the performance, Jim decided to tell his fans the reason why the show was delayed. And while telling the story, he supposedly made obscene gestures and provoked the police officer. Gestures which the officer did not appreciate and arrested him while on stage.

Here’s a video of the incident.

7. Didn’t listen to Led Zeppelin

Although it may come as a surprise to many, Morrison wasn’t the biggest fan of Led Zeppelin and similar bands that made that type of music.

When asked in an interview about Led Zeppelin and what he thought of them, Jim said:

“Tell the truth I don’t listen to rock and roll so I’ve never heard them. Normally I listen to classical music, or Peggy Lee, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley.”

8. His grave is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Paris, France

Jim Morrison died on July 3, 1971 in Paris where he was also buried four days later. However, his permanent resting place wasn’t supposed to be Paris. His body was supposed to be relocated to California but that never happened.

Nevertheless, his grave is located in the famous Pere’ La Chaise cemetery next to the likes of Oscar Wilde, Honore de Balzac, Frederic Chopin, and many others. But what good does that do to a dead man?

His grave is visited by millions of fans yearly to pay their respects. Sadly, some of them have vandalized the tomb with graffiti and even stole his statue.

9. Jim Morrison was rescued by Nuns

During The Doors’ European tour in 1968, Morrison was given a powerful drug by Bob Hite which knocked him unconscious. He was later found by a group of Nuns who took him to a hospital where he made a full recovery.

10. Member of the 27 club

When talking about Jim Morrison facts its hard to bypass the already well-known fact that he is part of the infamous 27 club.

A club of eminent and influential musicians (and artists or actors) who died at the age of 27. Musicians such as Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, and Jim Morrison are among the biggest names in it. Not a club someone would strive to be part of.