re: Ray Manzarek passes away

quote:

---

Saw Ray & Robby play at House of Blues in Houston a couple years ago.

---

quote:

---

Jim Morrison was already in a headlong downward spiral by the time he performed his final show with the Doors. Mired in a losing battle with alcohol, the troubled singer had multiple legal woes hanging over his head when he took the stage at the Warehouse in New Orleans on Dec. 12, 1970. The disastrous performance would bring the group to a screeching halt and prove sadly prophetic for the doomed singer, who had only months to live.

---

quote:

---

The group retreated to the studio to record what would become ‘L.A. Woman,’ and at the New Orleans gig — one of only two scheduled — they debuted several of those new songs, as well as performing their existing hits.

But midway through the set, Morrison began to forget the words to songs, and then tried to compensate by launching into a long, rambling joke that fell flat. The singer was reportedly hanging on to the mic stand for support as the group launched into ‘Light My Fire,’ and during the solos he went and sat down on the drum riser, failing to get up to sing the last verse. Drummer John Densmore finally nudged the recalcitrant singer with his foot, whereupon Morrison went over to the mic stand and repeatedly smashed it into the stage until it splintered, then threw down the mic and abruptly walked off stage, ending the show early.

---