You Make Me Real

This book is essentially about «The Doors», their influence and legacy and an approach to the memory of Jim Morrison. It does not aim to mythicize them, nor to put the Lizard King on a pedestal. The apparent visibility given to the singer in this book is therefore totally deliberate. We aim at focusing on the influential trajectory of The Doors who, at a given moment of their career, were known not only for their work but also for the headlines about the excesses of their lead singer often aimed at his discredit. There were also headlines on parallel projects, such as the publishing of his poetry, and his film stints. In this book, Morrison will be dealt with as one of the members of a remarkable band, an unequalled artist and a flesh-and-blood man. During his lifetime, the public image of The Doors’ frontman was a mixture of talent, sexual symbolism and controversial behavior. His worth resided in his poetical craving and successful role as lead singer in one of the greatest rock bands ever. Nonetheless, the merit of his success was not his alone: it was shared with a team which had four elements. Throughout their careers, the changes in attitudes toward the real merits of the Doors’ four members occurred at different levels. Teenagers’ magazines, for example, overstressed the physical looks of the lead singer to the detriment of his creative potential, associating a false notion of leadership to this image cult. Jim Morrison disliked this fact from the beginning. On the other hand, his lifestyle, marked by excesses, proved to be an appealing product for both the sensationalist and the more conservative press. They were always attentive to his stumbles. In fact, Jim Morrison’s life had all that was required to thrill the media: talent, youth, good looks, fame, money, and controversy – the perfect blend to perpetuate the image cult of a rock star.