John Densmore | |
|---|---|
 Densmore in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | John Paul Densmore (1944-12-01)December 1, 1944 (age 81) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instrument | Drums |
| Years active | 1964–present |
| Website | johndensmore |
John Paul Densmore (born December 1, 1944) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of therock bandthe Doors and as such is a member of theRock and Roll Hall of Fame.[1] He appeared on every recording made by the band, with drumming inspired byjazz andworld music as much as byrock and roll. The many honors he shares with the other Doors include aGrammy Award for lifetime achievement and a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[2][3]
Densmore is also noted for hisveto of attempts by the other two Doors members, in the wake of singerJim Morrison's 1971 death, to accept offers to license the rights to various Doors songs for commercial purposes as well as his objections to their use in the 21st century of the Doors name and logo. Densmore's lengthy court battles to gain compliance with his veto, based on a 1960s contract requiring unanimity among Doors members to use the band's name or music, ended with victory for him and his allies in the Morrison estate.[4]
Densmore has also worked in the performing arts as a dancer and actor and written successfully as both a playwright and the author of two books on the topic of the Doors and a third book,The Seekers (2020), about a selection of notable people he has worked with and encountered.
Densmore was born inLos Angeles on December 1, 1944. He grew up playing piano and later took up drums/percussion for the marching band at his school. He also playedtimpani in orchestra.[5] Densmore attendedSanta Monica City College andCalifornia State University, Northridge; at the latter he studied ethnic music under jazz cellistFred Katz.[6]
Densmore's drumming influences included hard jazz figuresElvin Jones (drummer forJohn Coltrane), whom he referred to as his idol,[7] andArt Blakey.[8]
In the mid-1960s Densmore joined guitaristRobby Krieger in a band called the Psychedelic Rangers; shortly thereafter he began rehearsals with keyboardistRay Manzarek, Manzarek's two brothers andJim Morrison in the groupRick & the Ravens. On the brothers' departure from the band, Densmore recommended Krieger join them, thus forming the Doors in 1965.[9]
In 2010Modern Drummer magazine referred to hisride cymbal work as some of the most distinctive in classic rock, and noted "Working without a regular bass-playing foil ... Densmore favored a lean, crisp, clear style in feel-good rhythmic explorations that, like the band's songs, gathered together ideas from blues, pop, jazz, classical, and Latin, Eastern, and African music. There are many reasons to love this slyly inventive, often underrated drummer."[10] Together with Krieger,[11] Densmore studied under Indian sitaristRavi Shankar at the latter'sKinnara School of Music in Los Angeles.[12]
John—a brilliant drummer, "The End" proved that, in my book; that's some of the greatest drumming I've ever heard in my life; irrespective of the fact that I'm involved in this album, it's incredibly creative drumming—has an instinct for when. During a very quiet part he'll just come in with three drum shots that are about as loud as you can hit a drum, and they're right, they're absolutely right! Now, you can't plan those things."
The quartet, after two years of work, became star attractions in 1967, and released six studio and several live albums, eventually selling over 100 million units.[14]
According to Densmore's autobiography, he had quit the band on one occasion in reaction to Morrison's increasingly self-destructive behavior, although Densmore returned the next day. Densmore repeatedly suggested that the band stop touring, but Krieger and Manzarek were resistant to this notion. After the Doors' disastrous performance with a gibberish-spouting Morrison in New Orleans on December 12, 1970, the band agreed to stop performing live, and the concert was the Doors' last public appearance as a quartet.[15]
When Morrison died in 1971, the surviving trio recorded two more albums of songs and an instrumental backdrop for the late singer's recorded poetry. Densmore remained a member until the band's dissolution in 1973.[9]
Densmore formed a musical group with fellow ex-Doors member Krieger in 1973 calledthe Butts Band. The group released two albums with two different lineups, and disbanded in 1975. Densmore leftrock and roll in the 1980s, moving to the world of dance as he performed with Bess Snyder and Co., touring the United States for two years.[1]
In 1984, atLa Mama Theatre in New York, he made his stage acting debut inSkins, aone-act play he had written. In 1985, he won theLA Weekly Theater Award for music withMethusalem, directed byTim Robbins.[16][17] The playRounds, which he co-produced, won theNAACP award for theatre in 1987. In 1988, he played a feature role inBand Dreams andBebop at the Gene Dynarski Theatre. He developed and performed a one-man piece from theDonald Barthelme short story,The King of Jazz, at the Wallenboyd Theatre in 1989. WithAdam Ant, he co-producedBe Bop A Lula at Theatre Theatre in 1992. He has acted in numerous TV shows, most memorably as himself in the showSquare Pegs, working as a drummer for Johnny Slash's band Open 24 Hours, and in an episode ofBeverly Hills 90210 in 1992, in Series 2, Episode 23, where he plays Ben, Dylan's sponsor.
He also produced and co-scored the feature film,Window of Opportunity, a dark comedy about corporate greed written and directed by Samuel Warren Joseph. His other film credits includeGet Crazy withMalcolm McDowell,Dudes directed byPenelope Spheeris, andThe Doors directed byOliver Stone.[18] In the Stone film, he appeared as the recording engineer to Morrison’s solo sessions, which would eventually becomeAn American Prayer, while his younger self was portrayed by actorKevin Dillon, who also worked with Stone onPlatoon (1986).
Densmore wrote his best-selling autobiography,Riders on the Storm (1990),[15] about his life and the time he spent with Morrison and the Doors. In the first chapter Densmore describes the solemn day on which he and the band finally visited Morrison's grave[19] around three years after Morrison's death.
Densmore's other books includeThe Seekers (2020), in which he discusses notable people in his life who have made a great impact on him and others.[20]
Densmore appears alongside Krieger and Manzarek in 2012'sRE:GENERATION, a documentary directed byAmir Bar-Lev. It features Densmore collaborating on a new song withSkrillex entitled "Breakn' A Sweat".[21]
Densmore, Manzarek and Krieger, after Jim Morrison's death, allowed "Riders on the Storm" to be used to sellPirelli Tyres, but in the United Kingdom only. Densmore later stated that he "heard Jim's voice" in his ears and ended up donating his share of the money earned to charity. In 2003, Densmore vetoed an offer byCadillac of $15 million for "Break On Through (To the Other Side)" citing Morrison's historic and vehement opposition to licensing the Doors' music, notably their best-selling single "Light My Fire" for aBuick television commercial,[22] as well as Densmore's strong negative views on the subject of commercially licensing Doors songs and recordings. Densmore also objected to Manzarek and Krieger touring using the name "Doors of the 21st Century."
In a subsequent court case, in which Densmore was joined by the Morrison estate, opposing lawyers attempted to portray Densmore as un-American, a communist and aneco-terrorist. Notable musicians who testified in support of Densmore includedBonnie Raitt,Randy Newman,Neil Young,Tom Petty,Eddie Vedder, andTom Waits.Stewart Copeland of thePolice, who had also performed with Krieger and Manzarek in 2002 and 2003, also testified in Densmore's and the Morrison estate's behalf.[23]
In 2013, Densmore releasedThe Doors Unhinged, a book covering his lengthy but victorious legal battle with Krieger and Manzarek over their use of the Doors' name and logo in their touring and Densmore's veto of the Cadillac commercial offer.[23] Manzarek and Densmore reconciled shortly before Manzarek's death in 2013.[4] Densmore and Krieger have occasionally appeared together on stage again.[24]
As a member of the Doors, he was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.[25] Along with his 1993 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Densmore, as a member of the Doors, was recognized in 2007 with a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.[26] Also in 2007, Densmore and his band mates were awarded aGrammy Award for lifetime achievement.[27] The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame webpage on the Doors observes that "As a drummer, Densmore had a creative, dynamic flair that lent itself to the Doors' surreal, kaleidoscopic music."[25]
He and the Doors have been saluted twice by the City of Los Angeles, which in 2017 issued a proclamation at a public gathering inVenice Beach observing January 4 as the 'Day of the Doors' in honor of the 50th anniversary of the group's self-titled album release on that date in 1967.[28] At the event, Los Angeles CouncilmemberMike Bonin introduced Densmore and Krieger who ceremonially lit a Doors logo beneath the famed 'Venice' letters.[29] A year later, on January 4, 2018, Densmore accepted a second proclamation from Los Angeles Council memberPaul Koretz at the junction of Densmore Avenue and Morrison Street inEncino, Los Angeles in theSan Fernando Valley in which honorary street signs were unveiled.[30]
Densmore has married four times. He married his first wife Julia Brose in 1970 with Robby and Lynn Krieger as best man and bridesmaid. They separated in 1972. A few years after their divorce he married Debbie Fife but they divorced a few years later. He then married actress Leslie Neale in 1990 and they had one daughter together named Luka. They subsequently separated in 2006 due to irreconcilable differences and divorced. Since 2012 he has been in a relationship with Ildiko Von Somogyi, whom he married in 2020.[31][32]
It smelled like rain. I had hoped it would storm. Then we wouldn't have had to see his grave. My heartbeat was increasing. I looked over at Robby, Danny, and Herve in the car as we approached the cemetery.
