Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. ( Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the rock band

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

, co-founding the group in 1965 with fellow UCLA Film School graduate

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...

. Manzarek is credited for his innovative playing and abilities on

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

-style keyboard instruments. Manzarek was inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

in 1993 as a Doors member. He was a co-founding member of Nite City from 1977 to 1978 and of Manzarek–Krieger from 2001 until he died in 2013. ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' described him as "one of the best keyboardists ever".

Biography

Early life

Raymond Daniel Manczarek Jr. was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. He was born to parents of Polish descent, Helena Kolenda (1918–2012) and Raymond Manczarek Sr. (1914–1986). His grandparents emigrated from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

in the 1890s. Upon graduating from St. Rita of Cascia High School in 1956, Manzarek matriculated at

DePaul University DePaul University is a private university, private Catholic higher education, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Congregation of the Mission, Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from ...

, where he played piano in his fraternity's jazz band (the Beta Pi Mu Combo), participated in intramural football, served as treasurer of the Speech Club, and organized a charity concert with

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American retired jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded over sixt ...

and

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

. He graduated from the University's College of Commerce with a degree in

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

in 1960. In late 1961, Manzarek briefly enrolled at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. Unable to acclimate to the curriculum, he transferred to the Department of Motion Pictures, Television and Radio as a graduate student before dropping out after breaking up with a girlfriend. Although he attempted to enlist in the Army Signal Corps as a camera operator, he was instead assigned to the highly selective Army Security Agency as a prospective intelligence analyst.

The Doors

Manzarek re-enrolled in UCLA's graduate film program in 1962, receiving a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

degree in cinematography in 1965. During this period, he met future wife Dorothy Fujikawa and undergraduate film student

. At the time, Manzarek was in a band called Rick & the Ravens with his brothers Rick and Jim. Forty days after finishing film school, thinking they had gone their separate ways, Manzarek and Morrison met by chance on Venice Beach in California. Morrison said he had written some songs, and Manzarek expressed an interest in hearing them, whereupon Morrison sang rough versions of " Moonlight Drive", "My Eyes Have Seen You," and "Summer's Almost Gone". During this time, Manzarek also met teenage guitarist

Robby Krieger Robert Alan Krieger (born January 8, 1946) is an American guitarist and founding member of the rock band the Doors. Krieger wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including the hits " Light My Fire", " Love Me Two Times", " Touch Me", and " ...

and drummer

John Densmore John Paul Densmore (born December 1, 1944) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the Rock music, rock band the Doors and as such is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He appeared on every recording made by the band, ...

at a Transcendental Meditation lecture and recruited them for the incipient band. Densmore said, "There wouldn't be any Doors without

Maharishi Maharishi (, ) is a Sanskrit word used for members of the highest order of ancient Indian sages, popularly known in India as "seers", i.e., those who engage in research to understand and experience nature, divinity, and the divine context of exis ...

." In January 1966, The Doors became the house band at the London Fog on the

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California, United States. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western bord ...

. According to Manzarek, "Nobody ever came in the place... an occasional sailor or two on leave, a few drunks. All in all it was a very depressing experience, but it gave us time to really get the music together". When The Doors were fired from the London Fog, they were hired to be the house band at the

Whisky a Go Go The Whisky a Go Go (informally nicknamed The Whisky) is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulev ...

. The Doors' first recording contract was with

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. After a few months of inactivity, they learned they were on Columbia's drop list. At that point, they asked to be released from their contract. Following a few months of live gigs, Jac Holzman "rediscovered" The Doors and signed them to

Elektra Records Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...

The Doors lacked a bass guitarist (except during recording sessions), so for live performances, Manzarek played the bass parts on a Fender

Rhodes piano The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...

keyboard bass Keyboard bass (shortened to keybass and sometimes referred as a synth bass) is the use of a smaller, low-pitched keyboard with fewer notes than a regular keyboard or pedal keyboard to substitute for the deep notes of a bass guitar or double bas ...

. His signature sound was that of the Vox Continental

combo organ A combo organ, so-named and classified by popular culture due to its original intended use by small, touring jazz, pop music, pop and dance groups known as "combo bands", as well as some models having "Combo" as part of their brand or model names, ...

, an instrument used by many other psychedelic rock bands of the era. He also used a Gibson G-101 Kalamazoo

(which looks like a

Farfisa Farfisa () is a manufacturer of electronics based in Osimo, Italy, founded in 1946. The company manufactured a series of compact electronic organs in the 1960s and 1970s, including the Compact, FAST, Professional and VIP ranges, and later, a se ...

) for the band's later albums. During the Morrison era, Manzarek was the group's regular backing vocalist. He occasionally sang lead, as exemplified by recordings of

Muddy Waters McKinley Morganfield (April 4, 1913April 30, 1983), better known as Muddy Waters, was an American blues singer-songwriter and musician who was an important figure in the post-World War II blues scene, and is often cited as the "father of moder ...

's "Close to You" (released on 1970's '' Absolutely Live'') and "You Need Meat (Don't Go No Further)" (recorded during the '' L.A. Woman'' sessions and initially released as the B-side of "

Love Her Madly "Love Her Madly" is a song by American rock band the Doors. It was released in March 1971 and was the first single from '' L.A. Woman'', their final album with singer Jim Morrison. "Love Her Madly" became one of the highest-charting hits for the ...

"). He went on to share lead vocals with Krieger on the albums ('' Other Voices'' and '' Full Circle'') released after Morrison's death.

Later career and influence

After recording two solo albums on

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. Mercury Records released ...

to a muted reception in 1974, Manzarek played in several groups, most notably Nite City. He recorded a rock adaptation of

Carl Orff Carl Heinrich Maria Orff (; 10 July 1895 – 29 March 1982) was a German composer and music educator, who composed the cantata ''Carmina Burana (Orff), Carmina Burana'' (1937). The concepts of his Orff Schulwerk, Schulwerk were influential for ...

's ''

Carmina Burana ''Carmina Burana'' (, Latin for "Songs from Benediktbeuern" 'Buria'' in Latin is a manuscript of 254 poems and dramatic texts mostly from the 11th or 12th century, although some are from the 13th century. The pieces are mostly bawdy, irreveren ...

'' (1983; co-produced by

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

), briefly played with

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter, actor and radio broadcaster. He was the vocalist and lyricist of proto-punk band the Stooges, who were formed in 1 ...

, sat in on one track on the eponymous 1987 album ''

Echo & the Bunnymen Echo & the Bunnymen are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1978. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Ian McCulloch (singer), Ian McCulloch, guitarist Will Sergeant and bassist Les Pattinson. By 1980, Pete de Freita ...

'', backed San Francisco poet

Michael McClure Michael McClure (October 20, 1932 – May 4, 2020) was an American poet, playwright, songwriter, and novelist. After moving to San Francisco as a young man, he found fame as one of the five poets (including Allen Ginsberg) who read at the famo ...

's poetry readings and worked on improvisational compositions with poet Michael C. Ford. He also worked extensively with '' Hearts of Fire'' screenwriter and former SRC frontman Scott Richardson on a series of spoken word and blues recordings entitled "Tornado Souvenirs". Manzarek produced the first four albums of the seminal punk band X, also contributing occasionally on keyboards. Two of those have also been included on ''Rolling Stone''s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. His memoir, ''Light My Fire: My Life with the Doors,'' was published in 1998. ''The Poet in Exile'' (2001) is a novel exploring the

urban legend Urban legend (sometimes modern legend, urban myth, or simply legend) is a genre of folklore concerning stories about an unusual (usually scary) or humorous event that many people believe to be true but largely are not. These legends can be e ...

that Jim Morrison may have faked his death. Manzarek's second novel, ''Snake Moon'', released in April 2006, is a

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

ghost story. In 2000, a collaboration poetry album entitled ''Freshly Dug'' was released with British singer, poet, actor, and pioneer punk rocker Darryl Read. Read had previously worked with Manzarek on the ''Beat Existentialist'' album in 1994, and their last poetical and musical collaboration was in 2007 with the album ''Bleeding Paradise''. Also in 2000, he co-wrote and directed the film ''Love Her Madly'', which was credited to a story idea by Morrison. The film was shown at the closing night of the 2004 Santa Cruz Film Festival, but otherwise received limited distribution and critical review. Ray Manzarek - picture by Simone van den Boom

Ray Manzarek - picture by Simone van den Boom

In 2006, he collaborated with composer and trumpeter Bal. The album that resulted, ''Atonal Head'' explores the realm of electronica. The two musicians integrated jazz, rock, ethnic, and classical music into their computer-based creations. On August 4, 2007, Manzarek hosted a program on

BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the List of most-listened-to radio programs, most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 14 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the sta ...

about the 40th anniversary of the recording of " Light My Fire" and the group's musical and spiritual influences. In April 2009, Manzarek and Robby Krieger appeared as special guests for

Daryl Hall Daryl Franklin Hohl (born October 11, 1946), known professionally as Daryl Hall, is an American rock, R&B, and soul singer. He is best known as the co-founder and principal lead vocalist of Hall & Oates, with guitarist and songwriter John Oa ...

's monthly concert webcast '' Live From Daryl's House''. They performed several Doors tunes (" People Are Strange", "

The Crystal Ship "The Crystal Ship" is a song by American rock band the Doors, from their 1967 debut album ''The Doors'', and the B-side of the number-one hit single " Light My Fire". It was composed as a love song to Jim Morrison's first serious girlfriend, Mary ...

", " Roadhouse Blues" and " Break On Through (To the Other Side)") with Hall providing lead vocals. In his last years, he often sat in with local bands in the Napa County area, where he relocated in the early 2000s. In 2009, Manzarek collaborated with

"Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic ( ; born October 23, 1959) is an American comedy musician, writer, and actor. He is best known for writing and performing Comedy music, comedy songs that often Parody music, parody specific songs by contempo ...

by playing keyboards on the single "

Craigslist Craigslist (stylized as craigslist) is a privately held American company operating a classified advertisements website with sections devoted to jobs, housing, for sale, items wanted, services, community service, gigs, résumés, and discussi ...

", which is a

pastiche A pastiche () is a work of visual art, literature, theatre, music, or architecture that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche pays homage to the work it imitates, rather than mocking ...

of the Doors. On the day of Manzarek's death, Yankovic published a personal video of this studio session which he said had been an "extreme honor" and "one of the absolute high points of my life". In May 2010, Manzarek recorded with

slide guitar Slide guitar is a technique for playing the guitar that is often used in blues music. It involves playing a guitar while holding a hard object (a slide) against the strings, creating the opportunity for glissando effects and deep vibratos that ...

ist

Roy Rogers Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, and Rodeo, rodeo performer. Following early work under his given name, first as a c ...

. A collaborative album between the two, entitled ''Translucent Blues'', was released in mid-2011; its lyrical content is primarily penned by songwriter/poets Jim Carroll and

. During June through August 2011, Manzarek recorded " Breakn' a Sweat" with DJ

Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...

and his fellow former Doors members

and

. In August 2013, ''Twisted Tales'', another Manzarek–Rogers collaboration, was released and dedicated to Manzarek after his passing.

Personal life

Manzarek's brothers Rick and Jim Manczarek are musicians, who all played together for Rick & the Ravens. Manzarek removed the 'C' from his surname Manczarek around when the Doors started playing gigs in 1965. Manzarek married fellow UCLA alumna Dorothy Aiko Fujikawa in Los Angeles on December 21, 1967, with Morrison and his longtime companion

Pamela Courson Pamela Susan Courson (December 22, 1946 – April 25, 1974) was the long-term companion of Jim Morrison, singer of the Doors. Courson stated she discovered Morrison's body in the bathtub of a Paris apartment in 1971. She died three years after h ...

attending. Manzarek and Fujikawa remained married until his death. They have a son, Pablo, born on August 28, 1973, and they have three grandchildren. In the early 1970s, the Manzareks divided their time between an apartment in

West Hollywood, California West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. History Most historical writing ...

, and a small penthouse on New York City's

Upper West Side The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper We ...

. They subsequently resided in

Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...

(including ten years in a house on

Rodeo Drive Rodeo Drive () is a street in Beverly Hills, California, with its southern segment in the City of Los Angeles, known as one of the most expensive streets in the world. Its southern terminus is at Beverwil Drive, and its northern terminus is a ...

), for several decades. For the last decade of his life, Manzarek and his wife lived in a refurbished farmhouse near Vichy Springs, California, in the

Napa Valley Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Napa County, California. The area was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on February 27, 1981, after a 1978 petition submitted by the Napa Valley Vin ...

. Manzarek practiced

Atenism Atenism, also known as the Aten religion, the Amarna religion, and the Amarna heresy, was a religion in ancient Egypt. It was founded by Akhenaten, a pharaoh who ruled the New Kingdom under the Eighteenth Dynasty. The religion is described as ...

, an

ancient Egyptian Ancient Egypt () was a cradle of civilization concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in Northeast Africa. It emerged from prehistoric Egypt around 3150BC (according to conventional Egyptian chronology), when Upper and Lower E ...

religion last observed in the

Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt The Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt (notated Dynasty XVIII, alternatively 18th Dynasty or Dynasty 18) is classified as the first dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt, the era in which ancient Egypt achieved the peak of its power. The Eighteenth Dynasty ...

, after discovering it in

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( ; ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies seen as originating fro ...

's book '' Moses and Monotheism''. He also expressed fondness towards

Jesus Christ Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

Death

In March 2013, Manzarek was diagnosed with a rare cancer called

cholangiocarcinoma Cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, is a type of cancer that forms in the bile ducts. Symptoms of cholangiocarcinoma may include abdominal pain, yellowish skin, weight loss, generalized itching, and fever. Light colored stoo ...

(bile duct cancer) and traveled to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

for special treatment. During that time, before his death, he reconciled with Densmore and spoke to Krieger. He also performed a private concert for his doctors and nurses. According to his manager, Manzarek was "feeling better" until things took a turn for the worse. On May 20, 2013, Manzarek died at a hospital in

Rosenheim Rosenheim () is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is an independent city located in the centre of the Rosenheim (district), district of Rosenheim (Upper Bavaria), and is also the seat of its administration. It is located on the west bank of the Inn ...

, Germany, at the age of 74. He was surrounded by his wife and brothers. Krieger said upon hearing the news of his death, "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today. I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life, and I will always miss him." Densmore said, "There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison's words. Ray, I felt totally in sync with you musically. It was like we were of one mind, holding down the foundation for Robby and Jim to float on top of. I will miss my musical brother." Greg Harris, president and CEO of the

, said in reaction to Manzarek's death, "The world of rock 'n' roll lost one of its greats with the passing of Ray Manzarek." Harris also said that "he was instrumental in shaping one of the most influential, controversial and revolutionary groups of the 1960s. Such memorable tracks as "Light My Fire", "People Are Strange" and " Hello, I Love You"—to name but a few—owe much to Manzarek's innovative playing."

Legacy

On February 12, 2016, at the

Fonda Theatre The Fonda Theatre (formerly Music Box Theatre, Guild Theatre, Fox Theatre, and Pix Theatre) is a concert venue located on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Designed in the Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, Spanish Colonial Rev ...

in Hollywood, Densmore and Krieger reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform in tribute to Manzarek and benefit Stand Up to Cancer. That day would have been Manzarek's 77th birthday. The night featured

Exene Cervenka Exene Cervenka (born Christene Lee Cervenka; February 1, 1956) is an American singer, artist, and poet. She is best known for her work as a singer in the California punk rock band X. Music career The 21-year-old Cervenka met 23-year-old m ...

and

John Doe John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used in the British, Canadian, and American legal systems, when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law ...

of the band X, Rami Jaffee of the

Foo Fighters The Foo Fighters are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Seattle in 1994. Initially founded as a one-man project by former Nirvana (band), Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl, the band comprises vocalist/guitarist Grohl, bassist Nate Mendel, gu ...

Stone Temple Pilots Stone Temple Pilots, commonly abbreviated as STP, is an American Rock music, rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1989. Originally consisting of lead vocalist Scott Weiland, guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo, and drummer :Songs ...

' Robert DeLeo,

Jane's Addiction Jane's Addiction was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1985. The band's best known line-up consisted of lead vocalist Perry Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Dave Navarro. Jane's Addicti ...

's Stephen Perkins, Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara, and Andrew Watt (among others). In April 2018, the film ''Break On Thru: A Celebration of Ray Manzarek and the Doors'' premiered at the 2018 Asbury Park Music & Film Festival. The film highlights the 2016 concert in honor of what would have been Manzarek's 79th birthday, including new footage and interviews. The film won the APMFF Best Film Feature Award at the festival.

Discography

Details are taken from

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

. The Doors Solo * '' The Golden Scarab'' (1974) * '' The Whole Thing Started with Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control'' (1974) * ''

'' (1983) * ''Love Her Madly'' (2006) Nite City * '' Nite City'' (1977) * ''Starwood Club, Los Angeles. 02/23/1977'' (1977) * '' Golden Days Diamond Nights'' (1978) With X * ''

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

'' (1980) With Piotr Bal * ''Atonal Head'' (2006) With

* " Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" (1987) With

* ''Love Lion'' (1993) * ''The Piano Poems: Live From San Francisco'' (2012) With Darryl Read * ''Freshly Dug'' (1999) With

* ''Ballads Before The Rain'' (2008) * ''Translucent Blues'' (2011) * ''Twisted Tales'' (2013) Spoken word * ''The Doors: Myth And Reality, The Spoken Word History'' (1996) With

" (2009) With poet Michael C. Ford * ''Look Each Other in The Ears''. Hen House Studio Album includes The Doors : Ray Manzarek,

, and

. 2014

Filmography

*''Love Her Madly'' (2000). Director and co-writer. *''Induction'' (1965). Actor (Ray), director, and writer. *''The Wino and the Blind Man'' (1964). Actor (blind man). *''Evergreen'' (1965). Writer and Director. *'' Deal of the Century'' (1983). Actor (Charlie Simbo). *''The Poet in Exile'' (in production).

Books

Non-Fiction * ''Light My Fire: My Life With the Doors'' (1998) Fiction * ''The Poet in Exile'' (2001) Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002 paperback: * ''Snake Moon'' (2006)

Trivia

*For director Oliver Stone's film ''

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

'' (1991), Manzarek was portrayed by

Kyle MacLachlan Kyle Merritt MacLachlan ( ; ' McLachlan, February 22, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his Emmy-nominated and Golden Globe-winning role as Dale Cooper in ''Twin Peaks'' (1990–1991, 2017) and its film prequel '' Twin Peaks: Fire ...

References

Bibliography

* * * * * *

External links

Ray Manzarek official website
*
The Doors official website
*
Ray Manzarek Interview
at NAMM Oral History Collection December 8, 2008 {{DEFAULTSORT:Manzarek, Ray 1939 births 2013 deaths American expatriates in the United Kingdom American rock keyboardists American rock singers Record producers from Illinois The Doors members Songwriters from California A&M Records artists American male singers American rock pianists American blues pianists American male jazz pianists American jazz pianists American jazz keyboardists DePaul University alumni UCLA Film School alumni Singers from Chicago People from Napa, California American people of Polish descent Deaths from cancer in Germany Deaths from cholangiocarcinoma American organists American male organists Musicians from Los Angeles Record producers from California Film directors from Los Angeles Jazz musicians from Illinois Elektra Records artists Musicians from Manhattan People from the Upper West Side 21st-century American keyboardists 20th-century American keyboardists Jazz musicians from California Jazz musicians from New York (state) Nite City members