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“Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free.” – Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison (1943 – 1971) was an American rock and roll legend best remembered as the rebellious lead singer of The Doors. His wild demeanour, songwriting prowess, and electrifying bass voice easily put him in the list of one of the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock music history. He was ranked number 47 on Rolling Stone‘s list of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” and was sometimes referred by other monikers such as “Lizard King” and “King of Orgasmic Rock.”
Morrison was a wide and voracious reader of the writings of philosophers and readers, especially of Friedrich Nietzsche whose views influenced much of his poetry and songs. On his high school graduation in 1961, he seized the opportunity to ask his parents for the complete works of Nietzsche as a graduation present. As a young man, he devoured classics and the works of French existentialist philosophers and contemporary writers. Yet his personality was never without rebelliousness as he would often prefer reading offbeat books in his English classes.
He went on to study film making but only because of its lack in established authorities. For the fear of being drafted to Vietnam War, he graduated from the UCLA despite his flailing interest in schooling. Just a few years after his graduation, his name became known not as a filmmaker but as an iconic lead singer of The Doors.
Morrison could have further graced the world with his talent if it weren’t for his untimely and controversial death at the age of 27.
