Ray Manzarek

Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. (né Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American musician, singer, producer, film director, and author, best known as a member of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, which he co-founded with singer and lyricist Jim Morrison. Manzarek was notable for performing on a keyboard bass during many live shows and some recordings, taking on a role usually filled by a bass guitar player.

Ray Manzarek
Manzarek in 1971
Born
Raymond Daniel Manczarek Jr.

(1939-02-12)February 12, 1939
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
DiedMay 20, 2013(2013-05-20) (aged 74)
Rosenheim, Germany
OccupationMusician, producer, songwriter, filmmaker
Years active1959–2013
Spouse(s)
Dorothy Aiko Fujikawa
(
m. after 1967)
Children1
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsKeyboards, Vocals
LabelsElektra
Associated acts
Website

Manzarek recorded on every track of all eight Doors studio albums, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. He was a co-founding member of Nite City from 1977 to 1978, and of Manzarek–Krieger from 2001 until his death in 2013. USA Today defined 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 Helena (1918–2012) and Raymond Manczarek Sr. (1914–1987), and was of Polish descent.[1][2] Growing up, he took private piano lessons from Bruno Michelotti and others. He originally wanted to play basketball, but he wanted to play only power forward or center. When he was sixteen his coach insisted either he play guard or not at all and he quit the team. Manzarek said later if it was not for that ultimatum, he might never have been with The Doors. He went to Everett Elementary School on South Bell Street and attended St. Rita of Cascia High School.[3]

In 1956, he matriculated at DePaul University, 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 and Dave Brubeck. He graduated from the University's College of Commerce with a degree in economics in 1960.[4]

In the fall of 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 altogether after breaking up with a girlfriend.[5] Although he attempted to enlist in the Army Signal Corps as a camera operator on a drunken lark during a visit to New York City, he was instead assigned to the highly selective Army Security Agency as a prospective intelligence analyst in Okinawa and then Laos. While in the Army, Manzarek played in various musical ensembles and first smoked and grew cannabis. However, because he wanted to eventually visit Poland, he refused to sign the requisite security clearance and was discharged as a private first class after several months of undesignated duty. According to Britt Leach, a fellow Army Security Agency enlistee, Manzarek "had collected an entire duffel bag" of cannabis specimens during his service in Laos; this may have been used to fund his subsequent graduate education.[6]

The Doors

Following his return to the United States, he re-enrolled in UCLA's graduate film program in 1962, where he received a M.F.A. in cinematography in 1965.[7][8] During this period, he met future wife Dorothy Fujikawa and undergraduate film student Jim Morrison. At the time, Manzarek was in a band called Rick & the Ravens with his brothers Rick and Jim.[9] 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". Manzarek liked the songs and co-founded The Doors with Morrison at that moment.

During this period, Manzarek met teenage guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore at a Transcendental Meditation lecture and recruited them for the incipient band. Densmore said, "There wouldn't be any Doors without Maharishi."[10]

From left to right, Densmore, Krieger, Manzarek and Morrison in a publicity photo from 1966

In January 1966, The Doors became the house band at the London Fog on the Sunset Strip. 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." The same day The Doors were fired from the London Fog, they were hired to be the house band of the Whisky a Go Go.[11]

The Doors' first recording contract was with Columbia Records. 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.[12]

The Doors lacked a bass guitarist (except during recording sessions), so at live performances Manzarek played the bass parts on a Fender Rhodes Piano Bass. His signature sound was that of the Vox Continental combo organ, an instrument used by many other psychedelic rock bands of the era. He later used a Gibson G-101 Kalamazoo combo organ (which looks like a Farfisa) because the Continental's plastic keys frequently broke.

During the Morrison era, Manzarek was the group's regular backing vocalist. He occasionally sang lead, as exemplified by covers of Muddy Waters's "Close To You" (released on 1970s 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"). 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
Manzarek in March 2006, performing in the Netherlands

After recording two solo albums on Mercury Records to a muted reception in 1974, Manzarek played in several groups, most notably Nite City.[11] He recorded a rock adaptation of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana (1983; co-produced by Philip Glass), briefly played with Iggy Pop, sat in on one track on the eponymous 1987 album Echo & the Bunnymen, backed San Francisco poet Michael McClure's poetry readings and worked on improvisational compositions with poet Michael C. Ford.[13] He also worked extensively with Hearts of Fire screenwriter and former SRC front man Scott Richardson[14] on a series of spoken word and blues recordings entitled "Tornado Souvenirs".

Manzarek produced the first four albums of the seminal punk band X,[15] also contributing occasionally on keyboards.[16]

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

Manzarek at the Bospop festival, Weert 2010, the Netherlands

Also in 2000, he co-wrote and directed the film Love Her Madly,[17] which was credited to a story idea by Jim Morrison.[18] The film was shown at the closing night of the 2004 Santa Cruz Film Festival,[19] but otherwise received limited distribution and critical review.

In 2006, he collaborated with composer and trumpeter Bal. The album that resulted, Atonal Head, is an exploration in 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 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's monthly concert webcast Live From Daryl's House. They performed several Doors tunes ("People Are Strange", "The Crystal Ship", "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, California area, where he relocated in the early 2000s.[20]

In 2009, Manzarek collaborated with "Weird Al" Yankovic, by playing keyboards on the single "Craigslist", which is a pastiche of The Doors.[21] 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".[22] Manzarek was a co-producer on a few tracks for Universal Recording artist Michael Barber. A track appeared on the Internet, titled "Be Ok", on Barber's Universal Records debut. In May 2010, Manzarek recorded with slide guitarist Roy Rogers in Studio D in Sausalito, California. Their album, Translucent Blues, released in mid-2011, was ranked No. 3 on the Top 100 Roots Rock Albums of 2011 by The Roots Music Report.[23]

In June – August 2011, Manzarek recorded "Breakn' a Sweat" with DJ Skrillex and his fellow former Doors members Robby Krieger and John Densmore. In August 2013, Twisted Tales was released and dedicated to Manzarek after his passing. The unlikely musical duo of Manzarek and Roy Rogers, Manzarek-Rogers Band, for eight years substantiated the concept "opposites attract" since the latter is perceived for slide guitar and delta blues. The lyrical content is primarily penned by songwriter/poets Jim Carroll and Michael McClure.[24]

Personal life, death and legacy

Manzarek married fellow UCLA alumna Dorothy Aiko Fujikawa in Los Angeles on December 21, 1967, with Jim Morrison and his longtime companion, Pamela Courson, as witnesses. Manzarek and Fujikawa remained married until his death. They had a son, Pablo born in August 31, 1973, and three grandchildren.[15] In the early 1970s, the Manzareks divided their time between an apartment in West Hollywood, California and a small penthouse on New York City's Upper West Side.[25] They subsequently resided in Beverly Hills, California (including ten years in a house on Rodeo Drive) for several decades.[25] For the last decade of his life, Manzarek and his wife lived in a refurbished farmhouse near Vichy Springs, California in the Napa Valley.[26]

In March 2013, Manzarek was diagnosed with a rare cancer called cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and traveled to Germany for special treatment. During that time he reconciled with John Densmore, and he spoke to Robby Krieger before his death. He also performed a private concert for his doctors and nurses. Manzarek was "feeling better" until it took a turn for the worse according to his manager. On May 20, 2013, Manzarek died at a hospital in Rosenheim, Germany, at the age of 74.[27][28] His body was cremated. Robby Krieger said, "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."[28] John 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."[29]

Greg Harris, president and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said in reaction to Manzarek's death that "The world of rock 'n' roll lost one of its greats with the passing of Ray Manzarek."[30] Harris also said that "he was instrumental in shaping one of the most influential, controversial and revolutionary groups of the '60s. 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."[31] At 9:31 on May 21, The Whisky a Go Go and other clubs where the Doors played dimmed their lights in his memory. An invitation-only memorial service was held on June 9 in the Napa Opera House.

On February 12, 2016, at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, John Densmore and Robby 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 and John Doe of the band X, Rami Jaffee of the Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots' Robert DeLeo, Jane's Addiction'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 was premiered at the 2018 Asbury Park Music & Film Festival. The film highlights the 2016 concert in honor of what would have been Manzarek's 77th birthday, and new footage and interviews. The film won the APMFF Best Film Feature Award at the festival.[32]

Discography

The Doors
Main article: The Doors discography

Solo

Nite City

With Piotr Bal

With Echo & the Bunnymen

With Michael McClure
  • Love Lion (1993)
  • The Piano Poems: Live From San Francisco (2012)

With Darryl Read
  • Freshly Dug (1999)

With Roy Rogers
  • Ballads Before The Rain (2008)
  • Translucent Blues (2011)
  • Twisted Tales (2013)

Spoken word
  • The Doors: Myth And Reality, The Spoken Word History (1996)

With "Weird Al" Yankovic

With poet Michael C. Ford

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).
gollark: You also had a week more than me.
gollark: I assume 1.16 has cooler stuff going on.
gollark: It's kind of overdone nowadays.
gollark: I haven't tried it.
gollark: Nothing. I was just mentioning it.

References
  1. "Doors Legend Doors In". The Warsaw Voice. Warsawvoice.pl. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  2. "Ray Manzarek Bio - Ray Manzarek Career". Mtv.com. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  3. Manzarek, Ray (1998). Light My Fire. New York: Berkley Boulevard Books. ISBN 0-425-17045-4.
  4. Jane Connelly. "DePaul's musical history: Ray Manzarek and The Doors | Newsline | DePaul University | A Publication for Faculty and Staff". Depaulnewsline.com. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  5. Gillian G. Gaar. The Doors: The Illustrated History. Books.google.com. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  6. "In the Army with Ray". Hot Metal Bridge. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  7. "Co-Founder of The Doors Ray Manzarek has passed away | UCLA School of TFT". Tft.ucla.edu. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  8. Ray Manzarek (October 15, 1999). Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors. Books.google.com. p. 83. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  9. Fricke, David (June 20, 2013). "Ray Manzarek of the Doors". Rolling Stone (1185): 26.
  10. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Obituary, Rolling Stone, March 6, 2008, p. 16
  11. Goldstein, Patrick. "Nite City: The Dark Side of L.A." Archived July 9, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Creem (September 1977). Retrieved May 15, 2008
  12. Fong-Torres, Ben; The Doors (2006). The Doors. Hyperion. p. 58. ISBN 1-4013-0303-X.
  13. Ray Manzarek and Michael C. Ford at Hen House Studios, video
  14. "Hearts of Fire (1987)". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  15. "Ray Manzarek, the Doors' keyboardist, dies at 74". Los Angeles Times. May 20, 2013.
  16. "Los Angeles - X | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  17. "Love Her Madly". IMDb. Retrieved December 21, 2013.
  18. Love Her Madly credits; IMDb. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  19. Sarah Phelan, 'Madly', Deeply; Metro Santa Cruz, May 19–26, 2004. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
  20. The buttercream Gang with guest Ray Manzarek on YouTube. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  21. Yankovic, Al. Alpocalypse at Allmusic, credits at AllMusic. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  22. Yankovic, Al (May 20, 2013). Ray Manzarek plays "Weird Al" Yankovic's "Craigslist" (A/V stream). YouTube. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  23. "The No. 1 Independent, International Music Charts in the World – Music News, Reviews, & More. Helping the Music Artist along with Radio Stations and Record Labels". Roots Music Report. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  24. "Slide guitarist Roy Rogers talks 'Twisted Tales' final album with Ray Manzarek". Axs.com. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
  26. "Rock 'n' roll retreat / The Doors' Ray Manzarek and his wife savor life in Wine Country". Sfgate.com. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  27. "Ray Manzarek, Founding Member of The Doors, Passes Away at 74". The Doors Property, LLC. May 20, 2013. Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  28. "Keyboardist Ray Manzarek of The Doors dies at age 74". Reuters. May 13, 2013. Retrieved May 20, 2013.
  29. "John Densmore on TwitLonger". TwitLonger. May 20, 2013.
  30. Lewis, Randy (May 20, 2013). "Ray Manzarek dies at 74; the Doors' keyboardist". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  31. Cava, Marco della (May 20, 2013). "Ray Manzarek's keyboards opened musical doors". USA Today. Retrieved February 3, 2015.
  32. "Asbury Park Music Film Festival Winners". thedoors.com.

Further reading
  • Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors (1998) ISBN 0-425-17045-4
  • The Poet in Exile (2001) Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002 paperback: ISBN 1-56025-447-5
  • Snake Moon (2006) ISBN 1-59780-041-4
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.