This page uses content from the Ray Manzarek biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.

Raymond Daniel Manczarek or Manzarek (b. February 12, 1939) is an American musician, producer, movie director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, and the Doors of the 21st Century (renamed Riders On The Storm) since 2001.

Early life and career

Manzarek was born in Chicago, Illinois and attended St. Rita High School. He attended DePaul University for four years as an economics major before moving out West and into the Department of Cinematography at UCLA. It was there that he met another film student named Jim Morrison. At first, neither man had even thought of forming a band. Forty days after they finished film school, thinking they had gone their separate ways, they met in Venice by chance. Manzarek saw Morrison, called him over, and asked how he was doing. Morrison said he had written some songs, and Manzarek exclaimed that he wanted to hear them. Morrison then sang a rough version of "Moonlight Drive" to him. Things just fell in to place after that. In January 1966, The Doors were the house band at a club called The London Fog. 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.

The Doors' first contract was with Columbia Records. After a few months of inactivity, they found out they were on Columbia's drop list. At that point they asked to be released from their contract. After performing live gigs for a few months, they were "re-discovered" by Jac Holzman and signed to Elektra Records.

Later career and influence

Manzarek recorded a rock adaptation of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana with Philip Glass, produced Echo and the Bunnymen and Los Angeles band X, played with Iggy Pop and backed San Francisco poet Michael McClure's poetry readings.

His memoir, Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors, was published in 1998. The Poet in Exile (2001) is a novel exploring the popular rumour that Jim Morrison may have faked his death. Manzarek's second novel, Snake Moon, released in April 2006, is a Civil War ghost story.

Manzarek is regarded as one of the most influential keyboardists of rock and roll from his tenure with The Doors. He raised the level of virtuosity a keyboardist is expected to have. The Doors lacked a bassist, so Manzarek would usually play bass parts with his Fender Rhodes Piano Bass in addition to rhythm and solo support. His signature organ sound is that of the Vox Continental Electronic organ.

Trivia

• Ray's real name is Raymond Daniel Manczarek. The c was dropped in 1966 when he, Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore signed with Elektra as The Doors.

• In Oliver Stone's biopic The Doors, Manzarek was played by Kyle MacLachlan. MacLachlan's performance was the only good thing Manzarek had to say about the Oliver Stone movie.

• The Doors song "Alabama Song" was taken from a 1930s German opera called The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahoganny written by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill. In 1966, Manzarek had a record of that opera, sung by Lotte Lenya. He played the record for Jim Morrison, and at one point suggested they do a rock version of the song.

• The solos in "Light My Fire" are based on John Coltrane's "Ole" from the album Ole Coltrane. Other examples: a Thelonious Monk line from "Straight, No Chaser" in "We Could Be So Good Together", the opening organ passage of "When The Music's Over" inspired by Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man", and finally the organ solo in "Take It As It Comes" inspired by J.S. Bach. In May of 2006, at a public performance, Manzarek listed Erik Satie as an influence.

• He is famous for playing the keyboard while not looking at the keys and shaking his head throughout songs.

• In a televised interview, Manzarek advised listeners to "open the doors of consciousness... but stay away from white powder!"

• Ray is dating a young, politically involved "vixen", Cassandra Michael.

Books

• Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors (1998) ISBN 0425170454
• The Poet in Exile (2001) Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002 paperback: ISBN 1560254475
• Snake Moon (2006) ISBN 1597800414

...

External links

• Ray Manzarek's website
• Michael McClure and Ray Manzarek website
• 1998 Fresh Air with Terry Gross interview of Ray Manzarek
• Manzarek Interview from June 2005 St. Petersburg Times about the legal battle with Densmore over the use of the Doors name.

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify the biographical information on this page under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.