The Doors slammed shut by California Supreme Court

In a victory for the estate of the late Jim Morrison, the California Supreme Court has slammed the Doors shut.

The court denied a petition by two of the surviving members of the Doors, keyboard player Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger, to review a lower court’s decision that blocked them from touring under the name of the band that rose to fame on the Sunset Strip in the 1960s and recorded dark hits such as “Light My Fire,” “L.A. Woman,” "People Are Strange" and “Riders on the Storm.”

Manzarek and Krieger had toured with others musicians under the name the Doors of the 21st Century and had advertised their shows with images of Morrison, the decadent rock icon who died in 1971. The use of the name led to joint legal action by the Morrison family, the family of Pamela Courson (Morrison’s common-law wife, who died in 1974) and the third surviving Doors member, drummer John Densmore.

The unified front of Manzarek and Krieger has fought other battles with Densmore, especially over the use of Doors songs in television commercials.

Corporations routinely pay millions to use the signature hits of the classic-rock era in commercials but Densmore, citing the wishes of his old friend Morrison, has vetoed the idea of “renting out” the Doors songbook, even for eight-digit paydays.

That veto power — a rare attribute in rock business circles — dates back to the 1960s, when the four members of the Doors agreed that business deals would require unanimity in their ranks. The band broke up not long after Morrison’s death and today their still-lucrative music and licensing interests are controlled by a four-way partnership: the three surviving band members each have a vote while the Morrison and Courson families share the final vote.

That struggle over commercials had Densmore on his own, but when Manzarek and Krieger toured with the old hits and a new version of the Doors name, the Morrison and Courson families joined the drummer in protest. The families and Densmore also argued that the profits of that tour should have been funneled into the Doors partnership.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory W. Alarcon ruled in July 2005 that Manzarek and Krieger could not use the Doors name in any permutation without written consent from the partnership. The defendants’ appeal ended when the state’s highest court denied the petition.

Some other quarrels are still pending, but Densmore said Tuesday that he was deeply relieved. “A five-year cloud has passed over my head,” the 63-year-old musician said.

-- Geoff Boucher

Photo of the Doors by Paul Ferrara. From left, John Densmore, Ray Manzarek (standing), Jim Morrison and Robby Krieger

Comments

[mmld]

I think it is the fair thing to do, stop exploiting him