Today is a sad day in the world of rock n’ roll music. Ray Manzarek, the keyboardist for the Doors has passed away today. Ray Manzarek was an important member of the Doors because he was the one who started the band himself and wrote most of the Doors song catalog. The formation of the Doors all started when Ray first met Jim Morrison on Venice Beach in California where the two met for the very first time. Jim had written some songs and Ray wanted to hear them so Jim sang them to him. Ray loved them too much that he wanted to form a band with Jim. Then they met drummer Jon Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger later on. Ever since Ray’s first meeting with Jim, the two have been best friends ever since. When the Doors first formed, they didn’t have a bass player and didn’t know where to find one, so Ray used his piano for the bass lines, and he used an organ as well.

The Doors have made a total of 9 successful studio albums and have made tons of radio hits: “Break On Through The Other Side”, “L.A. Woman”, “Riders On the Storm, “People Are Strange”, “The End”, “Moonlight Drive”, etc.

After the Doors broke up in 1973, a few years after Jim Morrison’s death, Ray Manzarek brought the Doors back (minus, Jim Morrison, of course) in 2000 for a special VH1 Storytellers performance where they would have a variety of special guest singers from Ian Astbury, Travis Meeks, Scott Weiland, Scott Stapp, and others.

This is a real shame, and this passing devastates me, ’cause I’m a huge fan of the Doors. The Doors happened because of Ray, there wouldn’t be a Jim Morrison without him. I’ve listened to the Doors for years, and they were an inspiration for my own music as well. Ray was a genius of a pianist and keyboardist. He really was proud of the Doors music and loved what he did which is part of why he got my respect. He may have not gotten along well with the surviving members of the Doors over the years, but he was a talented musician no matter what you think of him. I’m sure Ray will be up in heaven with Jim now. There are two members of the Doors left; they are Robby and Jon. This really sucks. The music world lost another great one. Ray Manzarek died of cancer at a hospital in Germany, he was 74 years old.

Kev