The Lizard King: The Essential Jim Morrison

by Jerry Hopkins

Overview

Back in print, The Lizard King chronicles the life and death of one of the most irresistibly enigmatic figures in the history of rock: The Doors' infamous frontman Jim Morrison.

Poet, shaman, Dionysian drunk, and druggie, Doors lead singer Jim Morrison quickly achieved cult status after his death in 1971. In The Lizard King, Jerry Hopkins reassesses Jim Morrison's life and provides fresh insights into this powerful and troubled talent, considering him as a human being rather than the myth he has become. At the heart of the book is a series of interviews with Morrison by journalists Ben Fong-Torres, John Tobler, Richard Goldstein, and others. Published uncut, they present a previously unseen Morrison: articulate, intelligent, witty, even self-deprecating. Hopkins includes updates on the people the "erotic politician" left behind.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780859654401
Publisher:	Plexus Publishing, Limited
Publication date:	02/09/2010
Edition description:	Third Edition
Pages:	312
Sales rank:	1,098,512
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.80(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jerry Hopkins co-authored No One Here Gets Out Alive — the five-million copy bestseller, which was on the New York Times bestseller list for over nine months.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

The Biography
I THE CHILD
II THE SCHOLAR
III THE POET
IV THE ROCK STAR
V THE DRUNK
VI THE EXILE
VII WEIRD SCENES INSIDE THE GOLDMINE


The Interviews

LOS ANGELES FREE PRESS
John Carpenter, Summer 1968

WNET TV ‘CRITIQUE’
Richard Goldstein, Spring 1969

ROLLING STONE
Jerry Hopkins, Spring 1969

ZIGZAG
John Tobler, Autumn 1970

CIRCUS
Salli Stevenson, Winter 1970

LOS ANGELES FREE PRESS
Bob Chorush, Spring 1971

ROLLING STONE
Ben Fong Torres, Spring 1971

CREEM
Lizze James, Autumn 1969

THE VILLAGE VOICE
Howard Smith, Winter 1970


LAST WORDS

Acknowledgements

Editorial Reviews

'A refreshing addition to the already large shelf of books about the Doors and their lead singer. Neither mythmaker nor debunker, Hopkins views Morrison as a talented yet disturbed person, easy to dislike but impossible to dismiss. In particular Morrison fans will welcome the most vivid descriptions of the star's death ever published, an unusually sensitive treatment of his first wife, Pam Courson, and a previously unpublished interview ... His polished style and sense of balance, evident throughout, add luster to this well-explored subject.' —Publishers Weekly

'It seems appropriate that Hopkins, who co-authored No One Here Gets Out Alive, offered the first mainstream Morrison biography and the basis for Oliver Stone's 1991 film The Doors ... Hopkins hits all the biographical high-water marks and provides new information regarding Morrison's family, the infamous Miami trial and, most importantly, Morrison's death, which was ambiguously treated in the previous book. Ultimately, the explication of the man who would be Lizard King is best left to Morrison himself, and the collection of seven interviews that follow the narrative yields the most insight ... this is a solid contribution to the burgeoning Morrison/Doors canon.' —Library Journal

'Hopkins, the coauthor of the five-million-copy bestseller No One Here Gets Out Alive, presents startling new material he has unearthed about Jim Morrison, notorious lead singer of The Doors. Hopkins now reassesses Morrison's life and death and provides insights on Morrison the human being.' —Ingram

From the Publisher

``He was rolling along, drunk much of the time, putting himself out there, pretty much letting life happen to him,'' writes Hopkins of rock star Morrison (1943-1971) in this refreshing addition to the already large shelf of books about The Doors and their lead singer. Neither mythmaker nor debunker, Hopkins ( No One Here Gets Out Alive ) views Morrison as a talented yet disturbed person, easy to dislike but impossible to dismiss. In particular Morrison fans will welcome the most vivid descriptions of the star's death ever published, an unusually sensitive treatment of his first wife, Pam Coruson, and a previously unpublished interview. Hopkins also dispels the rumors about Morrison's possible survival and describes the making of the Oliver Stone film that sparked a resurgence of The Doors' popularity. His polished style and sense of balance, evident throughout, add luster to this well-explored subject. Photos not seen by PW. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

It seems appropriate that Hopkins, who coauthored No One Here Gets Out Alive ( LJ 9/15/80), offered the first mainstream Morrison biography and the basis for Oliver Stone's 1991 film The Doors . This effort, Hopkins assures us, is not a No One Here Gets Out Alive reclamation project, but rather ``another attempt to capture, and perhaps get closer to explaining, the mystery and the mystique.'' Hopkins hits all the biographical high-water marks and provides new information regarding Morrison's family, the infamous Miami trial, and, most importantly, Morrison's death, which was ambiguously treated in the previous book. However, Hopkins's big kicker--that Morrison died of a heroin overdose--was previously espoused in Patricia Kennealy's Strange Days ( LJ 3/15/92). Ultimately, the explication of the man who would be Lizard King is best left to Morrison himself, and the collection of seven interviews that follow the narrative yields the most insight. For larger popular music collections, this is a solid contribution to the burgeoning Morrison/Doors canon.--Barry X. Miller, Austin P.L., Tex.

Library Journal