Jim Morrison’s Florida Roots

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Did you know … legendary Doors lead singer Jim Morrison was born in Melbourne, Florida, on December 8, 1943; attended both St. Petersburg Junior College and Florida State University in the early 1960s; was arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior, indecent exposure, open profanity and drunkenness after an infamous Doors concert at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami on March 1, 1969; and was posthumously pardoned by the State of Florida in December 2010?

Light My Fire

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“I knew Jim Morrison, in film school; he came to my house once–this was before he’d had a record out–with some acetates, demos, asking if I could help. I tried; I didn’t get anywhere. But the idea of using the Doors [in Apocalypse Now] came from ‘Light My Fire.’ That was from Milius: Kurtz’ people would play ‘Light My Fire’ through their loud­speakers, to jazz themselves up. In the end, there’s a battle, and North Vietnamese regulars come charging in to ‘Light My Fire.’ I went to the Philippines with that ending!” – Francis Ford Coppola, Rolling Stone interview, November 1, 1979