On This Day, July 3, 1971: Jim Morrison dies at the age of 27

Thursday, July 3, 2025 at 11:00 AM

On This Day, July 3, 1971 ...

The Doors frontman Jim Morrison was found dead in a bathtub in his apartment in Paris, France. He was discovered by his girlfriend, Pamela Courson.

Morrison was 27 at the time of his death, with the official cause of death listed as heart failure, although there have been conspiracy theories surrounding his death for years.

He was buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where both Oscar Wilde and Édith Piaf are buried. The location has since become a tourist attraction.

Morrison co-founded The Doors with Ray Manzarek in July 1965. Drummer John Densmore joined in August of that year, followed by guitarist Robby Krieger.

The band released their self-titled debut in January 1967, containing future classics “Light My Fire” and “Break on Through (To the Other Side)." “Light My Fire” has since been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, with the album chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2015.

The Doors went on to sell over 34 million records worldwide and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.