The Doors’ John Densmore Answers If The Doors Are Pop, Speaks On His Point Of View Of Jim Morrison’s Addiction & More

On Wednesday, November 12th, John Densmore, drummer of iconic short-lived band The Doors, sat down in conversation with The New Yorker’s Naomi Fry for a live recording of a podcast. Really?? The Doors? a new Talkhouse series produced by Jody Avirgan and hosted by Naomi Fry, recorded the episode with guest John Densmore unpacking the enduring legacy of one of rock’s most mythic bands live at KCRW.

Across six episodes—including a live recording in Los Angeles at On Air Fest LA at KCRW on November 12th—Naomi will blend one-on-one conversations, group discussions, and a special talk with The Doors’ drummer John Densmore. The series was created by Noah Chernin and is produced by Jody Avirgan (30 for 30, What Now? with Trevor Noah).

Attendees were treated to a few finger food snacks and were able to purchase drinks at a bar before entering the recording studio. At 7:30 p.m., guests were allowed to enter the studio and sit in for a special live taping of the new Talkhouse series. Host Jody Avirgan and drummer John Densmore took their seats centre stage in front. Densmore addressed the drum he carried in and joked that he would play it if he wished to skip a question or comment.

The taping took only 40 minutes, but the insights in to Densmore’s thoughts and experiences as the drummer of such an iconic band, The Doors, were captivating. Avirgan read a quote from a previous guest, and Densmore reacted and responded to what was said in previously recorded episodes.

In a previous episode, Lucinda Williams stated, “That’s the genius of what they did. Nobody would have thought of them as pop song writers, but the definition of a pop song is if there is a wide spread appeal to it. So, yeah, they were pop songwriters.” Densmore instantly chuckled at the idea of The Doors being pop artists. The legendary drummer explained how the band had steered away from anything mainstream; they rejected the idea of selling out, but agreed with the definition of pop being popular.

There were a few moments when Densmore fondly reminisced about working with the insanely talented Jim Morrison. Densmore recalled the band’s songwriting sessions, having to work around Morrison’s vision of lyrics and melodies. He pointed out that any other band would have worked on a rhythm and beat before anything else. Later on, Densmore transported everyone in the room back to a fond memory of him playing the drums and being mesmerized by Morrison working the stage. “I’m not into guys, but sometimes I couldn’t even look at Jim,” said Densmore. “[He] looked like Michelangelo’s David. Whoa.”

Densmore also shared that he had rashes for years due to the stress of being in a band with a frontman dealing with alcoholism. He told the audience about throwing his drum sticks and quitting in the middle of a recording session and then returning the next day as if nothing had happened, with no reaction from the rest of the band. The recording session ended with Densmore performing a poem. He grabbed a mic stand and his Native American drum in his hand. He performed an excerpt from Morrison’s poem “American Prayer.”