Why David Crosby disliked Jim Morrison: “He was obnoxious”
Led into success by Jim Morrison in the 1960s, The Doors remain one of the most influential rock bands of all time, almost six decades after their conception. Blending blues and psychedelic influences, they won innumerable listeners over with hits like the breezy ‘Riders on the Storm’ and the iconic ‘Light My Fire’. Morrison’s presence, too, earned them the affection of mass audiences.
A rebellious yet enthralling rock star, a talented poet and the face of a generation, Morrison remains one of the most influential figures in rock to this day, but not everyone was a fan. While Morrison may have found favour with those in the crowds and those listening on the radio, he didn’t always have the same effect on his peers. Namely, David Crosby.
Between his time with the Byrds and his work with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Crosby found his own place as a leading figure in the late 1960s scene. Although he spawned at the same time as The Doors frontman – and had similar musical interests such as psychedelia – Crosby wasn’t the biggest fan of Morrison.
In a 1998 interview, Crosby was asked if he knew Morrison, to which he responded, “I knew him. I didn’t like him.” The Crosby, Stills, and Nash singer went on to suggest that, while he knew Morrison, he spent most of his time drunk. While Crosby was willing to admit that he was “not a bad poet”, he concluded that he was an “obnoxious guy”.
Crosby’s damning words might come as a surprise to those who are more familiar with his later work in the jazz realm. By the late 1990s, Crosby had roped in his son James Raymond and Jeff Pevar for a new band called CPR, and, together, they put out a song about The Doors frontman.
Though the song was boldly named after Morrison and told his story, it wasn’t entirely complimentary towards him. Over swaying soundscapes, the trio harmonise as they tell the tale of Morrison, describing him as “mad and lonely”. According to Crosby, the reason he took the focus of the song was because he matched the “key lament of the song” – being lost.
Still, there are glimpses of understanding amidst the digs at Morrison’s personality. In slightly more sympathetic lines, the lyrics suggest that Morrison didn’t necessarily want to be lost.
The song also contains a reference to Oliver Stone’s iconic film The Doors from 1991, which focuses on Morrison’s image. “I have seen that movie,” the trio sing, “And it wasn’t like that.” Strangely, these lyrics seem to contradict Crosby’s words in the film, as he took the time to praise Val Kilmer’s performance as Morrison. Perhaps it wasn’t Kilmer’s depiction of Morrison Crosby had issues with, but Stone’s.
Crosby isn’t the only artist who had an issue with Morrison. Jimi Hendrix feuded with The Doors frontman due to their different temperaments, and Lou Reed wasn’t a big fan either. Although Morrison may not have found favour with many of his fellow songwriters, his talent perhaps overshadowed by his personality, this hasn’t stopped him from being remembered as one of the greatest frontmen in rock.
Revisit ‘Morrison’ by CPR below.