WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA (Rhino Entertainment) - The launch of a yearlong celebration of the 40th anniversary of The Doors, one of the most important and influential American groups in the history of rock, is set for the famed Sunset Strip on Wednesday, November 8, 2006.
Along with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum conferring historic landmark status on the Whisky a Go Go (the nightclub where The Doors first gained notoriety) and unveiling a teaser version of a Doors exhibit that will be the museum's major presentation of 2007, the evening will feature a memorial reading of Jim Morrison's poetry, by Perry Farrell and others, the debut of a retrospective coffee table book and a preview of a massive boxed set of their music.
The various activities will take place between 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Numerous invitation-only celebrity guests will be in attendance in special VIP areas, along with many key figures from The Doors' illustrious history. The evening will be emceed by Ben Fong-Torres, noted journalist, former Rolling Stone editor and co-author of upcoming book "The Doors By The Doors." Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore will be on hand to sign the Hyperion book throughout the evening for fans. Radio's 95.5 KLOS will broadcast live from the event with DJ Jim Ladd as host.
With the band's Jim Morrison omnipresent in spirit, the remaining Doors - Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore - will be honored by a plaque unveiling ceremony at the Whisky (8901 Sunset Blvd.), tentatively scheduled for 8 p.m. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame & Museum will honor The Whisky-A-Go-Go with a "Landmark Plaque" to commemorate its contribution to Rock 'N' Roll history. Significantly, this is the first such dedication of an historic locale by the Hall of Fame outside of the museum's home city of Cleveland.
Throughout the evening, each band member will also be available at three Doors - significant locations along a one-block long stretch of the Sunset Strip.
Krieger will be at the Whisky for a listening party previewing the November 21st release of "Perception" from Rhino/Elektra Records. The 12-disc (6-CD/6-DVD) boxed set presents all six of The Doors' classic studio albums expanded and remastered for the first time ever on CD; the DVDs supplement the albums with a 5.1 Surround Sound mix, a brand-new "40th Anniversary" stereo remix by original Doors co-producer/mixer Bruce Botnick, rare and unreleased audio and video tracks, a photo gallery, lyrics and discography. Outside the Whisky, event co-sponsors Panasonic and Acura will set up three of the latter's cars to play the digitally remastered Doors music in DTS 5.1 Surround Sound for the public's listening pleasure.
Next door to the Whisky, at The Cat Club (8911 Sunset Blvd., former home of The London Fog, where The Doors debuted), Manzarek will host a mini-version of "Break On Through - The Lasting Legacy Of The Doors," The Doors' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum exhibit that opens May 25, 2007 at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. The exhibit will examine the career and impact of The Doors through a display of one-of-a-kind artifacts, original manuscripts, rare concert posters, photographs and video. This is the first time the surviving members of The Doors, along with the Morrison and Courson families, have given their full blessing and cooperation to an event of this kind. Previous exhibits have headlined artists such as Elvis Presley, John Lennon and Bob Dylan.
Densmore will be at Book Soup (8818 Sunset Blvd., formerly the site of the Cinematheque 16 movie house where Morrison read poetry and performed Doors songs acoustically with Robby Krieger) to facilitate a memorial tribute reading of Jim Morrison's poetry by Perry Farrell and others.
All three surviving Doors members will also be signing copies of "The Doors By The Doors," set for release the previous day (November 7) by Hyperion. "The Doors By The Doors," the first authorized autobiography by the band, includes never-before-seen photos and exclusive interviews, co-authored by renowned rock reporter and former Rolling Stone editor Ben Fong-Torres. Book sale tables will also be at the Whisky and Cat Club, making it possible for purchasers to easily walk to the other locations to have all of the surviving Doors sign the book - and make what will certainly be an historic event in rock even more memorable.
