Born on this day in 1943, James Douglas Morrison, the American singer, songwriter and poet, best known as the lead vocalist of The Doors, would have turned 81. Morrison is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential frontmen in rock history. Morrison wrote or co-wrote many of the Doors' songs, including "Light My Fire", "Break On Through (To the Other Side)", "The End", "Moonlight Drive", "Wild Child", "The Soft Parade", "People Are Strange", "Hello, I Love You", "Roadhouse Blues", "L.A. Woman", and "Riders on the Storm". He recorded a total of six studio albums with the Doors, all of which sold well and received critical acclaim. Morrison was well known for improvising spoken word poetry passages while the band played live. The band's late cofounder and keyboardist Ray Manzarek said Morrison "embodied hippie counterculture rebellion. Sadly, we lost Morrison on July 3, 1971. The official cause of death was listed as heart failure, though those closest to him suggest his death was due to an accidental heroin overdose. He was 27.
In his memory, check out a few of his best video performances (above and below).