Ray Manczarek

1939 Artist

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Biography

Ray Manzarek grew up on the South Side of Chicago, and was introduced to the piano at the tender age of seven. Though he would later be electrified by the sensual strut of boogie-woogie, the raw power of the blues and the transgressive energy of rock 'n' roll, Manzarek credits the "little red book", written by John Thompson, that his first piano teacher gave him with ideas and motifs he would draw on throughout his career.

While at St. Rita high-school he began playing in a band with his brothers, Rick and Jim, earning pocket money at dances and talent shows. He continued this sideline as an economics student at DePaul University; upon graduating he moved west to attend law school at UCLA. Quickly realizing the law wasn't for him, Manzarek transferred to the UCLA film school. It was there he met his future wife, Dorothy Fujikawa.

The Doors were born in 1965, when Manzarek met fellow UCLA film student Jim Morrison on Venice Beach, California. The singer's poetry was a perfect fit for the classically trained keyboardist's musical ideas, and eventually they decided to form a band. When Robby Krieger and John Densmore came onboard as guitarist and drummer, The Doors were complete. Though several bassists auditioned for the group, none could match the bass lines provided by Manzarek's left hand. Signed to Elektra Records, The Doors released six studio albums, a live album and a compilation before Morrison's untimely demise in 1971.

Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore released two albums as a trio under the Doors moniker, with Manzarek and Krieger handling vocals. Manzarek released the solo albums "The Golden Scarab" (1973) and "The Whole Thing Started With Rock and Roll & Now It's Out Of Control" (1974) before forming the group Nite City, which invited comparisons to Mott the Hoople and Aerosmith; the quintet released its self-titled debut in 1977 and the follow-up "Golden Days Diamond Nights" the following year.

[Source: Ray Manzarek's Website]

Filmography