Blimp Time Hop: Honoring The Doors’ Ray Manzarek On His Birthday

Legendary Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek would have been 81 today.  He was born in Chicago, Illinois on February 12, 1939. We’ll celebrate Ray on his birthday with plenty of music from the Doors on WBLM.

Let’s remember the music and mad keyboard genius of Manzarek. His right hand playing melodies with crazy fingers and his left hand pounding out the bass thunder. Everytime we listen, it's still mind-blowing.

The closest the Doors ever came to Maine was at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom on August 9, 1967.

Ray Manzarek returned to New Hampshire with the "Doors of the 21st Century" along with founding member Robby Krieger and Ian Astbury of the Cult on vocals in the summer of 2005. It is crazy how much Ian looks like Jim in this photo.

Sadly, Ray Manzarek died of cancer in May of 2013 at the age of 74. Drummer John Densmore was a guest in the BLM Studio promoting his book, The Doors Unhinged on the Saturday morning show, Psychedelic Breakfast. That was Record Store Day 4/20 2013. It was just a month later when Ray passed away.

John had this to say,

"There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison's words."

The Doors were a main attraction along with the Who and Jimi Hendrix at the Isle of Wight Festival a year after Woodstock in August of 1970. This is thought to be the final Doors concert captured on film and was released in 2018.

The video quality is beautiful and the performance is "stoned immaculate".

Enjoy and thank you, Ray from everyone in Blimpville.