John Densmore
USABiography of John Densmore
John Paul Densmore, born on December 1, 1944, is a Californian musician and songwriter. He is best known for his work as the drummer for the iconic rock band 'The Doors' from 1965 to 1973. Densmore was born in Maine and studied at Santa Monica City College and California State University, Northridge.
Work with 'The Doors'
In 1965, Densmore joined 'The Doors' and played with the band until its breakup in 1973. According to Densmore's memoirs, he once left the band in response to Morrison's continuously deteriorating behavior but returned the next day. He consistently advocated for the band to stop touring, but Krieger and Manzarek did not agree. After their final concert with Morrison in New Orleans in 1970, the band came to a mutual decision to cease performing. Densmore allowed the use of the song 'Riders on The Storm' for a 'Pirelli' tire advertisement, but only in England. He later claimed to hear Jim's voice in his head, which led him to donate his earnings to charities.
Transition to Dance and Theater
Densmore left the world of rock and roll in the 1980s and decided to pursue dance. For two years, he toured across the country with the group 'Bess Snyder and Co.' In 1984, Densmore made his stage debut at the La Mama Theatre in New York, where he performed his own one-act play called 'Skins.' In 1985, he received the weekly theater award in Los Angeles for his music in Tim Robbins' play 'Methusalem.' The play 'Rounds,' which Densmore co-produced, received the theater variation of the 'NAACP' award in 1987. In 1988, he played a role in 'Band Dreams and Bebop' at the Gene Dynarski Theatre.
Later Career and Film
In 1989, Densmore developed and performed a one-man show based on the story 'The King of Jazz' at the Wallenboyd Theatre. He co-produced the production 'Be Bop A Lula' in 1992 with Adam Ant. Densmore also appeared in several television shows, including performing as a drummer for Johnny Slash's group 'Open 24 Hours' on 'Square Pegs.' He also had a number of roles in the film industry.
