This article comprises 10 interesting facts you should know about the legendary, influential, charismatic, and beloved American drummer John Densmore, best known for being part of the American blues rock, psychedelic rock, and classic rock band the Doors during the 1960s and 1970s. This article is also part of a series focusing on 10 interesting facts on all Doors members. Therefore, without further needless ado, here are the 10 interesting facts you should known about John Densmore:
Legendary American drummer and percussionist John Densmore, a founding member of The Doors, photographed here in 1971 as part of a trade ad for the band’s first post-Morrison studio album (and the 7th one overall in the band’s discography) entitled Other Voices (released during that year). At that time, the Doors were a trio consisting of him, Robby Krieger on electric guitar and vocals as well as Ray Manzarek on keyboards and vocals. Image source: Wikimedia Commons
- Aside from the drums, John Densmore also took piano and clarinet lessons as a kid.
- He played in his high school’s marching band, orchestra, and dance band. He was a drummer in the marching and dance bands and a percussionist in the orchestra, performing on the timpani (alternatively known as kettledrums as well).
- He played with future Doors bandmate, the legendary and highly-creative guitarist Robby Krieger (initially a great flamenco guitarist who subsequently switched to electric guitar and became more eclectic in terms of genres and/or sub-genres), in a band called The Psychedelic Rangers.
- Before playing in The Doors, he briefly performed with Rick & The Ravens, an American surf rock band, in 1965.
- As a teenager, he was influenced by jazz, in particular by Elvin Jones (the drummer in John Coltrane’s band). He was also influenced by world music and rock and roll.
- His drumming style was also influenced by Art Blakey.
- He is also a writer, having published three books, two of them on his life as a drummer in The Doors. One of his books, Riders on the Storm, became a bestseller mentioned by The New York Times as well.
- After the tragic and mysterious death of American poet and singer Jim Douglas Morrison in Paris, France in 1971, John Densmore continued to perform with the other Doors members, Robby Krieger on guitar and Ray Manzarek on keyboards, for two more years, releasing two more studio albums, more specifically Other Voices (1971) and Full Circle (1972).
- Throughout his commending and amazing musical career, John Densmore played on the following notable drum kits: Gretsch Drum Kit (White Marine Pearl), Rogers Drum Kit (White Marine Pearl), Ludwig Downbeat Drum Kit (Mod Orange), Ludwig Downbeat Drum Kit (White Marine Pearl), Ludwig Standard Single-Six S-340 (Black Strata), or Hayman Vibrasonic Drum Kit (Gold Ingot).
- As a member of The Doors, John Densmore shares the two notable honours: the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Additional interesting fact: John is also interested in poetry, having previously recited poetry in June, 2020 during the early harsh times of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Below you can watch the legendary drummer and percussionist reciting poetry while also performing on several percussion instruments (the video was published by the official channel of The Doors):
Documentation sources and external links:
- Rick & The Ravens on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
- The Wiki page of the drummer on www.wikipedia.org (in Romanian; an article within which I also considerably contributed throughout the passage of time)
- The Wiki page of the drummer on www.wikipedia.org (in English)
- The Doors Honored With Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame on www.foxnews.com
- A Tribute To The Doors by American music journalist Ben Fong-Torres on www.grammy.com (archived through InternetArchive)