Scarce vintage glossy 2.25 x 3.5 photo of the bearded Jim Morrison in a white shirt, apparently inside a church, signed and inscribed in ballpoint, "To Randy, J. Morrison.” In very good to fine condition, with slightly irregular trimming to the right edge, and fading to the signature and inscription, all of which remain entirely legible. Originally acquired from a collector who got it signed in Miami as Morrison was leaving his famed indecent exposure trial. Encapsulated in a PSA/DNA authentication holder.
Jim Morrison was arrested following a drunken episode during the Doors' concert at Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Florida, on March 1, 1969. The frontman arrived hours late, spoke incoherently into the microphone, cursed the audience and, after getting drenched with champagne, doffed his shirt and taunted the crowd about removing his pants. Subsequently charged with a felony (Lewd and Lascivious Behavior In Public) and three misdemeanors (Indecent Exposure, Open Profanity, and Public Drunkenness), Morrison turned himself into the FBI on April 4th.
He entered a plea of 'not guilty' in Miami on November 9th, and the trial did not begin until the following August. On September 20, 1970, a jury found him guilty of the misdemeanor charges of indecent exposure and profanity. He was released on bond the same day, sentenced on October 30th, and was released after filing an appeal. The episode and its subsequent court proceedings drained Morrison to the point where he tried to quit the Doors and retire from his rock star lifestyle. Eight months after his sentencing, Morrison was found dead of an apparent heroin overdose in an apartment in Le Marais, Paris.
Though he is best remembered as the lead singer of The Doors, Morrison’s artistic influence spanned far beyond 1960s rock and roll. By the time of his death at age 27, he had established his legacy as a master songwriter and a voice for youthful countercultures. Listed among Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, Morrison and his lyrics have inspired each new rising generation to embrace rebellion and develop its own distinct identity from the generation before it.
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