#5: His Venice Beach Beginnings

In early 1964, before the Gulf of Tonkin Incident spotlighted his father, Jim Morrison began studying at UCLA, deeply influenced by Antonin Artaud’s surrealism. Post-graduation, he embraced a bohemian lifestyle on Venice Beach, subsisting on canned beans and LSD while penning future hits like “Hello, I Love You”.

While meandering Venice Beach, Morrison encountered Ray Manzarek, a former UCLA classmate. Upon hearing Morrison’s poetry, Manzarek envisioned its potential for rock music, marking the birth of a partnership that would redefine the genre.