Jim Morrison's Lewd Show, Plus More Outrageous Rock Moments

It was exactly 41 years ago tonight that a very inebriated Jim Morrison took the stage at Miami's Dinner Key Auditorium, mumbled his way through a couple songs by the Doors, and propositioned a frustrated audience of 13,000 with the infamous line, "Do you wanna see my cock?" What happened next is rock & roll history: Morrison, who boozed heavily prior to the incident at a pair of airports on his way to the show, allegedly flashed the audience for a fraction of a second — but it was a moment that continues to resonate four decades later.

The subsequent media outrage resulted in the Miami D.A. charging Morrison with a felony count of "lewd and lascivious" behavior, plus three misdemeanor counts including indecent exposure and being shit-faced onstage. It wasn't until a month later that Morrison finally surrendered to the charges. Over a year after the incident, Morrison was ultimately found guilty of two of the misdemeanors but escaped the felony charge, and was later sentenced to six months and 60 days of hard labor. After appealing the sentence, Morrison, on bail, went to Paris, where he passed away in July 1971, the charges against him never resolved. For more on the Lizard King's trial, which featured some in-depth testimony regarding Morrison's trousers, check out the Smoking Gun.

To pay tribute to one of the most outrageous onstage antics in rock, Rolling Stone looks back at some more infamous concert moments, from Ozzy's bat-biting to Jimi's legendary guitar-lighting ceremony. Also, be sure to check our gallery of great moments in the history of Crotch Rock.

Ozzy Osbourne decapitates a bat with his mouth.

L7 toss a tampon at Reading 1992

Jimi Hendrix lights his guitar on fire at Monterey Pop.

• 
  MUSIC 100 Greatest Debut Albums
• 
  MOVIES 'Star Trek' Is Crazy Good
• 
  TV 10 Shows to Watch This Summer
• 
  POLITICS No Price Big Banks Can't Fix

Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

More Song Stories entries »

Twitter