The Doors Owe $5 Million to Densmore, Morrison Estate
The Doors’ Ray Manzarek and Robby Kreiger will have to pay $5 million to drummer John Densmore and the parents of Jim Morrison and Pamela Courson, Morrison’s widow, as the legal battle between the former band members finally reached its conclusion. The lawsuit started in 2003, when Densmore sued his band mates after they “improperly invoked The Doors’ name and images” when Kreiger and Manzarek toured as “The Doors of the 21st Century.” Densmore didn’t object to the duo playing Doors music when they toured, he just asked they not use the name, logo or any Morrison-era imagery, which the duo eventually did. This isn’t the first time the surviving members of the Doors have disagreed since the band splintered. Densmore routinely rejects the Doors music from being used for commercial purposes — each member has equal veto power over business deals — denying possible deals with Cadillac and Apple, which the other two members approved of. “Morrison had been adamant against doing commercials and Densmore wanted to honor Morrison’s memory,” the appeals court said in its ruling.
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