On This Day, Dec. 1, 1944: The Doors drummer John Densmore is born

On This Day, Dec. 1, 1944…

John Paul Densmore, drummer of the rock band The Doors, was born in Los Angeles, California.

Densmore co-founded The Doors in 1965 along with frontman Jim Morrison, guitarist Robby Kreiger and keyboardist Ray Manzarek. They released their self-titled debut in 1967, which featured their breakthrough single “Light My Fire.” Both the album and the song were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

The Doors released six studio albums and in addition to “Light My Fire,” are known for such classic tunes as “L.A. Woman,” “Riders on the Storm,” “Break on Through (To the Other Side),” “Hello, I Love You” and more.

Following the 1971 death of Morrison, Densmore has been the member of the band to veto any attempts to license The Doors’ music for commercial purposes. He even went to court to protect the use of the band’s name and music. Densmore also teamed with the Morrison estate to stop Kreiger and Manzarek from touring under The Doors’ name.

Densmore was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Doors in 1993.

Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.