Jim Morrison arrested for indecent exposure in Miami, September 1970

"Why'd you do it Jim?"

"I wanted to see what it looked like in the spotlight."

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Jim Morrison Explains The Miami Incident

By Jack Brummet, music editor

You may remember the "Miami Incident" if you were listening to music back in 1969 (which would also mean you're pushing 60 or >). If you weren't, you may have heard about it. My friend Frank Curran was at a Doors show in Seattle sometime later, when someone yelled "play Miami!", and Jim Morrison unloaded on Seattle (as I also heard Jimi Hendrix do in his last hometown show).

The "Miami Incident" landed Morrison in serious hot water with the FBI and the courts. On March 1, 1969, he gave a controversial performance at a Doors concert in Miami, Florida, and was later charged with public drunkenness, and various other crimes. He was specifically accused of exposing himself to the crowd, and was eventually convicted of "indecent exposure," a misdemeanor, and not the felonies he was initially charged with. He was sentenced to serve time. But he never served it; he moved to Paris and died at the age of 27.


One night later, Morrison was out with a bunch of people, and his friend Tom Baker started goading him (it was getting hostile):  "Tell us now, Mr. Jim Morrison, rock star. Tell us what happened in Miami."

Morrison glared at Baker, and drained his drink.

And, yes, he did bring a live sheep on lamb on stage.  Someone 

brought it to the show and handed it off to Morrison on stage. 

"Come on, Jim, tell us once and for all."

"Well," Morrison said in a quiet voice, "I wanted to see what it looked like in the spotlight."

The crowd burst out laughing, spraying the bar with their drinks and Jim grinned proudly.

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Governor Crist plans Jim Morrison pardon--Morrison tells how his penis ended up where it did

By Jack Brummet
Social Mores Editor

As you have probably heard, the outgoing Florida Governor, Charlie Crist, just announced that he will pardon Jim Morrison, who died 40 years ago.  Morrison was convicted of exposing himself at a raucous 1969 Doors concert in Miami.  Here is a photo of him holding a lamb at that concert.  It got far crazier after the lamb.

Everyone I've read seems to think Jim attempted to expose himself during the Miami show, but was probably prevented from doing so by band members and handlers, and--maybe--never really intended to go all the way.  He was charged with exposing his penis to the crowd, and with a felony morals charge.  He could have been imprisoned for 7 years in that notorious Florida hell-hole, Raiford Prison.  For some reason, rock critics and historians believe he did not expose himself as charged. After he was sentenced to sx months in prison, he moved to Paris, I think pending appeals, and died not long after that. 

Maybe he did.  Maybe he didn't.  In No One Here Gets Out Alive (1980, by Danny Sugerman and Jerry Hopkins), you can read The Lizard King's version of the story.  The authors write about one night Morrison was out drinking with a group of friends.  His friend Tom Baker started hectoring him about Miami. This is an excerpt from the book. I've always loved this story.

"You’re a pussy, Morrison," said Tom, baiting his friend. "You’re a ******* no-count pussy."

 Jim ignored the taunt. Frank and Babe stared into their drinks.


"Tell us now, Mr. Jim Morrison, rock star," Tom went on, a voice that traveled the length of the bar, "tell us what happened in Miami."

It was a tiresome subject for Jim. He glared at Tom, took another swallow from his drink.


"Come on, Jim, tell us once and for all."


"Yes," said Jim quietly, "I did it."

"Did what, Jim?" Tom’s voice was strident, triumphant.

"I showed my **** ."


"Why, Jim? When I showed mine in my movie, you said it wasn’t art."

"Well," Jim said in a low voice so everyone present had to strain to hear him, "I wanted to see what it looked like in the spotlight."

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My favorite Jim Morrison story: The Miami Incident

You probably remember the "Miami Incident" if you were listening to music back in 1969.  If you weren't, you may have heard about it.  My friend Frank Curran was at a Doors show in Seattle sometime later, when someone yelled "play Miami!", and Morrison unloaded on Seattle (as I also heard Jimi Hendrix do in his last hometown show).

The "Miami Incident" landed Morrison in serious hot water with the FBI and the courts.  On March 1, 1969, he gave a controversial performance at a Doors concert in Miami, Florida, and was later charged with public drunkenness, and various other crimes.  He was specifically accused of exposing himself   to the crowd, and was eventually convicted of "indecent exposure," a misdemeanor, and not the felonies he was initially charged with.  He was sentenced to serve time.  But he never served it; he moved to Paris and died at the age of 27.
One night, Morrison was out with a bunch of people, and his friend Tom Baker started goading him (it was getting hostile):

"Tell us now, Mr. Jim Morrison, rock star. Tell us what happened in Miami."

Morrison glared at Baker, and drained his drink.

"Come on, Jim, tell us once and for all."

"Well," Jim Morrison said in a quiet voice, "I wanted to see what it looked like in the spotlight."

The crowd burst out laughing, spraying the bar with their drinks and Jim grinned proudly.
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The Doors perform The End live, with lyrics

I've always liked the lyrics from select Doors' songs (usually when Jim was able to somewhat restrain the Lizard King/Mr Mojo Risin side). I especially like these chillling lines


The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall

--------------------------
The End
Music and Lyrics by The Doors


This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
Ill never look into your eyes...again

Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need...of some...strangers hand
In a...desperate land

Lost in a roman...wilderness of pain
And all the children are insane
All the children are insane
Waiting for the summer rain, yeah

Theres danger on the edge of town
Ride the kings highway, baby
Weird scenes inside the gold mine
Ride the highway west, baby

Ride the snake, ride the snake
To the lake, the ancient lake, baby
The snake is long, seven miles
Ride the snake...hes old, and his skin is cold

The west is the best
The west is the best
Get here, and well do the rest

The blue bus is callin us
The blue bus is callin us
Driver, where you taken us

The killer awoke before dawn, he put his boots on
He took a face from the ancient gallery
And he walked on down the hall
He went into the room where his sister lived, and...then he
Paid a visit to his brother, and then he
He walked on down the hall, and
And he came to a door...and he looked inside
Father, yes son, I want to kill you
Mother...i want to...fuck you

Cmon baby, take a chance with us
Cmon baby, take a chance with us
Cmon baby, take a chance with us
And meet me at the back of the blue bus
Doin a blue rock
On a blue bus
Doin a blue rock
Cmon, yeah

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

It hurts to set you free
But youll never follow me
The end of laughter and soft lies
The end of nights we tried to die
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A pre-Doors Jim Morrison acting in a public service announcement

This is a fascinating clip of Jim Morrison well before The Doors, in 1963, acting in a PSA video. Not what you might have expected from the singer who exposed himself in Miami, because he "wanted to see what it looked like in the spotlight."



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