Ray Manzarek (Pianist) – Overview, Biography

Name:Ray Manzarek
Occupation: Pianist
Gender:Male
Height:184 cm (6′ 1”)
Birth Day: February 12,
1939
Death Date:May 20, 2013 (age 74)
Age: Aged 74
Birth Place: Chicago,
United States
Zodiac Sign:Aquarius

Ray Manzarek

Ray Manzarek was born on February 12, 1939 in Chicago, United States (74 years old). Ray Manzarek is a Pianist, zodiac sign: Aquarius. Nationality: United States. Approx. Net Worth: $25 Million.

Trivia

He played The Doors’ bass lines on his Fender Rhodes piano since the band didn’t have a bassist.

Net Worth 2020

$25 Million
Find out more about Ray Manzarek net worth here.

Does Ray Manzarek Dead or Alive?

As per our current Database, Ray Manzarek died on May 20, 2013 (age 74).

Physique

HeightWeightHair ColourEye ColourBlood TypeTattoo(s)
184 cm (6′ 1”) N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Before Fame

His original passion was basketball, but he quit his high school team when the coach pressed him to play the guard position instead of his preferred forward or center positions.

Biography

Biography Timeline

1956

In 1956, he matriculated at DePaul University, where he played piano in his fraternity’s jazz band (the Beta Pi Mu Combo), participated in intramural football, served as treasurer of the Speech Club, and organized a charity concert with Sonny Rollins and Dave Brubeck. He graduated from the University’s College of Commerce with a degree in economics in 1960.

1962

Following his return to the U.S., he re-enrolled in UCLA’s graduate film program in 1962, where he received a M.F.A. in cinematography in 1965. During this period, he met future wife Dorothy Fujikawa and undergraduate film student Jim Morrison. At the time, Manzarek was in a band called Rick & the Ravens with his brothers Rick and Jim. Forty days after finishing film school, thinking they had gone their separate ways, Manzarek and Morrison met by chance on Venice Beach in California. Morrison said he had written some songs, and Manzarek expressed an interest in hearing them, whereupon Morrison sang rough versions of “Moonlight Drive”, “My Eyes Have Seen You” and “Summer’s Almost Gone”. During this period, Manzarek met teenage guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore at a Transcendental Meditation lecture and recruited them for the incipient band. Densmore said, “There wouldn’t be any Doors without Maharishi.”

1966

In January 1966, the Doors became the house band at the London Fog on the Sunset Strip. According to Manzarek, “Nobody ever came in the place … an occasional sailor or two on leave, a few drunks. All in all it was a very depressing experience, but it gave us time to really get the music together.” When the Doors were fired from the London Fog, they were hired to be the house band at the Whisky a Go Go. The Doors’ first recording contract was with Columbia Records. After a few months of inactivity, they learned they were on Columbia’s drop list. At that point, they asked to be released from their contract. Following a few months of live gigs, Jac Holzman “rediscovered” the Doors and signed them to Elektra Records.

1967

Manzarek married fellow UCLA alumna Dorothy Aiko Fujikawa in Los Angeles on December 21, 1967, with Jim Morrison and his longtime companion, Pamela Courson, as witnesses. Manzarek and Fujikawa remained married until his death. They had a son, Pablo born on August 31, 1973, and three grandchildren. In the early 1970s, the Manzareks divided their time between an apartment in West Hollywood, California, and a small penthouse on New York City’s Upper West Side. They subsequently resided in Beverly Hills, California (including ten years in a house on Rodeo Drive) for several decades. For the last decade of his life, Manzarek and his wife lived in a refurbished farmhouse near Vichy Springs, California in the Napa Valley.

1974

After recording two solo albums on Mercury Records to a muted reception in 1974, Manzarek played in several groups, most notably Nite City. He recorded a rock adaptation of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana (1983; co-produced by Philip Glass), briefly played with Iggy Pop, sat in on one track on the eponymous 1987 album Echo & the Bunnymen, backed San Francisco poet Michael McClure’s poetry readings and worked on improvisational compositions with poet Michael C. Ford. He also worked extensively with Hearts of Fire screenwriter and former SRC front man Scott Richardson on a series of spoken word and blues recordings entitled “Tornado Souvenirs”. Manzarek produced the first four albums of the seminal punk band X, also contributing occasionally on keyboards.

1998

His memoir, Light My Fire: My Life with the Doors, was published in 1998. The Poet in Exile (2001) is a novel exploring the urban legend that Jim Morrison may have faked his death. Manzarek’s second novel, Snake Moon, released in April 2006, is a Civil War ghost story. In 2000, a collaboration poetry album entitled Freshly Dug was released with British singer, poet, actor and pioneer punk rocker Darryl Read. Read had previously worked with Manzarek on the Beat Existentialist album in 1994, and their last poetical and musical collaboration was in 2007 with the album Bleeding Paradise. Also in 2000, he co-wrote and directed the film Love Her Madly, which was credited to a story idea by Jim Morrison. The film was shown at the closing night of the 2004 Santa Cruz Film Festival, but otherwise received limited distribution and critical review.

2006

In 2006, he collaborated with composer and trumpeter Bal. The album that resulted, Atonal Head, is an exploration in the realm of electronica. The two musicians integrated jazz, rock, ethnic and classical music into their computer-based creations. On August 4, 2007, Manzarek hosted a program on BBC Radio 2 about the 40th anniversary of the recording of “Light My Fire” and the group’s musical and spiritual influences.

2009

In April 2009, Manzarek and Robby Krieger appeared as special guests for Daryl Hall’s monthly concert webcast Live From Daryl’s House. They performed several Doors tunes (“People Are Strange”, “The Crystal Ship”, “Roadhouse Blues” and “Break on Through (To the Other Side)”) with Hall providing lead vocals. In his last years he often sat in with local bands in the Napa County, California area, where he relocated in the early 2000s.

In 2009, Manzarek collaborated with “Weird Al” Yankovic, by playing keyboards on the single “Craigslist”, which is a pastiche of the Doors. On the day of Manzarek’s death, Yankovic published a personal video of this studio session which he said had been an “extreme honor” and “one of the absolute high points of my life”. In May 2010, Manzarek recorded with slide guitarist Roy Rogers. Their album, Translucent Blues was released in mid-2011; its lyrical content is primarily penned by songwriter/poets Jim Carroll and Michael McClure. During June through August 2011, Manzarek recorded “Breakn’ a Sweat” with DJ Skrillex and his fellow former Doors members Robby Krieger and John Densmore. In August 2013, Twisted Tales was released and dedicated to Manzarek after his passing.

2013

In March 2013, Manzarek was diagnosed with a rare cancer called cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) and traveled to Germany for special treatment. During that time he reconciled with Densmore, and he spoke to Krieger before his death. He also performed a private concert for his doctors and nurses. Manzarek was “feeling better” until it took a turn for the worse according to his manager. On May 20, 2013, Manzarek died at a hospital in Rosenheim, Germany, at the age of 74. His body was cremated. Krieger said, “I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today. I’m just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him.” Densmore said, “There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison’s words. Ray, I felt totally in sync with you musically. It was like we were of one mind, holding down the foundation for Robby and Jim to float on top of. I will miss my musical brother.”

2016

On February 12, 2016, at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, Densmore and Krieger reunited for the first time in 15 years to perform in tribute to Manzarek and benefit Stand Up to Cancer. That day would have been Manzarek’s 77th birthday. The night featured Exene Cervenka and John Doe of the band X, Rami Jaffee of the Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots’ Robert DeLeo, Jane’s Addiction’s Stephen Perkins, Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara and Andrew Watt, among others.

2018

In April 2018, the film Break On Thru: A Celebration of Ray Manzarek and the Doors premiered at the 2018 Asbury Park Music & Film Festival. The film highlights the 2016 concert in honor of what would have been Manzarek’s 77th birthday, and new footage and interviews. The film won the APMFF Best Film Feature Award at the festival.

🎂 Upcoming Birthday

Currently, Ray Manzarek is 83 years, 9 months and 20 days old. Ray Manzarek will celebrate 84th birthday on a Sunday 12th of February 2023.

Find out about Ray Manzarek birthday activities in timeline view here.

Ray Manzarek trends

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