Jim Kerr on Jim Morrison

Jim Kerr, lead singer of the Scottish band Simple Minds, on the importance and influence of The Doors’ Jim Morrison - marking what would have been the iconic rock stars 80th birthday.

Making a pilgrimage to Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris where Morrison was buried shortly after his untimely death in July 1971, Jim describes the enormous impact Morrison has had on his life, from the very first time he heard The Doors' Riders on the Storm on his father’s car radio as an 11-year-old, and the immediate fascination with all aspects of Morrison’s poetry and The Doors' music that continues undimmed more than 50 years later.

Deeply affected by the intoxicating and menacing atmosphere of The Doors' music, the teenage Jim Kerr set out on a mission to find out as much as he could about the enigmatic Californian counter-cultural icons and soon discovered a small group of like minded Glaswegians, including his school friend Charlie Burchill, all of whom were fascinated by the dark drama of Morrison and his band.

The more they leaned about The Doors and their influences, the more Jim and Charlie were determined to follow The Doors' blueprint and form their own band to see how far their artistic visions could take them.

When Jim first visited Morrison’s grave in 1979, he viewed the rock legend as a young man, who had lived a dynamic, exotic life. Now, returning as a 65-year-old, Jim has a different perspective on what he views as a young man’s legacy, which he examines through the prism of his own poetry and music, featuring previously unheard Morrison poetry, studio out takes and archive interviews with the self-proclaimed Lizard King.

A Lonesome Pine production for BBC Radio 4