The last I heard about American legend Jim Morrison was that the rocker went to a movie in Paris, listened to records, fell ill and died of heart failure in his bathtub at the age of 27. But the mystery about ‘The Doors’ frontman’s sudden demise have always swirled around and now 36 years later, a former Paris nightclub manager who claims to be Morris’ pal is telling another story.
In a new French-language book called ‘The End – Jim Morrison,’ by Sam Bernett, says that the rocker died of a massive heroin overdose in the toilet of a nightclub that he was managing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus club in Paris’ Left Bank and was then moved to the tub as part of an astonishing cover-up meant to deflect blame from the group of drug dealers Morrison supported.
He writes of his shock on finding Morrison’s body,
The flamboyant singer of ‘The Doors,’ the beautiful California boy, had become an inert lump crumpled in the toilet of a nightclub.
Bernett, who was in his early 20s when Morrison died in 1971, went on to become a prominent radio personality, rock biographer and a vice president of Disneyland Paris. Though reporters pestered him for years about rumors surrounding Morrison’s death, he kept his story quiet until his wife suggested writing a book last year.
Bernett said,
For me it’s a very bad memory. When we found him dead, he had a little foam on his nose, and some blood too, and the doctor said, ‘that must be an overdose of heroin’.
This is what Bernett says what actually happened to Morrison:
Bernett claims that in the early hours of July 3, 1971, Morrison showed up looking to buy heroin for his then-girlfriend Pamela Courson. After scoring and splitting for the bathroom, he failed to reappear. ‘About half an hour later, a cloakroom attendant came up to me and told me someone was locked in one of the cubicles and wasn’t coming out. I got a bouncer to smash the door down.’ He says he found Morrison’s body drooping over the toilet. ‘We were certain he’d been snorting heroin because there was foam coming out of his lips as well as blood. He was scared of needles so never injected drugs.’ Bernett brought in a customer who worked as a medic, who proclaimed Morrison dead.
At this point, Bernett says, Morrison’s dealers appeared, insisted the singer was still alive (though passed out) and carried the rocker out of the club, saying they would take care of him. Shortly thereafter, Bernett claims someone representing the club’s owner called, warning him not to tell anyone what happened.
Bernett says then-24-year-old singer Marianne Faithfull was also in the bar that night and was similarly sworn to secrecy. Bernett says, ‘Marianne never mentioned Jim again. She won’t talk about what happened in the club to this day.’
Bernett further says, ‘I want to get rid of my heavy load. At least everything is now out there to be discussed. I’ve said what I have to say.’
Now, The French authorities are taking the allegations seriously enough to consider reopening the investigation but the twenty-year statute of limitations has run out, so I wonder anybody could be prosecuted? However, action could still be taken in civil court. A spokesperson for France’s Police National said, ‘The new evidence will have to be considered.’
