On a fateful Thursday morning, a fire broke out in a historic downtown Los Angeles edifice, leaving it heavily damaged. This wasn’t just any building; it was a renowned landmark, immortalized as the backdrop of an album cover for the iconic rock band, The Doors.
Previously, the building served as a transient hotel, better known as the Morrison Hotel. It was here that the cover photo for The Doors’ fifth album, aptly named after the hotel and frontman Jim Morrison, was taken. Acclaimed rock photographer, Henry Diltz, captured the image unexpectedly in December 1969. The album was later released by Elektra in February 1970, a year before the untimely demise of Jim Morrison at only 27.
When reminiscing about the photo session, Diltz recalled on Facebook, “On December 17th, 1969, we were snapping photos for the Morrison Hotel album cover. We found ourselves at a transient hotel on Hope Street in Downtown LA. The Doors, lacking formal permission for the shoot, seized a quiet moment in the hotel lobby to quickly take their positions behind the window.”
Trending on Variety
VIP+
In more recent times, the building, situated near the intersection of Pico Boulevard and Hope Street, has been utilized as a training site by the Los Angeles Fire Department. There were plans in place to repurpose the building into affordable housing.
Unfortunately, these plans have been scuppered, as the building was red-tagged following a fire that started around 11 a.m. PT on that fateful Thursday. According to KTLA-TV Los Angeles, it required the efforts of 17 fire companies and approximately 90 minutes to contain the blaze.
The “Morrison Hotel” album is characterized by its raw, gritty sound, mirroring the tough environment of the hotel near Los Angeles’ Skid Row. The album kicks off with the boisterous “Roadhouse Blues” and features other fan-favorites like “Peace Frog,” “Waiting for the Sun” and “Ship of Fools.”
Credit: variety.com
