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Miami Herald
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Jim Morrison's Long-Lost Bust Found By Chance in Police Raid
A bust of iconic rock singer Jim Morrison has been recovered nearly four decades after it was stolen from the Paris cemetery where he is buried. The sculpture from the grave at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris was recovered during a police search of a property that was linked to an unrelated fraud case, according to the French capital's prosecutor's office, which Newsweek has contacted for comment. The influence of Jim Morrison and his Los Angeles band The Doors has spanned generations since their heyday in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Morrison died aged 27 in the French capital in mysterious circumstances and four and a half decades later, his grave remains a pilgrimage site for fans. The sculpture of Morrison was made by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin and had been placed at the grave to mark the tenth anniversary of his death in 1981, only to go missing seven years later. The Criminal Investigation Department of the Paris Police Prefecture (DPJ-PP) said onInstagram that the bust of Morrison, "stolen in 1988 from the Père Lachaise cemetery" had been found. The message was next to an image of the heavily graffitied and now recovered object weighing 250 pounds, which did not appear to have been damaged. The bust was found by the financial and anti-corruption brigade of the judicial police department of the police, the Agence France-Presse reported. The post prompted a range of comments expressing surprise and happiness. "Let's hope that it will end up in a museum, or even better, back in its original place," posted one user. Another wrote, "Bravo." Morrison was foud dead in a bathtub in Paris on July 3, 1971. He had journeyed to the city shortly after recording "L.A. Woman," which was released in April to commercial success. Heart failure was given as the official cause of death. Because it was deemed natural causes, an autopsy was not performed before Morrison was buried. His final moments have been shrouded in mystery. The Criminal Investigation Department of the Paris Police Prefecture: "It was a chance discovery during a search carried out in connection with a case of fraud that led to the recovery of the bust." It appears a decision has not yet been made whether the bust will be returned to its original sitting spot with Benoît Gallot, curator of the Père-Lachaise cemetery, telling Figaro that he has not been contacted by the police. Related Articles Untimely Death: Still a Great Career Move 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Jim Morrison's Long-Lost Bust Found By Chance in Police Raid
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A bust of iconic rock singer Jim Morrison has been recovered nearly four decades after it was stolen from the Paris cemetery where he is buried. The sculpture from the grave at Pere Lachaise cemetery in Paris was recovered during a police search of a property that was linked to an unrelated fraud case, according to the French capital's prosecutor's office, which Newsweek has contacted for comment. This image from September 19, 2016 shows Jim Morrison's grave at 'Pere Lachaise' cemetery in Paris, France. This image from September 19, 2016 shows Jim Morrison's grave at 'Pere Lachaise' cemetery in Paris, It Matters The influence of Jim Morrison and his Los Angeles band The Doors has spanned generations since their heyday in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Morrison died aged 27 in the French capital in mysterious circumstances and four and a half decades later, his grave remains a pilgrimage site for fans. What to Know The sculpture of Morrison was made by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin and had been placed at the grave to mark the tenth anniversary of his death in 1981, only to go missing seven years later. The Criminal Investigation Department of the Paris Police Prefecture (DPJ-PP) said onInstagram that the bust of Morrison, "stolen in 1988 from the Père Lachaise cemetery" had been found. Un buste de Jim Morrison, volé sur sa tombe du Père-Lachaise en 1988, vient d'être retrouvé par hasard ➡️ — LCI (@LCI) May 18, 2025 The message was next to an image of the heavily graffitied and now recovered object weighing 250 pounds, which did not appear to have been damaged. The bust was found by the financial and anti-corruption brigade of the judicial police department of the police, the Agence France-Presse reported. The post prompted a range of comments expressing surprise and happiness. "Let's hope that it will end up in a museum, or even better, back in its original place," posted one user. Another wrote, "Bravo." Morrison was foud dead in a bathtub in Paris on July 3, 1971. He had journeyed to the city shortly after recording "L.A. Woman," which was released in April to commercial success. Heart failure was given as the official cause of death. Because it was deemed natural causes, an autopsy was not performed before Morrison was buried. His final moments have been shrouded in mystery. What People Are Saying The Criminal Investigation Department of the Paris Police Prefecture: "It was a chance discovery during a search carried out in connection with a case of fraud that led to the recovery of the bust." What Happens Next It appears a decision has not yet been made whether the bust will be returned to its original sitting spot with Benoît Gallot, curator of the Père-Lachaise cemetery, telling Figaro that he has not been contacted by the police.
USA Today
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Doors guitarist looks back at Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, band's 60th anniversary
Doors guitarist looks back at Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison, band's 60th anniversary The meeting took place in early 1990 at the office of director Oliver Stone. It was not an auspicious start. Robby Krieger, guitarist for the legendary '60s band The Doors, had come to meet Val Kilmer, a young actor who had landed the plum if difficult role of Jim Morrison, the band's lead singer, poet and doomed sex symbol who died at 27 in 1971. "He came up to me and said, 'Hi Robby, I'm Val Kilmer, I got the gig, I'm going to play Jim,'" Krieger recalls, reflecting with fondness on that encounter in light of Kilmer's passing on April 1 at age 65. "I said to him, 'Really?' I mean, he neither looked nor acted anything like Jim. So I said, 'How did you get the job?'" And that's when Kilmer, then only 30, casually offered to play Krieger a rough video that showed the actor singing. And boy, could he sing, Krieger recalls. "It turns out, he had formed a Doors tribute band before any of this had happened, maybe when he was in high school or something," says Krieger. "So he plays me this clip and man, it was damn good. He wasn't dressed like Jim of course, but when I saw that, I said 'OK, this guy can do it.' And obviously, that's what Oliver had thought, too." Krieger is in a reflective mood of late. The seminal Los Angeles rock band, whose jazz-meets-rock-meets-dark-poetry stood in such stark contrast to the bright San Francisco sound of the late '60s, is celebrating 60 years since its 1965 formation. To mark the occasion, a new book is due out next month whose title is derived from a Doors lyric, "Night Divides the Day: The Doors Anthology." The hardcover is filled with not only photos and memorabilia that chronologically tracks the band's rise and dissolution, but also interviews and commentary from all four members (drummer John Densmore, 80, is alive but stays largely out of the limelight; keyboardist Ray Manzarek died at age 74 in 2013). Krieger is also busy gigging with his five-piece band (which includes his son Waylon on vocals) playing many of The Doors' big albums each in their entirety at Whiskey a Go Go, the famous Hollywood nightclub where The Doors served as house band in 1966, a year before the release of their eponymous debut album in 1967. They'll perform "L.A. Woman" on April 26, "Strange Days," on May 29, "Waiting for the Sun" on June 28, and "The Soft Parade" on July 26. Given how long its been since The Doors made their indelible mark, it's no surprise that for some music lovers Stone's 1991 movie "The Doors" was their introduction to the band. Kilmer can be credited for a lot of that, says Krieger, who says he met with the actor multiple times during filming, as did drummer Densmore (he notes that Manzarek declined to participate). "Val sang about 90 percent of the stuff you hear in that movie," says Krieger. "He spent quite a bit of time learning those songs. The bass player in my band is Dan Rothchild (son of The Doors' maverick producer Paul Rothchild), and he said Val and his dad would get together every day and practice going over all The Doors songs he had to do so he could sing them just right. He just put so much into it." So just how close did he come to conjuring up Morrison? Krieger suggests Kilmer was about as close as one could get. "A lot of people still don't believe that's Val singing," he says. Then he laughs. "But yeah, I guess you could say, I would know."
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paris Hilton Discusses Her Fire Relief Work at Los Angeles Magazine's L.A. Woman Luncheon
On Friday, Los Angeles magazine hosted a luncheon to celebrate the March 2025 L.A. Woman issue, covered by Paris Hilton. Guests gathered at the Beverly Hilton hotel for an afternoon of panel discussions, mingling, music and a special three-course L.A. Woman issue recognized the female leaders in Los Angeles who stepped up after January's devastating wildfires to help rebuild the subjects Avery Colvert and her mother Lauren Sandidge, who co-founded Altadena Girls to give back to teenage Eaton Fire victims, introduced Paris before her conversation with Los Angeles magazine's Deputy Editor, Jasmin Rosemberg. After facing the loss of her own Malibu home in the Pacific Palisades fire, Paris turned to action."Right away, I started thinking about people who had lost so much more, and my heart was breaking just for all of the moms with their children who had nowhere to sleep that night, and who had lost everything," Paris said. In the midst of her own mourning, Paris turned to action. She joined forces with Baby2Baby, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit that provides basic necessities like diapers, toys and clothing to children in need. She also connected with the Pasadena Humane Society to foster a dog named Zuzu, and she joined forces with Altadena and Hilton Hotels coordinated the donation of 20,000 rooms to help displaced families who lost their homes in the fires. "The first two nights, I went and I surprised these families that we had put up at a hotel and came with presents and just spent time with them and their children," Paris said. "And just hearing from them, just how much it meant to them, made my heart feel so full just to be able to use my resources to help others and surprise them in such a way, during such a difficult and heartbreaking time."City Councilmember and L.A. Woman honoree Traci Park also made remarks about the emergency, after being introduced by LA Mag's Michele McPhee. Other attendees included Scheana Shay and Heather afternoon was spent celebrating the many women of L.A., including those featured in the magazine, and many of whom put their own losses aside to help those across the city. View the 16 images of this gallery on the original article
