The Doors’ Legacy: Living Members Look Back on Jim Morrison’s Influence and Historic Rise

Six decades after their start as a local band, The Doors have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. This makes them one of the best-selling music acts in history. In a fresh CBS News Sunday Morning piece, surviving band members John Densmore and Robby Krieger shared stories about their music and their complex bond with Jim Morrison.

"He was so shy, it was ridiculous," said Densmore. "And I thought, 'This is not the next Mick Jagger! But I love playing music, so I'll fool around here.'"

This well-known psychedelic rock band formed 60 years ago in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles, at the London Fog Club, and their big break came at the Whisky a Go Go. Radio host Dave Diamond spotted their raw talent first. "He would call us all the time and say, 'Hey, man. Every time I play 'Light My Fire,' people go nuts!'" Krieger said.

Morrison's lyrics struck chords other bands missed, and two songs shot to number one: "Light My Fire" and "Hello, I Love You." The band's mix of poetry and rock created something new.

However, Morrison fought a losing battle with drugs that cut his life short at 27 in 1971. "I mean, we miss his artistry like crazy," Densmore said. "We don't miss his self-destruction."

The surviving pair, now pushing 80, still play the old songs. Krieger holds monthly shows at the Whisky a Go Go, and sometimes Densmore drops by to play drums.

Age hasn't stopped their music. "Well, these two geezers are still breathing," Densmore quipped. "Keith [Richards] and Mick [Jagger] are 80, and they're out there pumpin'. There's other roads." This interview highlights The Doors' unpredictable early career and their eventual rise to fame.