Ray Manzarek was an American keyboardist and vocalist, best known as a founding member of the rock band The Doors.
He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, recognizing his significant contributions to music.
Manzarek married Dorothy Aiko Fujikawa in 1967, and they remained together until his death in 2013.
Biography
Early Life
Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. was born on February 12, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in a musical family, with his brothers Rick and Jim Manczarek also pursuing music. The trio played together in a band called Rick & the Ravens. In the mid-1960s, Manzarek moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA Film School, where he met fellow student Jim Morrison. This meeting would change the course of his life and music history.
Career
In 1965, Manzarek co-founded the iconic rock band The Doors with Morrison, serving as the keyboardist and contributing to the band's distinctive sound with his innovative organ playing. The Doors quickly rose to fame, becoming one of the most influential rock bands of the era. Manzarek's work on albums like "The Whole Thing Started With Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control" and "The Golden Scarab" showcased his versatility across genres, including blues rock, jazz, and rock music. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, solidifying his legacy in the music industry.
Personal Life
Manzarek married Dorothy Aiko Fujikawa, a fellow UCLA alumna, on December 21, 1967. They had a son, Pablo, and enjoyed a long marriage until his death in 2013. The couple lived in various locations, including West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, before settling in a farmhouse in Napa Valley. Manzarek practiced Atenism, an ancient Egyptian religion, and expressed a fondness for Jesus Christ, reflecting his diverse spiritual interests.
Legacy
Ray Manzarek passed away on May 20, 2013, but his influence continues to resonate in the music world. In 2016, a tribute concert was held on what would have been his 77th birthday, featuring notable musicians and celebrating his contributions to music. The film "Break On Thru: A Celebration of Ray Manzarek and the Doors" premiered in 2018, further honoring his legacy and the impact he had on rock music.
Collected from open sources (4) · facts link to sources · AI-processed
Discography
Twisted Tales2013
- 1.Just Like Sherlock Holmes3:50
- 2.Eagle in a Whirlpool4:53
- 3.Cops Talk4:47
- 4.Street of Crocodiles4:26
- 5.American Woman3:47
- 6.Shoulder Ghosts3:58
- 7.The Will to Survive4:16
- 8.Black Wine/Spank Me With a Rose6:21
- 9.State of the World3:40
- 10.Numbers4:44
The Piano Poems: Live From San Francisco2012
- 1.Pico Boulevard3:17
- 2.Eagle in the Whirlpool3:21
- 3.River of Night / Black Wine6:39
- 4.Me Raw2:52
- 5.Antechamber of the Night16:22
- 6.That Government Is Best3:41
- 7.Big Lips3:51
- 8.Mule Kick Blues6:41
- 9.Let the Laws Go1:57
- 10.Deconstruction Man2:34
- 11.The Cups We Drink From4:12
- 12.Jean Harlow and the Kid7:53
- 13.Smash the State1:24
- 14.Painted Dust5:03
Translucent Blues2011
- 1.Hurricane4:28
- 2.River of Madness7:09
- 3.Game of Skill4:01
- 4.Fives and Ones4:03
- 5.Kick4:49
- 6.Tension6:18
- 7.Blues in My Shoes4:52
- 8.New Dodge City Blues4:45
- 9.Greenhouse Blues4:56
- 10.Those Hits Just Keep on Comin'3:32
- 11.As You Leave4:24
- 12.An Organ, a Guitar and a Chicken Wing5:42
Ballads Before the Rain2008
- 1.Gnossienne No. 16:42
- 2.B.E. in Memorium6:11
- 3.l Amor Brujo6:45
- 4.Remembering You6:17
- 5.Crystal Ship3:31
- 6.Love Is a Dangerous Place6:01
- 7.Ruby Red Nails5:14
- 8.Riders on the Storm8:57
- 9.American Pastoral6:35
Bleeding Paradise2007
- 1.You Can't Stop the Words3:20
- 2.The Beat Defenders2:25
- 3.B-Side Night4:12
- 4.The Butcher's Shop Day3:57
- 5.The Earth's Revenge2:08
- 6.Galetamar5:04
- 7.Ol' Shanghai4:17
- 8.The Night Bus2:15
- 9.Far From Slumber1:23
- 10.The Love Parasites2:25
- 11.Steel Winged Phoenix2:38
- 12.The High Bright Sun
- 13.Sam Cha Cha4:45
- 14.Ether Woman2:25
- 15.Hip Misfit Dance4:21
- 16.A Drift Amongst the Free Forms2:25
Atonal Head2006
- 1.Shinjuku Nights5:25
- 2.Riders on the Storm5:00
- 3.The Hard Road4:04
- 4.Caravan4:59
- 5.Before the Rain4:25
- 6.Kundalini Rising5:16
- 7.Quick Trip in a Fast Machine8:48
- 8.Fejioada4:41
- 9.Brazilian Green5:00
- 10.Atonal Head23:03
Love Her Madly2006
- 1.Too Close to the Sun7:19
- 2.I Could Be Anything4:36
- 3.J'ai vu ta vie5:25
- 4.Hadley's Cruise3:17
- 5.Night Ride6:19
- 6.At First Sight6:16
- 7.Paper Kimono4:37
- 8.Expresso5:33
- 9.The Golden Bough4:24
- 10.J'ai vu ta morte2:45
- 11.Obsession4:14
Freshly Dug2005
- 1.Set2:17
- 2.The Serpent Mistress2:21
- 3.Behind the Beat1:50
- 4.Cup of Dark1:00
- 5.Lake Lady1:13
- 6.Tales From the Underground Kings1:28
- 7.The Plumes of Fire1:21
- 8.The Brazen Empress1:13
- 9.Man of Jazz1:10
- 10.Azure Skies1:13
- 11.Beneath the Raven's Wines1:42
- 12.The High Bright Sun1:35
- 13.The Magic Tavern2:32
- 14.Preparation for Death and True Found Self2:02
- 15.Broken Highways2:17
- 16.Last Poets Land1:29
The Doors Myth and Reality1996
- 1.Paris: The Mystery11:07
- 2.UCLA Film School11:31
- 3.Jim & Ray Form The Doors7:05
- 4.Born in Chicago5:58
- 5.I Heard the Blues in the Air3:06
- 6.Growing Up Rocking16:04
- 7.You're in the Army Now10:35
- 8.Soul of the Doors6:47
- 9.Beat Poetry Readings5:57
- 10.Out of the Army5:08
- 11.Rick & The Ravens @ Aura6:11
- 12.The Doors Acetate Demo4:38
- 13.Enter Robbie Krieger7:49
- 14.Making the Magic Circle4:49
- 15.Where's the Bass Player1:53
- 16.The Doors Dropped by Columbia2:27
- 17.In the Recording Studio2:36
- 18.The Chief of Police in the Recording Studio1:58
- 19.Dorothy Fujikawa-Artist6:45
- 20.Jim Morrison's Leather Pants8:29
- 21.The Doors on the Road5:06
- 22.Why the Music's Still Popular2:27
- 23.Jim's Still Around0:41
- 24.The Doors in History2:57
- 25.All Men Are Created Equal2:32
- 26.UCLA Basketball0:12
Carmina Burana1994
- 1.The Wheel of Fortune3:06
- 2.The Wounds of Fate3:45
- 3.The Face of Spring4:15
- 4.Sunrise2:15
- 5.Welcome2:46
- 6.The Dance2:26
- 7.Sweetest Boy0:33
- 8.If the Whole World Was Mine0:54
- 9.Boiling Rage3:16
- 10.The Roasted Swan2:11
- 11.In the Tavern2:35
- 12.Love Flies Everywhere2:09
- 13.A Young Girl2:54
- 14.Come, My Beauty2:36
- 15.The Lovers1:17
- 16.The Wheel of Fortune3:08
Love Lion1993
- 1.Action Philosophy3:10
- 2.Love Lion Blues5:08
- 3.In Memoriam: For Jim Morrison5:12
- 4.Maybe Mama Lion4:58
- 5.Indian2:55
- 6.Antechamber of the Night14:07
- 7.Czechoslovakia2:58
- 8.High Heelz4:41
- 9.Paragon of Danger3:04
- 10.Spanish Roses2:52
- 11.A Breath0:37
- 12.Rose Rain1:13
- 13.Stanzas in Turmoil15:54
Beat Existentialist1993
- 1.Love With a Perfect Stranger4:40
- 2.Who’ll Be the Next in Line3:36
- 3.Vipers of Harlem4:35
- 4.Ride Your Pony4:36
- 5.Shake Off the Devil5:09
- 6.If You Should Loose Me4:54
- 7.Blue Fandango Man4:38
- 8.Brand New Cadillac3:08
- 9.Gin House5:42
The Whole Thing Started With Rock & Roll Now It's Out of Control1974
Tracklist not collected yet.
The Golden Scarab1974
Tracklist not collected yet.
Henrietta1965
Tracklist not collected yet.
Soul Train1965
Tracklist not collected yet.
Gallery
Label
- Record label
- Elektra
Achievements
- Award
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Influenced by
Groups
- Nite Citykeyboardcurrent
- Rick & The Ravenskeyboardcurrent
- The Doorsbackground vocals, keyboard, keyboard bass · 1965–1973
- Manzarek–Kriegereponymous, original · 2002–2013
Played together with
Similar artists
Archive
Passport
Identifiers & aliases
Also known as: Raymond D. Manzarek, Raymond Daniel Manczarek Jr., Raymond Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. was an American keyboardist, vocalist, and music producer. He is best known as a member of the rock band the Doors, co-founding the group in 1965 with fellow UCLA Film School graduate Jim Morrison. Manzarek is credited for his innovative playing and abilities on organ-style keyboard instruments.
All links
Opinions of fans — not verified facts.
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