The 80-year-old drummer, who continues to help preserve The Doors’ legacy alongside guitarist Robby Krieger, 81, appeared energetic as he stopped by a grocery store in Malibu. He seemed in good spirits while walking through the parking lot, dressed in a relaxed outfit that subtly echoed the effortless style once associated with his late bandmate Jim Morrison.
Wearing a white Oxford shirt, cargo pants, and a fedora, the musician looked far removed from his wild rock-and-roll days on the Sunset Strip, where the band recorded their debut album at Sunset Sound in 1966.
Longtime fans may remember that he initially teamed up with Krieger in a group called the Psychedelic Rangers before they joined forces with Morrison and keyboardist Ray Manzarek in 1965 to form one of the most influential rock bands of all time.
The mystery drummer? John Densmore.
Beyond his work with The Doors, Densmore pursued a wide-ranging career in the arts, exploring dance and acting while also gaining recognition as a playwright and author. His bestselling memoir Riders on the Storm (1990) detailed his life, his relationship with Morrison, and the band’s most memorable years. He later released The Seekers (2020), reflecting on the notable figures he encountered throughout his career.
Densmore has also made occasional television appearances, including playing himself in Square Pegs as the drummer for Johnny Slash’s band, Open 24 Hours, and appearing in a 1992 episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 as Dylan’s sponsor, Ben.
According to his memoir, Densmore briefly quit the band due to Morrison’s increasingly erratic and self-destructive behavior, though he rejoined the following day. He repeatedly pushed for the group to stop touring, but the others initially resisted. After the band’s chaotic performance in New Orleans on December 12, 1970 — where Morrison delivered an incoherent set — they agreed to end live performances, marking their final appearance as a quartet.
Following Morrison’s death in 1971, the remaining members recorded two additional albums incorporating his previously recorded poetry. Densmore stayed until the band officially disbanded in 1973. In 1978, they reunited to create An American Prayer, blending new music with Morrison’s spoken-word recordings.
The surviving members reunited again for their 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction and collaborated on occasional projects afterward. In 2002, when Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger began touring with The Cult’s Ian Astbury under the name The Doors of the 21st Century, Densmore and Morrison’s estate filed a lawsuit over the use of the band’s name. The group later performed as Manzarek–Krieger until Manzarek’s death in 2013.
The Doors became the first American band to achieve eight consecutive RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum albums. They have sold more than 36 million records in the United States and over 100 million worldwide, securing their place among the best-selling and most influential bands in rock history. Publications like Rolling Stone have repeatedly ranked them among the greatest artists ever, placing them at No. 41 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.
