On July 22, 1967, The Doors appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand for a short interview and a performance of “The Crystal Ship” and “Light My Fire” from their debut album, which was released in January that year. It was a boon for the burgeoning American rock band, who was riding the Billboard charts with “Light My Fire” and “Break On Through” at the time. Performing on a four-piece drum set was John Densmore, the only drummer throughout The Doors’ tenure all the way to present. Though they played to the recorded track, check out how accurate everyone is. It’s a really good lipsync job on all instruments.
Densmore appeared on every album and is still active today in the drum world. In 1993 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with fellow Doors band members Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, and Robby Krieger. Their Hall Of Fame bio notes: “As a drummer, Densmore had a creative, dynamic flair that lent itself to the Doors’ surreal, kaleidoscopic music.”
Watch The Doors and Eddie Vedder perform “Light My Fire” at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
In addition, Densmore received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and he and his band mates were awarded a Grammy Award for lifetime achievement in 2007.
Watch the story of the making of “Light My Fire,” with interviews from Densmore, Kriegler, and Manzarek below.