Jim Morrison AKA the Lizard King
Another name Morrison went by was the Lizard King. After The Doors’ first album, they went back into the studio and recorded Strange Days (both came out in 1967). Having been interested in Native American folklore and American deserts, Morrison started calling himself the “Lizard King.”
Photo by Michael Montfort / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
The song Celebration of the Lizard, for example, was in reference to his reptilian persona. An overnight celebrity, Morrison found it difficult to handle his newfound fame and all the vices it brought with it. The Lizard King wasn’t Jim Morrison’s only alter ego, although it was his first. The Doors’ keyboardist Ray Manzarek blamed Morrison’s alcohol intake on his other, later alter ego, Jimbo.