The Doors

by Ben Fong-Torres

The Doors are rock royalty. Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore reinvented rock 'n' roll in the 60s, and their influence can be felt even today. Now, for the first time, the living members of the band are opening up their personal archives to their fans, telling their story in their own words. This book is filled with untold anecdotes and never-before-seen photos from their private collections. Fans can learn first-hand what really went on in America's most enigmatic and mythical band.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Rock N Roll

282 pages, Hardcover

First published October 25, 2006

About the author

Benjamin Fong-Torres (Fāng Zhènháo) is an American rock journalist, author, and broadcaster best known for his association with Rolling Stone magazine (through 1981) and the San Francisco Chronicle (from around 1982).

Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, Fong-Torres' father, Ricardo Fong-Torres (born Fong Kwok Seung), changed his surname to Torres and posed as a Filipino citizen in order to emigrate to the United States. His family later adopted the hyphenated surname, Fong-Torres. He is the brother of Shirley Fong-Torres.

He was portrayed in the 2000 film Almost Famous by actor Terry Chen. The fictional version of Fong-Torres was character William Miller's editor at Rolling Stone.

In real life, Fong-Torres was a writer and senior editor of Rolling Stone from almost the magazine's inception. He conducted interviews for Rolling Stone of entertainment figures including Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, comedian Steve Martin and Linda Ronstadt's first cover story in 1975. A Fong-Torres interview with Ray Charles was awarded the Deems Taylor Award for Magazine Writing in 1974.

Fong-Torres was also a rock DJ for San Francisco radio station KSAN-FM in the 1970s. On television, he is the Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of the Chinese New Year Parade broadcast on KTVU (Fox) in San Francisco. In recent years, he has published Hickory Wind, a biography of Gram Parsons; The Rice Room, a memoir; The Hits Just Keep on Coming, a history of Top 40 radio, and two compilations of past articles, Not Fade Away and Becoming Almost Famous (published in May 2006). His book with The Doors (The Doors By The Doors) was published by Hyperion in November 2006. Since July 2005, he has written the bi-weekly column "Radio Waves" in the San Francisco Chronicle's Sunday Datebook. He is also a contributing editor to Parade magazine, and the music editor for TONEAudio, a web-based audio publication. He is now the host of "Backstage" which is aired from 7-9 am and 7-9 pm on San Francisco's KFRC-FM.

Reviews

[Iowa City Public Library]

The hot sizzling steaming mindless agony of what we call summer is only buffered by a great soundtrack. Well that’s what I think. For me, summer is The Doors. In a great new biography published in late 2006, the surviving members of The Doors, Ray Manzaric, John Densmore and Robby Krieger along with Rolling Stone write and editor Ben Fong-Torres recount the bands heyday in Los Angeles and its ride to success. In a story well known to any rock reader we hear about the early days in Venice and the Sunset Strip. We learn about early recordings and development deals and we see how early success sets the stage for the evolution of one of the most influential bands in the last 40 years. Unlike probably the best known book about the band, No one Here Gets out Alive, this book isn’t dominated by one James Douglas Morrison. What is special and makes this one something all Doors fans should read is that for the first time ever the Morrison family contributes. I found that to be thrilling. To hear from his brother, sister and most importantly, his father cleared up many issues I have had with the Doors legacy. The book has lots of never before seen pictures and they also discuss the legacy and endurance of the band to this day. So as we are waiting for the sun break on through to this soft parade that will light your fire until the end. It’s a book that took 40 years to write. --Terri

From ICPL Staff Picks Blog

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely well-produced coffee table book -- the kind you really read. Tons of quality pictures and a real attempt on the part of Ben Fong-Torres to understand. Much of the text is from the other members of The Doors and their connections, in a balanced arrangement.

[Essi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing photos and good interviews.

[Matthew Griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great! Every one in the band had a voice in this story, as it should be. Great pics too.

[José Hernández Aguinaga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best book i've read in my life.

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben Fong-Torresin (The Rolling Stone -lehden entinen päätoimittaja, joka vilahti mm. "Almost Famous" -leffassa) toimittamassa The Doors -historiikissa äänen saavat yhtyeen jäsenet, tuottajat tyttöystävät, perheenjäsenet ja muut bändin vaiheita lähempää tai kauempaa seuranneet ihmiset haastattelujen tai muiden vastaavien kommenttien muodossa. Jim Morrisonin lausuntoja on myös ympätty mukaan, eikä ihme, sillä häneenhän yhtyeen tarina pitkälti henkilöityy.

Rumpali John Densmore tuntuu jälleen kerran the Doorsin täyspäisimmältä jäseneltä, jonka hermot eivät olleet kestää laulusolistin ryyppäämistä ja holtitonta elämää, kun taas Ray Manzarek sortuu jälleen kerran Liskokuningas-shamaani -myytin vahvistamiseen ja muuhun diibadaabaan.

Sisältönsä puolesta "The Doors" ei kuitenkaan tuo kauheasti uutta ja ennenkuulematonta yhtyeen tarinaan, joka on suurimmalle osalle tuttu lukuisista muista opuksista. Jim Morrisonin vanhempien kommentit ovat kylläkin kiinnostavia, vaikka nämä eivät poikaansa sanottavammin tavanneetkaan the Doorsin menestyksen päivinä. Valokuvien joukossa on useita äärimmäisen hienoja otoksia, ja kirja on muutenkin kaunis esine.

[Outi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was kinda okay. Yes, it told the story of the Doors. But. The drug abuse and the music kind of disappered into one thing and that was idolizing Jim Morrison. Little notes were aside noting Densmore´s dislike of Morrison´s work ethics, but that was mostly it. The rest was a love song to a singer-songmaker and not a story about the whole band.

[Logan Weatherly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Great insight from all the band members and crew that made the Doors unique and fantastic. Usually anything doors related is focused mainly on Morrison but this book has endless insight and opinions from producers to the bands family. 4 unique individuals and their incredible, albeit short journey, into music infamy.

[Tunde · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very lovely book,very informative...

[Tifinie · Rating 5 out of 5]

same as the joan jett book this book has lots of pictures during the bands lives lots of unseen pic of jim morrison and the band

[Tom]

if you like The Doors, this is a great coffee table book.

[Sarah O'neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for any doors fan ❤️

[Ness Lockhart · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't find it as interesting as the last book I read about the doors. Couldn't finish it. I liked looking at the pictures though.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exquisite coffee table style book. Full of incredible photographs and personal stories from interviews with all four of The Doors. There is a lot of information about the making of their albums and the creation of their music.

I was basically glued to this book, but it could be browsed at any time for the photographs or for the stories.

As a music lover and vinyl record collector, it drove me back to my collection to hear the stunning first album, then Strange Days and finally The Soft Parade. I only have these three albums but what albums they are! Still relevant and powerful sounding today, The Doors have made a huge impact in the music world and I bet they will be heard for a long, long time.

[Fernando Barriga · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a die-hard fan, this is a powerful visual and emotional dive into The Doors and the heart of rock history.