In the summer of 1965 civil unrest was spreading across the country. Civic and moral leaders taken by assassinsΓÇÖ bullets, and the escalation of the Vietnam War by an apathetic President Lyndon B. Johnson had set the climate for a revolution. It was the kind of mise-en-scene that would make for great books and over-budgeted Hollywood movies. The only thing missing was the soundtrack
In an Ocean Park garage apartment in Venice, California, on a hot summer day of that same tumultuous year, Stu and Marilyn KriegerΓÇÖs son Robby was auditioning for keyboardist Ray Manzarek. Robby plays ΓÇ£bottleneckΓÇ¥ style blues guitar to vocalist Jim MorrisonΓÇÖs ΓÇ£Moonlight Drive,ΓÇ¥ which incites drummer John Densmore to declare: ΓÇ£It looked like Ray saw God when he heard you.ΓÇ¥ Krieger passed the audition, and the final piece of the band that would eventually call themselves the Doors had been found.
Over the next seven years, the Doors would release 10 albums, occupy the top of the charts, and more importantly, change the landscape of music forever. The Krieger-penned ΓÇ£Light My Fire,ΓÇ¥ ΓÇ£Touch Me,ΓÇ¥ and ΓÇ£Love Me Two TimesΓÇ¥ were integral in propelling the band deep into the collective American psyche.
Guitar World magazine said KriegerΓÇÖs signature guitar sound and styleΓÇöpart flamenco, blues, and jazzΓÇöhave made him ΓÇ£one of the greatest guitar players of all time.ΓÇ¥ Although the Doors were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and continue to sell millions of records each year, Krieger is not content to rest on his laurels. He continues to challenge himself and his audience, remaining a vital force in music for more than three decades. He is the only remaining Doors member who continues to tour and perform the timeless songs familiar to DoorsΓÇÖ fans worldwide.
As a solo artist, Krieger has garnered critical acclaim for his album releases under the moniker the Robby Krieger Band. Contemporary artists such as Pearl Jam and Creed have shown their respect by asking him to perform with them at Woodstock ’99. The massive, youthful audience exploded when he was introduced, once again demonstrating the continuing popularity of this legendary guitar player. Krieger’s latest album, Cinematix, is instrumental ear candy that evokes moving images. Krieger defines it as “stimulation of the visual cortex through the music…”
