The two surviving members of The Doors have confirmed that they will reunite to honour their fellow band member Ray Manzarek, who died last year aged 74.
Speaking to Billboard, Robby Krieger said he has approached a number of other musicians to honour the late keyboardist to play a gig this summer.
“We want to bring together those who Ray either idolised or guys who idolised Ray, maybe at the Greek or The Hollywood Bowl for a big concert this summer,” he said. “We’ve teamed up with Live Nation and they are helping us get it all together. We just want it to be the best it can be.”
Krieger said that Manzarek’s family will be present alongside other former bandmate John Densmore. “John and I will be there and we’ve had a lot of interest. Since he’s been gone, we really haven’t had any kind of real tribute for him, except at his funeral service. We want people to remember Ray for everything he has done. There are so many musicians and fans who have learned so much from him.”
Krieger says he has sent out letters to a number of musicians to see if they would be able to take part. “That’s the hard part, coordinating everyone’s schedules,” he said. “To get everyone together on one day, in the summertime, when they are not on tour for a big venue, that’s the challenge.”
Krieger and Densmore fell out in 2002 when Krieger and Manzarek began touring as The Doors Of The 21st Century, leading to a lawsuit over the use of band name, and a £25 million countersuit against Densmore for his refusal to sign off on multi-million-dollar licensing of band songs for commercials. The row has now ended, but the lawsuit is the subject of Densmore’s new book, The Doors Unhinged.
Commenting on their relationship, Krieger said: “John and I haven’t been on the best of terms. Ray and I wanted to play as The Doors, and John didn’t want to, and so we had a big lawsuit. But now John and I are back on track… too bad it took Ray’s passing to cause that. But I am happy that we are.”