Ray Manzarek, the legendary keyboardist for The Doors, died today of bile duct cancer, according to a statement on the artist’s Facebook page.
From the obituary in the Washington Post:
Musically, Manzarek’s spidery organ on “Light My Fire†is one of the most instantly recognizable sounds in rock history.
But he seemed up to finding the right touch for a wide range of songs — the sleepy, lounge-style keyboards on “Riders On the Stormâ€; the liquid strains for “The Crystal Shipâ€; the barrelhouse romps on “Roadhouse Blues.†The Doors always considered themselves “more†than a rock band and Manzarek, Densmore and Krieger often managed a flowing rapport that blended rock, blues and jazz behind Morrison’s self-consciously poetic lyrics.
Manzarek continued to remain active in music well after Morrison’s death and briefly tried to hold the band together by serving as vocalist. He played in other bands over the years, produced other acts, became an author and worked on films.
A few photos embedded from Facebook: