Since the early 90s there have been more than 50 books on The Doors and the life of legendary frontman Jim Morrison, but just about all of them omitted Morrison’s teenage ties to the Washington, D.C. area. With “The Lizard King Was Here: The Life and Times of Jim Morrison in Alexandria, Virginia,” Mark Opsasnick is bringing to light Morrison’s life in Alexandria and roughly two years in Falls Church, where he attended Oak Street Elementary School, now known as Thomas Jefferson Elementary School.
“I wanted to investigate this overlooked area of his life and discover what he experienced in Alexandria that might have influenced his later writings,” says Opsasnick, who tracked down 100 of Morrison’s mates from the George Washington High School (Alexandria, Va.) Class of 1961.
He discovered a picture very different than one might expect of the rock star who died under mysterious circumstances in Paris at age 27.
“He came into rock music through the back door,” Opsasnick says. “He never played in a band or sang in high school. He told his friends that he hated rock music.”
Opsasnick is scheduled to speak about his book at Stacy’s Coffee Parlor (709 W. Broad St., Falls Church) this Sunday, Nov. 19 at 1 p.m. Several of Morrison’s classmates and friends from the area are scheduled to attend the event.
