From the author of the definitive biographies of Stan Lee and bootleg king George Remus comes an exciting, eminently entertaining account of America’s favorite rock band – the Doors – and the end of a tumultuous era in American history writ large.
Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, The Doors, and the Death Days of the Sixties: Are you ready? Let the ceremony begin. All hail the American Night! It came in fast and ended up crashing down just as so fast. Jim Morrison exiled himself to death by escaping the image of the Lizard King that he created. We all know the story, variations of the story from the gospel mouths of the last surviving members and those who managed to hold on a bit longer before their own demise. Ray Manzarek became the de facto shaman. Ray kept the ceremony alive a bit longer for those who wanted to listen. The Doors have always been about the ceremony, a celebration of the inner-self within.
Were the Doors truly cleansed? Did everything appear infinite? Bob Batchelor hopes to bring you a new perspective on perhaps the greatest rock group to ever capture our imagination. Nobody comes close to Jim Morrison. No group has ever been able to achieve what he did in a few years. His compact life still fuels the imagination of rebellion of the mind. Most of the 60s rebels withered into obscurity or are still trying to be relevant to nobody.
Punch your ticket folks we are going to the Roadhouse again! Jim always delivers, he was a bonafide rockstar for five years. Nobody rocked harder than him. More spills, more thrills, grasp that microphone and get up Jim, give the people what they want. Let’s get one more scented candle lit for Jim and listen to the incantations forever locked in our ears.
Yeah, we’re going to the Roadhouse
Gonna have a real-
Good time
Shrouded in mystery, pop culture history, and the swirling psychedelic sounds of the Sixties, the Doors have captivated listeners across seven decades. Jim Morrison – haunted, beautiful, and ultimately doomed – transformed from rock god to American icon. With each successive generation of rock fans, the Doors become more popular and transcendent, yet the band’s full significance is buried underneath layers of mythology and folklore.
Called “one of the greatest narrative nonfiction writers and storytellers,” award-winning cultural historian Bob Batchelor presents Roadhouse Blues: Morrison, the Doors, and Death Days of the Sixties, an enthralling, epic tale of one of rock’s (and America’s) most significant periods as the Age of Aquarius gave way to a new age of mayhem, presidential misdeeds, and murder. Batchelor’s fresh perspective combines cultural history, musical and lyrical analysis, and a broad stroke of pop culture mythos, offering a fresh perspective on a vital moment in the contemporary world.
Candid, authoritative, and utterly absorbing, Roadhouse Blues is a biography of a man, a band, and an era that set the tone for the contemporary world. Beyond the mythology, the hype, and the mystique around Morrison’s untimely death, this book takes readers on a rollercoaster ride, examining the impact the band had on America as the nation leered from decadence to debauchery.
“We’re gonna have a real good time!”
Bob Batchelor: Hailed as “one of the greatest nonfiction writers and storytellers,” by New York Times bestselling biographer Brian Jay Jones, cultural historian Bob Batchelor is a noted expert on contemporary American culture, history, and biography. His books examine modern popular culture icons, events, and issues, from comic books and music to literary figures and history’s outlaws.
Bob wrote a concise biography of Bob Dylan, introducing the iconic music legend to a new generation of readers, and edited a collection of fiction and essays inspired by the legendary Johnny Cash. He has written about MTV, the Grunge movement, and REM for PopMatters; Aerosmith, Metallica, and the Beatles in Rock Brands; and the evolution of music history in The 1900s, The 1980s, and American Pop. Bob has talked about numerous musicians and musical influences as an on-air or quoted expert on television and in the media, including Dylan, George Michael, Hair Metal, Glam Rock, Grunge, and Michael Jackson.
Bob has also published books on Stan Lee, The Great Gatsby, Mad Men, and John Updike, among others. Rookwood: The Rediscovery and Revival of an American Icon, An Illustrated History won the 2021 Independent Publishers Book Award for Fine Art. The Bourbon King: The Life and Crimes of George Remus, Prohibition’s Evil Genius won the 2020 Independent Publishers Book Award for Historical Biography. Stan Lee: The Man Behind Marvel was a finalist for the 2018 Ohioana Book Award for Nonfiction.
Bob’s books have been translated into a dozen languages. His work has appeared or been featured in the New York Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, Los Angeles Times, Today.com, The Guardian, and Time. Bob is also the creator and host of the podcast John Updike: American Writer, American Life. He has appeared as an on-air commentator for The National Geographic Channel, PBS NewsHour, BBC, PBS, and NPR. Bob hosted “TriState True Crime” on WCPO’s Cincy Lifestyle television show.
Bob earned a doctorate in American Literature from the University of South Florida. He has taught at universities in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, as well as in Vienna, Austria. Bob and his wife Suzette live in North Carolina and have two wonderful teenage daughters.
Of interest: The Night Jim Morrison and the Doors Saw 2001: A Space Odyssey