Court enjoins Doors offshoot

Members of the late Jim Morrison’s family and the drummer for the band the Doors have a message for two other former bandmates who have toured under the name “Doors of the 21st Century”: This is the end.

Speaking out Monday, drummer John Densmore, a founding member of the Los Angeles band of the 1960s and early 1970s, praised a court injunction issued last week that blocks the neo-Doors collective from moving forward with its sound-alike name.

“What we have now is a pretty overwhelming victory for the fans of our music,” Densmore said of the injunction issued by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gregory W. Alarcon. Alarcon’s ruling also states that profits already made by the new venture will be subject to preexisting partnership deals set decades ago by the Doors’ surviving members: Densmore, keyboardist Ray Manzarek and guitarist Robby Krieger.

Krieger and Manzarek are scheduled to perform tonight in Saskatchewan, Canada, but neither musician nor their manager could be reached Monday to find out what the marquee will say. The band has three more Canadian dates before its scheduled tour finale at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, N.J., on Aug. 5. They have been touring with former Cult singer Ian Astbury taking the microphone duties once held by Morrison.

Morrison’s parents and other relatives had joined Densmore in the action against Manzarek and company. Jeffrey Forer, attorney for the Morrisons, said in a statement Monday: “Manzarek and Krieger had no right to use Jim’s name, likeness, voice and image for their own personal gain.... The Morrisons feel vindicated.”

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Geoff Boucher