The Last Thing Jim Morrison Ate Before He Died
Jim Morrison was tired and unwell the day before he died. On July 2, 1971, he began his afternoon running errands and drinking with his friend, photographer Alain Ronay. According to "Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend," Ronay noticed the former Doors singer looked "shaky" that day and was having intermittent bouts of body-shaking hiccups as they walked around Paris' Le Marais neighborhood. Morrison and his girlfriend, Pamala Courson, had been living in Paris since March 1971, and both were dealing with addiction, per The Guardian. After Ronay left Morrison at a bar, the singer decided to return to his apartment.
A few hours later, Courson wasn't feeling well, so Morrison went out alone to eat at a nearby Chinese restaurant. He had a sweet and sour Chinese dish and copious beers before going to see a movie, according to Classic Rock. Early the next morning, Morrison was found dead in his bathtub, officially from a heart attack — but possibly from a heroin overdose.
Big appetites
Jim Morrison had big appetites, whether it was food or alcohol and drugs. He spoke about his penchant for food during interviews with journalist Howard Smith, clipped in PBS's "Blank on Blank" animated series. He said he never missed a cafeteria meal in college and got up every morning at 6:30 a.m. for breakfast — "eggs and grits and sausages and toast and milk" — and especially loved mashed potatoes with lunch and dinner. He gained a lot of weight during that time. "I felt so great," Morrison recalled. "I felt like a tank, you know? I felt like a large mammal. A big beast." During the interview, Morrison suggested they order out before discussing what Smith had for breakfast.
Grace Slick, the singer for Jefferson Airplane, recalled Morrison's other appetites in her book "Somebody to Love?: A Rock-and-Roll Memoir." At one point, they were in the Netherlands while her band was on a European tour with the Doors. "The kids on the streets of Amsterdam recognized us ... they'd come up and talk, handing us various drugs as gifts of thanks for our music," she recounted. "Most of us just said 'Thank you' and put whatever it was in our pockets for later. Jim, on the other hand, stopped, sat down on the curb, and did it right up. Pot, hash, coke, whatever. I thought he was ingesting an overly interesting combination of chemicals for that night's concert ... that he lived as long as he did was amazing to me."
The last day
Besides Jim Morrison's final dinner — the last meal he ate — history has recorded where he had his final lunch, if not the exact food. On the day Morrison died, he and Alain Ronay stopped at a small restaurant for lunch amid their errands, per Classic Rock.
Ma Bourgogne, which is still open today, specializes in Alsatian food. The region is known for its heavy dishes that include lots of meat — especially sausage — and potatoes (per Taste Atlas). Based on his college days, this would have been right up Morrison's alley. The singer quickly "wolfed down" the meal, which brought on another fit of the hiccups, according to "Love Becomes a Funeral Pyre: A Biography of the Doors." The pair then grabbed beers at Café des Phares. Only a few hours later, Morrison died, cutting short the legendary life of the singer and poet, who was only 27.
If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).