Video: 'An American Prayer' (23 videos)

(Tuesday, December 8, 1970, studio booked for beginning at 3:30 p.m. PST) — Jim Morrison, lead singer of The Doors rock band, celebrated his 27th (and what would turn out to be his final) birthday tonight at Village Recorder Studio C in Los Angeles, reciting his own poetry.

It was the second (and what would turn out to be the final) professional studio recording made of him reading his poetry, given to Morrison as a birthday gift by Frank Lisciandro, a close friend.

At one point during the session, Morrison was assisted by friends Kathy Lisciandro and Florentine Pabst on vocals.

The recordings of this session and another session from Feb. 9, 1969, would be used to make up the raw materials for the posthumous release An American Prayer, a 1978 album featuring a new musical backing by the surviving members of The Doors (Ray Manzarek, Robby Krieger and John Densmore).

Also around this time (early December 1970), Morrison was interviewed by Bob Chorush in various locations throughout Los Angeles for the Jan. 15, 1971, edition of the L.A. Free Press.

Video: 'Jim Morrison & Bob Chorush 1970 Interview'