The building featured on the cover of the 1970 album by The Doors, Morrison Hotelwas destroyed last Thursday by a massive fire while it was occupied by dozens of homeless people.
The fire started around 11 a.m. and mobilized almost 100 firefighters, who worked for at least two hours to control the flames at the hotel located in downtown Los Angeles.
The fire ripped through the roof of the building, which has now been labeled uninhabitable. Henry Diltz, the photographer who immortalized the Morrison Hotel on the cover of the legendary album, expressed his regret for the damage suffered. Speaking to CBS News Los Angeles, he said: “I am very sad to see this place so damaged. I hope someone rebuilds it”.
Fire crews rescued three people from the third floor using ladders, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Authorities are investigating whether squatters may have caused the fire. However, problems related to homeless occupancy have been a constant for the building’s current owners, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. This nonprofit organization acquired the property in 2022 for almost $12 million with the goal of converting it into affordable housing.
“Last week, when we cleared the building, there were about 15 people inside,” foundation representative Mark Dyer told Fox 11. “As soon as we secure the building, the homeless return with power tools and, within hours, cut the locks”.
The Morrison Hotel had previously been used as low-income housing until it was vacated in 2008. Since then, it has had no official residents for almost 10 years. A previous plan to turn it into a luxury hotel was scrapped when a developer defaulted on a loan, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The iconic album cover Morrison Hotel by The Doors was the result of a mix of chance, creativity and audacity. In December 1969, the band’s keyboardist, Ray Manzarekand his partner, Dorothy Fujikawathey walked through downtown Los Angeles in search of a place that could capture the essence of the group’s fifth studio album. The album had already been recorded a month before (after hard work to deal with a Jim Morrison completely given over to alcoholism), but it still had neither a cover nor a defined title.
On their journey, Ray and Dorothy came across a peculiar shelter located on South Hope Street. The place, founded in 1914, was called “Morrison Hotel.” Enthusiastic, Ray suggested the site as a setting for the cover and communicated the idea to his colleagues.
The renowned photographer Henry Diltzwho had already worked with other iconic rock figures, visited the hotel shortly after. He was struck by the lobby, whose architecture evoked the 1940s. Convinced that it was the perfect place, he proposed holding the photo shoot there.
On December 17, 1969, the band arrived at the Morrison Hotel along with Henry Diltz and art director Gary Burden. However, the hotel receptionist denied permission to take pictures in the lobby, arguing that the owners were not present to authorize it. Faced with the refusal, Diltz took some photos of the musicians on the street, next to the hotel entrance. Meanwhile, the receptionist was momentarily absent, giving Diltz and the group the opportunity to act quickly.
Taking advantage of the moment, the four members of the band entered the lobby and posed in front of the large window that overlooked the street, where the name of the hotel was clearly visible. Diltz took several photographs from the outside, using up an entire roll of film in just five minutes. Then everyone quickly left before the receptionist returned.
Despite the improvised nature of the session, the band later had to obtain legal permission from the hotel owner to use the image as a cover. The official photograph, taken by Diltz, became an instant classic when the album was released on February 9, 1970.
Morrison Hotel was The Doors’ fifth studio album and was considered by many to be a return to their roots. Standout songs on the album include “Roadhouse Blues,” “Peace Frog,” and “You Make Me Real.” Morrison Hotel It peaked at number four in the US charts in 1970 and number 12 in the United Kingdom. It was later declared platinum in the United States, with more than a million copies sold.
