Lost Jim Morrison Sculpture Found by Chance in Paris

The long-lost bust of American singer Jim Morrison, which once adorned his grave at the Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, has been recovered by French police 37 years after it was stolen. The discovery occurred during a search related to a fraud case led by the Paris prosecutor’s office, according to a source close to the investigation speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The sculpture, missing since 1988, had been placed at Morrison’s grave to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his death. Morrison, the iconic frontman of The Doors, was buried in the Parisian cemetery after his death in 1971 at the age of 27. Nostalgic rock fans continue to visit his grave. The bust was created by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin and was found by the financial and anti-corruption brigade of the judicial police department.

The exact circumstances surrounding Morrison’s death remain shrouded in mystery. While initial reports attributed his death to cardiac arrest in his bathtub, French journalist Sam Bernett claimed in a 2007 book that Morrison died from a heroin overdose in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus nightclub, which Bernett owned at the time.

The Doors, formed in Los Angeles, were a highly influential rock group of the late 1960s and early 1970s and a key part of the counterculture movement. Their well-known hits include “Riders on the Storm,” “Light My Fire,” and “The End,” the latter of which was famously featured in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film “Apocalypse Now”. In February, Paris honored Morrison by naming a bridge after him, located near the Marais neighborhood where he last resided.