A sculpture of the late American singer and poet Jim Morrison, which disappeared from his Paris grave nearly four decades ago, has been recovered, according to French police.
“After 37 years of absence, the bust of Jim Morrison, stolen in 1988 from the Père Lachaise cemetery, has been found,” the Paris Regional Directorate of Judicial Police announced on Instagram this Friday.
The police added that “this iconic symbol for the singer’s fans was discovered during an investigation conducted by the Financial and Anti-Corruption Brigade, under the authority of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office.”
The prosecutor’s office told CNN on Tuesday that “this was a fortunate discovery made during a search ordered by an investigating magistrate at the Paris court.”
Jim Morrison’s estate manager, Jeff Jampol, expressed his excitement to CNN, saying, “We’re delighted to hear about the bust’s rediscovery. It’s certainly a piece of history, and it’s important because Jim’s family wanted it to be at his grave, so it’s wonderful to see it recovered.” He added, “Now, we’ll need to assess the condition of the bust.”
Morrison, the charismatic lead singer of the 1960s psychedelic rock band The Doors, died in 1971 at just 27 years old. His grave in Paris continues to attract many music fans.
Located in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Morrison’s tomb is one of the most visited in Paris. According to the city’s official tourism website, crowds gather there annually on July 3, the anniversary of his death.
The bust, created by Croatian sculptor Mladen Mikulin, was placed on Morrison’s tombstone on the 10th anniversary of his death, per the official Paris city website. However, it vanished in 1988.
The original tombstone, which was damaged in the 1980s, was replaced in 1990 by his parents, bearing the inscription “Faithful to His Spirit” written in Greek. During the 20th anniversary of Morrison’s death in 1991, police had to disperse unruly fans with tear gas.
By the 30th anniversary, authorities banned alcohol and music at the site, yet thousands still gathered to lay wreaths and take photos.
“Every day, somewhere in the world, a Doors song is played,” former Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek remarked at the time. “Jim Morrison’s energy still lives with us.”
Known as the “King of the Lizards,” Morrison was infamous for heavy drinking and outrageous onstage antics. There are even claims that he may have accidentally damaged an Andy Warhol artwork.
In 1971, Morrison left The Doors to focus on poetry and moved to Paris with his girlfriend, Pamela Courson. Later that year, he was found dead in their Paris apartment. Courson told authorities she found him dead in the bathtub.
His cause of death was officially listed as cardiac arrest, but no autopsy was performed, leading to various conspiracy theories about his death.
