Ray Manzarek Dies, Doors Founding Member Was 74

Founding member of rock band The Doors, Ray Manzarek, has died at the age of 74.

Robby Krieger, another surviving member of the band, confirmed the passing of Ray Manzarek today in a statement.

Manzarek, who died in Germany after a long bout with cancer of the bile ducts, had in recent years performed with Krieger.

Krieger said:

“I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today … I’m just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him.”

Manzarek’s death was announced on the band’s official Facebook page, and the statement posted to the social network spoke a bit about the keyboardist’s history in rock n’ roll.

The Doors’ official page posted:

“Manzarek is best known for his work with The Doors who formed in 1965 when Manzarek had a chance encounter on Venice Beach with poet Jim Morrison. The Doors went on to become one of the most controversial rock acts of the 1960s, selling more than 100-million albums worldwide, and receiving 19 Gold, 14 Platinum and five multi-Platinum albums in the U.S. alone.”

The statement continues:

“L.A.Woman, Break On Through to the Other Side, The End, Hello, I Love You, and Light My Fire were just some of the band’s iconic and ground-breaking songs. After Morrison’s death in 1971, Manzarek went on to become a best-selling author, and a Grammy-nominated recording artist in his own right. In 2002, he revitalized his touring career with Doors’ guitarist and long-time collaborator, Robby Krieger.”

Ray Manzarek is survived by wife Dorothy Manzarek, and brothers Rick and James Manczarek, son Pablo Manzarek, and three grandchildren.