ROBBY KRIEGER Biography - Musicians

 
 

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ROBBY KRIEGER

Name: Robby Krieger                                                                     
Birth name: Robert Alan Krieger                                                         
Born: 8 January 1946 Los Angeles, California, U.S.                                       
                                                                                         
Robby Krieger (born Robert Alan Krieger, January 8, 1946) is an American rock           
and roll guitarist and songwriter. He was the guitarist in The Doors, and wrote         
some of the band's best known songs, including "Light My Fire", "Love Me Two             
Times", "Touch Me" and "Love Her Madly".                                                 
                                                                                         
He is number 91 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all           
time.                                                                                   
                                                                                         
A native of Los Angeles, California, Krieger learned to play guitar when he             
attended Menlo School (formerly a boarding school in the San Francisco Bay area).       
He started by tuning a ukulele like the bottom four strings of a guitar and             
imitating a flamenco guitar record. He later purchased a flamenco guitar on a           
Christmas vacation in Puerto Vallarta in 1963 and mastered the style without             
benefit of lessons. He gradually grew tired of playing flamenco and helped form         
a jug band called the Back Bay Chamberpot Terriers with Bill Wolff (later of the         
Peanut Butter Conspiracy).                                                               
                                                                                         
He formed The Doors with keyboard player Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and         
vocalist Jim Morrison. At an early Doors rehearsal Morrison heard Krieger               
playing bottleneck guitar and initially wanted the technique featured on every           
song on the first album. Krieger's fingerstyle approach to the electric guitar,         
eclectic musical tastes, and occasional songwriting helped establish The Doors           
as a successful rock band in the 1960s.                                                 
                                                                                         
After Morrison's death in 1971, The Doors continued as a trio and released two           
albums, Other Voices and Full Circle. Krieger shared lead vocal duties with             
Manzarek. After The Doors disbanded in 1973, Krieger formed The Butts Band with         
Densmore. He enjoyed some success as a jazz guitarist, recording a handful of           
albums as The Robby Krieger Band in the 1970s and 1980s, including Versions (1983)       
and No Habla (1986).                                                                     
                                                                                         
Krieger and Manzarek reformed as the Doors of the 21st Century in 2002 with             
vocalist Ian Astbury, formerly of The Cult. Following a dispute with Densmore           
over The Doors name, the band is now known as Riders on the Storm. For a brief           
period, the reformed band also included Police drummer Stewart Copeland.                 
                                                                                         
Krieger played guitar on a few tracks by Blue Lyster Cult and has worked on a           
number of tribute projects organised by Billy Sherwood.