Jim Morrison Bust Discovered Accidentally in France, 37 Years After Being Stolen

French authorities unexpectedly located the long-lost bust of Jim Morrison, the iconic vocalist of The Doors, 37 years post its theft from a Paris cemetery. The sculpture, which had been missing since 1988, was discovered during a search associated with a fraud investigation led by Paris prosecutors, according to a source familiar with the case coming from Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Nostalgic fans continue to visit Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, where he was interred following his death in the city in 1971 at the young age of 27. The sculpture, crafted by Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin, was initially placed at the grave to commemorate the 10^th anniversary of Morrison’s passing. It was uncovered by the financial and anti-corruption division of the national police’s judicial branch.

The precise details surrounding the singer’s death remain enigmatic, with earlier accounts predominantly stating he succumbed to cardiac arrest while in his bathtub. A French journalist, Sam Bernett, asserted in a 2007 publication that Morrison’s friends and family twisted the official narrative of his death to preserve his legacy. Bernett claimed that Morrison actually died from a heroin overdose in the restroom of a nightclub owned by the journalist at the time, called the Rock ‘n’ Roll Circus, located on Paris’s Left Bank.

Formed in Los Angeles, The Doors were a significant force in the rock music scene of the late 1960s and early ’70s, becoming quintessential representatives of the counterculture era. Their renowned tracks include “Riders on the Storm,” “Light My Fire,” and “The End,” a poignant song featured prominently in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film Apocalypse Now. In February, a bridge in Paris was dedicated to the legendary singer, located just a short walk from the artistic Marais district where he spent his final days.