Billie Joe Armstrong, Slash, Skrillex React to Ray Manzarek’s Death
The death of Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek has touched many in the music community. Punk pioneers X shared their thoughts today, and Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, Slash and Skrillex mourned his passing on Twitter with heartfelt and reflective posts.
X, who had four of their albums produced by Manzarek, were particularly struck. “Ray was a mentor to X in our early days and a something of a father figure to Exene and me. He was brilliant and soulful,” X singer-bassist John Doe said in a statement. “If Bob Dylan brought poetry and folk to popular music, Ray and the Doors brought the blues and poetry to rock music.”
Ray Manzarek, Doors Keyboardist, Dead at 74
“Ray led by example, from the doors to carmine burana and beyond. He is and will always be a spirit being, adept at expanding perception. And once those doors of perception are opened, they never close,” wrote X singer Exene Cervenka. “He taught me that we are the keys, that we can unlock all doors, everywhere, to create magic, to transform ourselves and power the world, through joy and love and imagination and art and, above all through music.”
Billy Idol, Joy Division and New Order co-founder Peter Hook, Nirvana‘s Krist Novoselic and Public Enemy’s Chuck D were also among the artists to remember Manzarek, who died on Monday at age 74 after a long battle with bile duct cancer.
Read on to see the music community’s reaction on the death of Manzarek.