The Tragic Death Of Rock Journalist Patricia Kennealy-Morrison
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, partner of the late Jim Morrison, has died. She was 75 years old, according to People.
Her death was confirmed on the Facebook page for Lizard Queen Press, a publishing company she founded, per People. She died on July 23, according to the statement, and her cause of death is unknown at the time of this writing. "To all of you who have supported our beloved Lizard Queen, I wanted to let you know that she passed this morning," the statement read. "Her family announced it on Patricia's page. To say we are all reeling from the news is an understatement. We will miss our friend very very much. She was a beautiful soul, a talented writer, and a loving and wonderful friend." The page welcomed fans to share their "tributes and farewells" before taking down the page in two weeks.
Born in Brooklyn, Patricia grew up on Long Island, N.Y. and attended St. Bonaventure University to study journalism, per The New York Times. She later transferred to Harpur College (known today as SUNY Binghamton) and learned about rock music, which scored her a job at Jazz & Pop magazine in 1968. Her coverage of rock music eventually led her to Jim Morrison of The Doors. Keep reading for more details on her life with the musician.
Patricia Kennealy-Morrison and Jim Morrison were made for each other
You could say it was love at first sight for Patricia Kennealy-Morrison and Jim Morrison. When she interviewed the rocker in 1969, there was "a visible shower of bright blue sparks flying in all directions" after they shook hands, as she detailed in her 1992 memoir, "Strange Days: My Life With and Without Jim Morrison" (via The New York Times).
Patricia "practiced Celtic paganism" and in 1970, she and Jim made their love official with a "handfasting ceremony," per The New York Times. The ceremony was portrayed in the 1991 Oliver Stone film "The Doors," but Patricia did not have the best things to say about it, per the outlet. Val Kilmer starred as Morrison and Kathleen Quinlan played Patricia, while Patricia even played a Wicca priestess presiding over the ceremony. But Patricia said the movie "misrepresented" Jim and "trivialized the ceremony," and "did not give enough prominence to her relationship with Morrison," per NYT.
After Jim died in July 1971 (via People), Patricia worked in advertising at RCA and Columbia Records, according to the Los Angeles Times. She also wrote science fiction and rock 'n roll mystery books. Carla DeSantis Black, one of her peers in the rock journalism scene, will clearly miss her. "She had a very kind heart and if you were fortunate enough to be on the list of people she trusted you could do no wrong," she told the LA Times.