CHERI AMOUR - Grand Opening

8214 West Norton Avenue, West Hollywood, CA

July 3, 2004

Cheri Amour is located at 8214 West Norton Avenue in West Hollywood ... just a short block off Santa Monica Boulevard.   This was the last known U.S.  residence of Jim and Pam before they left for Paris in early 1971.

The building's new owner held an official grand opening ceremony on this 33rd anniversary of Jim's death from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Participation in this event would cost adults $9.95 to enter the grounds, but was free with special invitation or media pass.  

The price of admission -- said to be a media event -- would include a tour of the property including the meditation garden, a complimentary gift bag, a 2-page brochure filled with juicy gossip, and the opportunity to pray for and leave a remembrance for Jim Morrison in the Memorial Garden.

Several weeks earlier, I had requested to be on the guest list (meaning, free admission) for myself and my friend who would be taking photos for an anticipated story for this website.    I got a cordial but firm turndown on that:   free passes were only for celebrity attendees and press from TV, radio, and major publications.   Ms. Woods said that did not include Doors website owners or freelance photographers.   That notwithstanding, she said that she hoped I would put a notice on my website about this!    (which I did do).    Okay!    So much for that.

Expecting a crowd, Beverly and I cruised the street about 30 minutes before the 2:00 event and saw no signs of life at the address, so we parked and went for a quick bite to eat.  Arriving at 5 minutes to 2:00, there was still not a soul in sight, and the gate was locked.    Our friend Mark showed up, and we stood out on the sidewalk assessing the situation.   The street side or front of the building now has a metal plate on the wall that said Cheri Amour.   It's unclear whether this was a reference to the owner's unseemly past, or referred to the Jim & Pam lovebirds, or both.   Or, maybe she's just a Stevie Wonder fan, in addition to Elvis Presley.

After waiting a few minutes, three fans showed up.   We soon followed them through the gate.   Incidentally, the locked gate and fence is a new addition.    Fans used to be able to enter the property and find the 8216-1/2  house number which indicated where Jim & Pam's apartment had been  ... but no longer:  now, an appointment and $9.95 will get you that privilege.

We each paid the $9.95 entrance fee ... actually, I guess we each paid $10.00 because none of us received a nickel in change.

As we paid our admittance, the hostess offered us the chance to spend another $25. or so for her biography about her previous career as a Madam.  

The 2-page brochure we were expecting, was actually a white piece of paper with text photocopied on both sides of the page.   The content is the owner's bio, and then continues on with history of the building, description of the interior, and stories about the couple during their residency there.    The tour of the property was actually to be a 'self-guided' tour, based on reading the information contained in the "brochure" which identified Jim's dog Sage, as Shane.

As we rounded the corner of the building, we first encountered a small television set perched in a window of the front apartment, repeatedly playing a short video about some nut-job from the Pacific Northwest claiming to be Jim.   The sun was shining directly onto the screen, making it difficult to even see the offered program.

The small courtyard on the left had several bistros tables and chairs and a bench.   There was a photo of Jim in one of the windows, and a small alcove with flowers which we think was intended to be the Memorial Garden.

We learned from this piece of paper that in February 2004, a séance was held in #8216-1/2, attended by 3 renouned (sic) psychics and filmed for a European TV series titled "Dead Famous."

Visitors were requested to not even ascend the staircase leading to the apartment where Jim and Pam lived, for the resident's privacy and safety purposes.   However, there was a large lizard mounted on the wall next to the staircase, so theoretically one could stroke that instead.

As we continued down the narrow driveway -- past the staircase we were not allowed to go up -- was a 6-car garage at the rear of the house.   The far right garage - straight ahead - was identified as Jim's garage where his lime green Dodge Charger was parked.  Supposedly, the black marks along the wall  (which I didn't see) were from Jim's erratic or intoxicated driving.   (I guess no other residents ever had trouble negotiating the tight corner or narrow driveway.)

At the rear of the house was a pile of dirt, where a young lady was filling baggies with it.   This dirt was said to be excavated from the front of the building and the courtyard area.   We were each offered a bag of it, which constituted the promised free gift bag with a Doors memorabilia item.

By now, a young man and lady had arrived, and another friend of ours.

It seemed that there was no official "dedication" ceremony.  Nothing of that sort was indicated.   There were not even pretzels or beverages offered!   There seemed to be nothing else to do or see, so the four of us left.   We surmised that all those celebrities and the press from TV, radio, and major publications, would arrive after we left.

Did we feel like we got our $9.95 --- err, umm, make that, $10.00 worth?    Does it sound like it???

To learn more about this site and the owner, Cheri Woods, her website is:  www.cheriwoods.com/doors.html

by Ida   7/4/04

return to Ida's LA Woman Confidential home page   

 for more Doors news and reviews