WHY VH1'S "TRIBUTE TO THE DOORS' on DECADES ROCK series, will not be aired on October 8th

I have been in touch with VH1 trying to find out why this Saturday's premiere episode of VH1 Decades Rock starring Robby, Ray and Ian and numerous musical guests, is not on their schedule and has not gotten any hype or promotion.  The unbelievable answer is that one of the members of The Doors has not agreed to the sync licenses necessary for the broadcast.  That's right, even those songs penned by Robby Krieger are therefore blocked from use.   As it now stands, this show may never see the light of day.  The millions of fans worldwide who have been waiting for this broadcast, can figure out for themselves who to thank.  

In early August, the two band members who are still proud to be members of The Doors, played a special show in Atlantic City at Trump Taj Mahal.   It was a special occasion AND a special honor, because that performance was recorded by VH1 and would be the premiere episode of their new Decades Rock series.  Just try to imagine what VH1's production costs for that endeavor must have been!

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OUR BAND?   It most visibly began when John declined (refused?) to join Ray and Robby when the band was invited to play to thousands of fans, old & new & future, when Harley-Davidson offered them the headlining slot on the opening night of their year-long, 100th anniversary celebration in 2002.  There were offers made to accommodate John's tinnitus with special equipment;  John declined (refused?) to join his band mates, but gave his blessing for Ray and Robby to go forward.  Six months later, and after more tour dates were announced and played, John filed a lawsuit against his band mates to prevent them from touring and using the band name that has given them all comfortable lives.   Two and a half years later, and many millions of dollars long gone, the lawsuit continues to become uglier and more bitter than I could ever have imagined in my worst-scenario fears. 

While claiming that it was not about the money, but rather 'protecting the legacy' ... you would gasp to know how much money Plaintiff Densmore is pursuing.  So, is it over yet?   Absolutely not!   Meanwhile, Ray and Robby have continued to tour, bringing the live music of The Doors to hundreds of thousands of fans in something like 80 cities in 20 countries on 4 continents. 

Is there anyone reading this who does not agree with the basic logic that efforts such as VH1 Storytellers in 2000, 3 years of hard touring, and the now-submarined VH1 Decades Rock program ... would result in new fans, a fresh fervor of excitement about the band, and a surge of product sales?   Who would benefit from that?   Who wouldn't??    Let there be NO doubt in the minds of fans about who has been trying to preserve and expand on the legacy of The Doors, and who has focused on burying that image and hindering further growth.

October 3, 2005

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