“Jim Morrison’s grave at Père Lachaise cemetery” by Christoph Derndorfer is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Nearly 40 years ago, a sculpted bust of Jim Morrison, singer, songwriter, poet, and face of The Doors, was removed from his final resting place at the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris. Morrison passed away at the tender age of 27, leaving behind a rampant fanbase. Despite his 1971 death, the symbolic cloaked carving was taken in 1988 and was only recently recovered by local authorities. 

According to authorities, who posted about the discovery of the bust on their official social media channels, “After 37 years of absence, the bust of Jim Morrison, stolen in 1988 from the Père Lachaise cemetery, has been found!” 

“During an investigation conducted by the Financial and Anti-Corruption Brigade of the Directorate of Judicial Police of the Prefecture of Police, under the authority of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, this iconic symbol for the singer’s fans was recovered,” the authorities concluded, without giving too much away.  

Morrison’s grave has long been a place of pilgrimage for fans and admirers of the Lizard King. According to the city’s official website, “The grave of Jim Morrison is one of the most popular, attracting crowds of admirers on the anniversary of his death, every July 3. Other witnesses to our history are the different walls dedicated to our fallen, such as the Mur des fédérés.”

Croatian artist Mladen Mikulin chiseled the bust, which was placed at Morrison’s forever resting spot to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the musician’s untimely passing. Known regionally as Poet’s Corner, the spot has had security since a riot broke out in the cemetery on the 10th anniversary of Morrison’s death, leading to the commissioning of a guard, which has stood watch since. 

Morrison is one of many artists whose graves have drawn a crowd and experienced theft. Joy Division singer and songwriter Ian Curtis’ Macclesfield Cemetery grave marker, bearing the inscriptions “Ian Curtis 18–5–80” and “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” was stolen in August 2019.

See the Financial and Anti-Corruption Brigade of the Directorate of Judicial Police of the Prefecture of Police post below.