The traditional narrative recounts that on the fateful night of his passing, legendary rocker Jim Morrison attended a movie in Paris, listened to music, fell unwell, and succumbed to heart failure in his bathtub at the tender age of 27.

However, lingering speculations have always encircled the demise of The Doors’ frontman, and now, after 36 years, a former Paris nightclub manager has emerged with a different version of events.

In a newly released book, Sam Bernett claims that Morrison actually perished in a lavatory stall at his club following what he suspects was a heroin overdose.

In his book titled “The End: Jim Morrison,” Bernett vividly describes stumbling upon Morrison’s lifeless body, lamenting how the vibrant singer had transformed into a motionless heap crumpled within the nightclub’s toilet.

Bernett alleges that two drug peddlers transported Morrison’s body back to his residence.

Despite being hounded by journalists investigating Morrison’s demise for years, Bernett chose to remain reticent about his account until his wife suggested chronicling it in a book last year.

Expressing his distress over the ordeal, Bernett disclosed to The Associated Press, “For me, it’s a very bad (memory).”

Rumors of an Overdose

The question lingers: Did Jim Morrison truly meet his end in his bathtub?

Persistent hearsay has hinted at Morrison falling victim to an overdose and falling ill at the nightclub, yet no eyewitnesses have come forth.

Patrick Chauvel, a renowned war photographer and writer who occasionally assisted in managing the bar at the club, recollects aiding individuals carrying Morrison up a staircase within the establishment.

Chauvel surmises, “I think he was already dead,” reflecting on the possibility of including the incident in a 2005 publication, which was ultimately advised against by his publisher.

He questioned the absence of an ambulance if Morrison had still been alive, musing on the passage of time and the likelihood of alcohol consumption during that era.

An official from the Paris prosecutor’s office iterated the improbability of reopening the case or prosecuting anyone involved in Morrison’s demise due to the expiration of the statute of limitations on legal actions.

Stephen Davis, renowned for his work “Jim Morrison: Life, Death, Legend,” asserts that he would not revise history in light of the recent revelations.

Based on his investigations, Davis postulates that Morrison did indeed overdose at the club, albeit shortly before his demise, and contends that Morrison lingered post-overdose.

Davis expressed skepticism regarding the belated emergence of the nightclub toilet scenario, questioning why such information had not surfaced earlier.

Turmoil in Paris

Morrison arrived in Paris in March 1971 amidst a tumultuous phase in his life.

Following an incident in Florida where he was accused of indecent exposure, Morrison relocated to Paris with pending legal matters.

Residing in a Right Bank apartment with his partner Pamela Courson, Morrison’s health deteriorated as he roamed the streets with a bag containing his writings.

Frequenting the Rock and Roll Circus, a popular Left Bank nightclub managed by Bernett, Morrison encountered stars like Roman Polanski and Marianne Faithfull.

On the fatal night of July 3, 1971, Morrison visited the club and interacted with two individuals suspected of supplying heroin to Courson.

Subsequently, Morrison was discovered unresponsive in a locked toilet stall.

Bernett narrates how a doctor in the club identified signs of a heroin overdose upon inspecting Morrison’s body, despite the absence of direct evidence linking Morrison to heroin consumption that evening.

Conflicting Narratives

Bernett contends that the drug dealers maintained that Morrison was merely unconscious and clandestinely removed him from the premises.

Although Bernett contemplated summoning medical assistance and authorities, the club’s proprietor instructed him to maintain silence to prevent a scandal.

Meanwhile, Courson, Morrison’s girlfriend who passed away from an overdose three years later, relayed a contrasting account to law enforcement.

According to Courson, the couple dined out, watched movies, and retired for the night, only for her to discover Morrison deceased in the bathtub after he took a hot bath feeling unwell.

Following his demise, Morrison was laid to rest at Pere Lachaise cemetery in a modest ceremony on July 7, 1971, without undergoing an autopsy.