From 1965 to 1971, Pamela Courson stood by Jim Morrison's side as his girlfriend and muse — until his tragic death at age 27.
Left: Public Domain; Right: Chris Walter/WireImage/Getty ImagesPamela Courson became Jim Morrison’s girlfriend after they met at a Hollywood club in 1965.
Pamela Courson embodied the free spirit of the hippie generation. An art school dropout, she was determined to pursue art on her own terms — and make a name for herself. But ultimately, she’s mostly remembered for being Jim Morrison’s girlfriend.
The beautiful Californian had already embraced the counterculture movement by the time she met The Doors frontman in 1965. So it’s little wonder why she was attracted to the wild rock star. The pair quickly became a couple, with Morrison describing her as his “cosmic partner.”
But the relationship of Pamela Courson and Jim Morrison was far from a fairytale. From drug abuse to repeated infidelities to explosive arguments, their relationship was the definition of tumultuous — and sometimes even escalated into violence. Yet Morrison and Courson always seemed to find a way to reconcile.
By 1971, the couple had decided to move to Paris together. But tragically, they were only there for a few months before Jim Morrison’s death at 27. And nearly three years later, Pamela Courson would meet an eerily similar fate.
How Pamela Courson Met Jim Morrison
Estate of Edmund Teske/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesPamela Courson and her “cosmic partner” at a 1969 photo shoot in Hollywood.
Pamela Courson was born on December 22, 1946, in Weed, California. Though her interior designer mother and junior high school principal father were kind and caring, Courson wanted more than a white picket fence.
As a young adult in the mid-1960s, Courson studied art at Los Angeles City College. But the rigors of academia felt constraining to her — and she soon dropped out. It was around that same time that she met Jim Morrison.
As the story goes, Pamela Courson found herself at a Hollywood nightclub called London Fog, attending one of the earliest shows that The Doors played in the city. Courson and Morrison were instantly drawn to each other.
By the time “Light My Fire” hit the scene in 1967, the couple had already moved in together in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, The Doors’ keyboardist Ray Manzarek confessed that he “never knew another person who could so complement [Morrison’s] bizarreness.”
Life As Jim Morrison’s Girlfriend
Estate of Edmund Teske/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesPamela Courson and Jim Morrison were known for their volatile relationship.
After just a year of living together, the couple made plans to marry. In December 1967, Pamela Courson obtained a marriage license in Denver, Colorado while she was on the road with The Doors. But Courson failed to have the license filed or notarized — causing her plans to fall through.
Instead of trying elsewhere at another time, Morrison surprised his “cosmic partner” with full access to his money. He also agreed to finance Themis, the fashion boutique that Courson had dreamt of opening.
With a high-profile clientele that included Sharon Tate and Miles Davis, Courson’s career had taken off in tandem with her boyfriend’s. Sadly, the couple was fighting constantly, often fueled by alcohol and drug abuse.
One former neighbor of the couple said, “One night, Pam came over late, claiming Jim had tried to kill her. She said he had pushed her into the closet and set it on fire when he found out she had been sleeping with this phony prince who had supplied her with heroin.”
Meanwhile, Morrison became increasingly dependent on alcohol, and it showed in his performances. In 1969, he was even accused of exposing himself on stage in Miami. Though Morrison avoided convictions for serious legal charges — like a felony count of lewd and lascivious behavior and public drunkenness — he was found guilty of indecent exposure and open profanity. He was ultimately released on a $50,000 bond.
While it’s still debated whether Morrison actually exposed himself that night, there was no question that his addictions were getting the better of him. So Morrison moved to Paris with Courson — hoping for a change of scenery.
The Tragic Scene Of Pamela Courson’s Death Just Three Years After Morrison’s Demise
Barbara Alper/Getty ImagesThe grave of Jim Morrison. Sadly, Pamela Courson’s death scene was reported in the news just three years after Morrison’s.
In Paris, Morrison seemed to find peace — and take better care of himself. So it came as a shock when he died just months after arriving. But not everyone was surprised. While in the city, Morrison and Courson had indulged in old habits and frequented many notorious nightclubs.
On July 3, 1971, Pamela Courson found Jim Morrison immobile and unresponsive in the bathtub of their Paris apartment. When the police arrived, she said that he had woken up in the middle of the night feeling sick and started a hot bath. Morrison was soon declared dead of heart failure, thought to be brought on by a heroin overdose.
But not everyone buys the official story. From whispers that he died in the bathroom of a nightclub to rumors that he faked his own death, Morrison’s demise has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. But perhaps most ominously, some people have accused his girlfriend of playing a role in his death, especially since Courson was the sole heir in his will.
While Courson was interviewed by the police, they apparently took her story at face value — and no autopsy was ever performed. Still, Courson was never officially suspected of anything related to her boyfriend’s death. After he was buried, she simply returned to Los Angeles alone. And due to legal battles, she never saw a dime of Morrison’s fortune.
In the years after Morrison’s death, Courson’s own addictions grew rapidly worse. She often described herself as “Jim Morrison’s wife” — despite the fact that they had never married — and sometimes even delusionally claimed that he was about to call her.
Nearly three years later, she suffered the same fate as The Doors frontman — and died at age 27 of a heroin overdose just like him.
After learning about Pamela Courson and Jim Morrison, read the tragic story of Janis Joplin’s demise. Then, uncover the chilling mystery of Natalie Wood’s death.
