Honoring Ray Manzarek and the unforgettable keyboard riffs that continue to echo through time. From his roots in Chicago and early days playing music with his brothers, to co-founding The Doors, Ray never stopped exploring new creative ground. He was the architect of the band’s sound -fusing rock, jazz, blues, classical, and more into something entirely original. Photos by Henry Diltz, Paul Ferrara, Jerry Hopkins, and Nettie Pena. | The Doors

THIS WEDNESDAY, The Doors: Break On Thru - A Celebration of Ray Manzarek comes to a cinema near you for one night only. | The Doors

Ray Manzarek February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013 Ray Manzarek, born February 12, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois, was the keyboardist and a founding member of The Doors, formed in 1965 with Jim Morrison, Robby Krieger, and John Densmore. He studied economics at DePaul University and earned an MFA in cinematography at UCLA, where he met Morrison. Manzarek’s use of the Vox Continental organ and Fender Rhodes Piano Bass, playing basslines with his left hand, shaped The Doors’ sound in songs like “Light My