RAY Manzarek, who died last month, was the keyboard player with The Doors, doing every bit as much to shape the band’s dark, psychedelic sound as its charismatic lead singer Jim Morrison.

In the six years after the band formed in 1965, Manzarek and Morrison, with the addition of John Densmore on drums and Robby Krieger on guitar, produced a string of enduring hits, such as People Are Strange and Riders on the Storm.

“Manzarek provided the drive and musical discipline to shape Morrison’s rock and roll aspirations into something more concrete,” said Steven Paterson, who plays Morrison in the Doors Experience, who come to Darwen’s Library Theatre on June 15.

“Manzarek was just as rooted in the hippie, anti-establishment ideals of the late 1960s, and his riffs and solos on his Vox organ was a huge part of The Doors sound.

“His death is a great loss to music and The Doors family.”

The Doors’ first single — Break on Through (to the Other Side) — barely grazed the charts, but months later when Light My Fire rocketed to number one, The Doors were on their way to becoming one of the world’s most famous bands.

“I was always fascinated by the The Doors, especially the life of Jim Morrison, so a couple of years ago we got together as The Doors Experience and it has really taken off,” said Steven.

“They’ve never gone away as a musical force — The Doors sell a million albums a year and that’s incredible.

“There are many, many Doors tribute bands and I find it sad that some of them portray Jim as a drunk, and actually perform like that on stage.

“I find that really disrespectful to his memory and I think what we do is more of a real Doors experience.

“We tell the story of the era through films and news footage from the 1960s, for example the Vietnam War and assasination of President Kennedy, playing on a big screen behind us.

“It takes the audience back to when Jim Morrison ruled the world of rock and roll and the world was a different place.

“Our performance is not just a show. It is a taste of the sights and musical sounds of the 1960s and 70s.”

The four-piece Doors Experience have been earning rave reviews, and doing justice to Jim is a big deal for Steven, who is very aware of the rock cowboy boots he has to fill when he sings those vintage classics When The Music’s Over and The End.

Steven’s rich, baritone vocals and his Sixties, lounge lizard stage presence make him the perfect doppelganger for the icon, whose music influenced generations.

“We’ve got all the costumes, right down to the replica hand-made belt that Jim Morrison made famous live with The Doors and he wore in many of his photo shoots.

“The original one was made by the Navajo Indians in America, and he wore it when The Doors played the Hollywood Bowl.

“Most all, though, it is wonderful to see so many young people discovering The Doors and what we do, hopefully, helps nurture The Doors’ amazing legacy.”

  • The Doors Experience, Darwen Library Theatre, 01254 706006, Saturday, June 15.