TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – It’s a strange sheaf of documents for Florida’s governor to have. The thick notebook describes how Jim Morrison discussed sex with a lamb he held on stage, ordered fans to “love your neighbor ’til it hurts” and later, at trial, defended his boozy singing to a prosecutor.
But did the lead singer of The Doors show his genitals to the crowd at the 1969 concert in Miami, a charge on which he was famously convicted? Gov. Charlie Crist wants to posthumously pardon him of indecent exposure and profanity convictions, and the governor’s last chance is coming up at a Clemency Board meeting next Thursday. Crist leaves office in January. To prepare for the meeting, Crist asked his staff to find whatever information they could about the Miami concert, and the governor received a three-ring binder with dozens of pages. The documents paint a vivid picture of a wild night.
Additional Photos
Other materials detail some of Morrison’s trial testimony, a letter from Morrison’s father to the Florida Parole Commission and other information about the long-dead rocker. It also includes information on other arrests of the singer in Tallahassee when Morrison was a Florida State University student; New Haven, Conn.; Las Vegas and Phoenix.
The research, much of it culled from websites such as www.rockmine.com., projects the image of a man who had problems with alcohol and had a penchant for mischief. But Crist believes it also casts doubt on the 1970 conviction. The governor’s office stressed that the binder is an informal report and that the Parole Commission is conducting its own investigation.
Costner debuts his country sensibilities
NASHVILLE – Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Costner isn’t what he’d call a “natural-born host.”
He said no again and again until executive producer John Hamlin sat him down and brought up Costner’s country band, Modern West. That’s when Costner realized he wasn’t being asked to host solely on his star power as an actor.
Kevin Costner and Modern West are currently writing and setting up their tour schedule for next year. Their tour will include stops in the United States, Europe and South America.
‘Dora’ actress drops claim
NEW YORK – A teenage actress has dropped her claim that Nickelodeon massively underpaid her for lending her voice to the plucky cartoon heroine of “Dora The Explorer,” and the network said Friday she would do some more work on the pioneering children’s show.
Caitlin Sanchez agreed to dismiss her lawsuit against the network and its corporate parents last month, federal court records show. Nickelodeon said Friday that Caitlin would finish some future episodes. The network declined to say how many or otherwise detail its arrangement with the Fairview, N.J., teen.
“We have always felt, and continue to feel, that Caitlin is a very talented performer,” the network said in a statement. “Our intention was always that Caitlin complete the episodes on which she worked, and we are pleased that she has agreed to do so.”
Send questions/comments to the editors.
