Post by darkstar2 on Sept 12, 2008 14:23:36 GMT
Mitch McCracken's Interview
With Billy Cassleberry
Circa 1974
There have been stories lately about Jim Morrison being alive and well, it reminded me of a time
that seems so long ago and yet just like yesterday…this is one of the shortest interviews I ever
did! It was just three years after Morrison's Death, I lived in New Orleans. I was Music Director
and Mid-day jock at an album rock station, the call letters were WRNO "The Rock of New Orleans".
The station was owned by Joe Costello and he came
into the control room one day when I was on the air. He said
"You'll never guess who is out in the lobby! Jim Morrison of the
Doors that's who"! I could tell he really believed it so I held back
my grin. "I want you to interview him…Now"!
I knew I had to bust his bubble, because back then disc jockeys had some say as to what was played and who was interviewed during their shift.
I had to think of my credibility. Everyone knew Morrison was
dead (a heart attack at 27, right?) ok, so there where some
questions, but this guy whoever he was wouldn't have the
answers. I asked Joe if the rigor mortise was very bad! "If you
don't interview him…your replacement will". Okay so this guy
has sold Joe on the fact that he is the real Jim Morrison, I had to
think of some way of saving myself.
I couldn't come across as if I believed this was Jim Morrison. I told Joe to give me five minutes and I would come out and get Jim for the interview. I got everything ready that I thought I would need for the Media event of the year! I went out to the lobby to bring Jim back to to bring Jim back to the control room.
The last three or so years had not been kind to the late Mr. Morrison, he had gained quite a bit of weight, had somehow damaged his left leg (he now walks with a Cain), his mannerisms said that he was now playing for the other team! Oh yeah he was also much uglier in person than in pictures and album covers. The truth is this guy looks like a bad picture of Jim Morrison on the back of the Doors 13 Album. I brought him into the control room and we talked for a few minutes before going on the air. I never let on that I thought he was a fraud. The song ended and we went on the air. I did introduce him as Jim Morrison and we would clear up any questions about Paris in 1971.
Mitch: Having said that Jim, what did happened in Paris in '71?
Jim: My double died.
Mitch: Oh, you had a double?
Jim: Yeah, my Management Company and Record Company had a guy who looked and sounded like me. I was doing a lot of morphine at the time and didn't always make it to the shows. So my double would fill in for me. Anyway he died and I took the opportunity to go underground.
Mitch: So you're telling me that they had a guy who looked like you, sounded like you and was more dependable than you?
Jim: That's right.
Mitch: What did they need with you?
Jim: Hey, I'm a song writer.
Mitch: So is Neil Sedaka.
(Silence for a few seconds)
Mitch: Well I tell you what Jim, I've got "Riders on the Storm" cued up on the turntable here, why don't you sing along.
Jim: I didn't come here to sing today.
Mitch: (as record rolls) it's one song, and this will end any doubt as to if you are Jim Morrison or NOT.
(by the way he did have California Drivers License that read James Douglas Morrison)
Jim: I'm NOT singing.
Mitch: Then I would have to say you are NOT Jim Morrison.
(As the vocal of the song approaches "Jim" gets up and limps out of the control room.)
Mitch: So I guess your double would have come in handy today huh, Jim?
Footnote:
About a year later when I was between radio jobs I saw an ad in
the paper for a Manager of a record shop in the French Quarter
about a block from where I lived. The only problem was the
interview would have to take place in Baton Rouge. So I drove up
to do the interview with a man named Billy Casselberry. I walked
into the office and looked across the desk at Mr. Casselberry and
said "Why, its Jim isn't it"? He just looked down and said "to some people". I got the job and Billy was later sentenced to prison for fraud and embezzlement not related to the late Mr Morrison.
www.mitchmccracken.com/Jim_Morrison.html
Bank of America of Louisiana (Paperback)
by William Casselberry aka Jim Morrison
Product Details
Paperback
Publisher: B of a Communications Co (July 1, 1983)
Language: English
ISBN: 0915628007
www.amazon.com
From BOMP BOOKS:
The Bank of America of Louisiana [1979, 1983]
The "Louisiana" Jim Morrison
"Several years ago, I found this book at a local newspaper stand. I had heard so many rumors of Jim Morrison being alive and well and living in Louisiana that I decided to buy it. It is apparently authored by a local eccentric from a relatively influential family from Baton Rouge, who actually changed his name to Jim Morrison on the grounds that the late rock star's spirit entered his LSD-laced body during a Mardi Gras at Lee's Circle, and then inspired him to shake the establishment by subverting it's finacial institutions. It's difficult to tell if the many misspelled words are done so unwittingly or with artistic intent, or are the loose associations of a psychotic mind. Strangely enough, there is reportedly some truth to the author's claims of swindling the Bank of America (although he states that the story is classifed as fiction for the purposes of judicial review), and he actually later ran for lieutenant governor of Louisiana on the platform that he was the perfect person for a high-paying, do-nothing job. This is an interesting story of a strange an interesting eccentric from the Bayou state, but I think that the real Jim Morrison lies in Pere Lachaise."
www.bomp.com/bomp/BompbooksDoors2.html
Light My Fire (Paperback)
by William Casselberry aka Jim Morrison, Gordon Slack (Editor)
Product Details
Paperback: 193 pages
Publisher: Zeppelin Pub Co (February 1, 1984)
Language: English
ISBN: 0915628058
www.amazon.com
Light My Fire [1978, 2/84]
"The famous book 'Predicted By Nostradamus' (as the cover reads) sequel to Bank of America of Louisianna. This is the first (and only) edition published by Zeppelin, Baton Rouge, La in 1984. Overall a pretty nice copy of the psychotic ramblings of William Casselberry, passing himself off as Jim Morrison as he reappears on earth disguised as a super hippy."
www.bomp.com/bomp/BompbooksDoors2.html
With Billy Cassleberry
Circa 1974
There have been stories lately about Jim Morrison being alive and well, it reminded me of a time
that seems so long ago and yet just like yesterday…this is one of the shortest interviews I ever
did! It was just three years after Morrison's Death, I lived in New Orleans. I was Music Director
and Mid-day jock at an album rock station, the call letters were WRNO "The Rock of New Orleans".
The station was owned by Joe Costello and he came
into the control room one day when I was on the air. He said
"You'll never guess who is out in the lobby! Jim Morrison of the
Doors that's who"! I could tell he really believed it so I held back
my grin. "I want you to interview him…Now"!
I knew I had to bust his bubble, because back then disc jockeys had some say as to what was played and who was interviewed during their shift.
I had to think of my credibility. Everyone knew Morrison was
dead (a heart attack at 27, right?) ok, so there where some
questions, but this guy whoever he was wouldn't have the
answers. I asked Joe if the rigor mortise was very bad! "If you
don't interview him…your replacement will". Okay so this guy
has sold Joe on the fact that he is the real Jim Morrison, I had to
think of some way of saving myself.
I couldn't come across as if I believed this was Jim Morrison. I told Joe to give me five minutes and I would come out and get Jim for the interview. I got everything ready that I thought I would need for the Media event of the year! I went out to the lobby to bring Jim back to to bring Jim back to the control room.
The last three or so years had not been kind to the late Mr. Morrison, he had gained quite a bit of weight, had somehow damaged his left leg (he now walks with a Cain), his mannerisms said that he was now playing for the other team! Oh yeah he was also much uglier in person than in pictures and album covers. The truth is this guy looks like a bad picture of Jim Morrison on the back of the Doors 13 Album. I brought him into the control room and we talked for a few minutes before going on the air. I never let on that I thought he was a fraud. The song ended and we went on the air. I did introduce him as Jim Morrison and we would clear up any questions about Paris in 1971.
Mitch: Having said that Jim, what did happened in Paris in '71?
Jim: My double died.
Mitch: Oh, you had a double?
Jim: Yeah, my Management Company and Record Company had a guy who looked and sounded like me. I was doing a lot of morphine at the time and didn't always make it to the shows. So my double would fill in for me. Anyway he died and I took the opportunity to go underground.
Mitch: So you're telling me that they had a guy who looked like you, sounded like you and was more dependable than you?
Jim: That's right.
Mitch: What did they need with you?
Jim: Hey, I'm a song writer.
Mitch: So is Neil Sedaka.
(Silence for a few seconds)
Mitch: Well I tell you what Jim, I've got "Riders on the Storm" cued up on the turntable here, why don't you sing along.
Jim: I didn't come here to sing today.
Mitch: (as record rolls) it's one song, and this will end any doubt as to if you are Jim Morrison or NOT.
(by the way he did have California Drivers License that read James Douglas Morrison)
Jim: I'm NOT singing.
Mitch: Then I would have to say you are NOT Jim Morrison.
(As the vocal of the song approaches "Jim" gets up and limps out of the control room.)
Mitch: So I guess your double would have come in handy today huh, Jim?
Footnote:
About a year later when I was between radio jobs I saw an ad in
the paper for a Manager of a record shop in the French Quarter
about a block from where I lived. The only problem was the
interview would have to take place in Baton Rouge. So I drove up
to do the interview with a man named Billy Casselberry. I walked
into the office and looked across the desk at Mr. Casselberry and
said "Why, its Jim isn't it"? He just looked down and said "to some people". I got the job and Billy was later sentenced to prison for fraud and embezzlement not related to the late Mr Morrison.
www.mitchmccracken.com/Jim_Morrison.html
Bank of America of Louisiana (Paperback)
by William Casselberry aka Jim Morrison
Product Details
Paperback
Publisher: B of a Communications Co (July 1, 1983)
Language: English
ISBN: 0915628007
www.amazon.com
From BOMP BOOKS:
The Bank of America of Louisiana [1979, 1983]
The "Louisiana" Jim Morrison
"Several years ago, I found this book at a local newspaper stand. I had heard so many rumors of Jim Morrison being alive and well and living in Louisiana that I decided to buy it. It is apparently authored by a local eccentric from a relatively influential family from Baton Rouge, who actually changed his name to Jim Morrison on the grounds that the late rock star's spirit entered his LSD-laced body during a Mardi Gras at Lee's Circle, and then inspired him to shake the establishment by subverting it's finacial institutions. It's difficult to tell if the many misspelled words are done so unwittingly or with artistic intent, or are the loose associations of a psychotic mind. Strangely enough, there is reportedly some truth to the author's claims of swindling the Bank of America (although he states that the story is classifed as fiction for the purposes of judicial review), and he actually later ran for lieutenant governor of Louisiana on the platform that he was the perfect person for a high-paying, do-nothing job. This is an interesting story of a strange an interesting eccentric from the Bayou state, but I think that the real Jim Morrison lies in Pere Lachaise."
www.bomp.com/bomp/BompbooksDoors2.html
Light My Fire (Paperback)
by William Casselberry aka Jim Morrison, Gordon Slack (Editor)
Product Details
Paperback: 193 pages
Publisher: Zeppelin Pub Co (February 1, 1984)
Language: English
ISBN: 0915628058
www.amazon.com
Light My Fire [1978, 2/84]
"The famous book 'Predicted By Nostradamus' (as the cover reads) sequel to Bank of America of Louisianna. This is the first (and only) edition published by Zeppelin, Baton Rouge, La in 1984. Overall a pretty nice copy of the psychotic ramblings of William Casselberry, passing himself off as Jim Morrison as he reappears on earth disguised as a super hippy."
www.bomp.com/bomp/BompbooksDoors2.html