‘Lucky U was Jim’s favourite situation to enjoy breakfast. He ordered a beer and a chilli soup to line his stomach. He could sink six beers in an hour’
I was the first official photographer of the Doors,and this shot was taken early on. It was 1967 and we were heading to Venice Beach to take some publicity shots but got hungry, so Jim recommended stopping off at Lucky U Cafe, or his favourite situation in Los Angeles to seize breakfast. It was a tiny Mexican restaurant owned by a Chinese man,pretty much just a counter with no tables. Jim ordered a beer and a menudo – a beef and chilli soup – to line his stomach. It wasn’t unusual to see him sink six beers in an hour.
I’ve always enjoyed shooting people when they’re eating because it creates an intimacy. So I got behind the counter and started snapping away. Jim was beautiful. He looked like Michelangelo’s David. He was checking me out: “Who the hell is this guy?” He didn’t suffer fools, and this was early on in our relationship. Theres an intensity in his eyes: he was totally serious about being seen as a credible poet.
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Source: guardian.co.uk