In what year was Ray Manzarek born?

Ray Manzarek was born in 1939.

Born Raymond Daniel Manczarek Jr. on February 12, 1939, he grew up on Chicago’s South Side in a Polish American family. He later shortened the family name by dropping the “c,” becoming known professionally as Ray Manzarek.

Manzarek studied economics at DePaul University before moving to California and earning a master’s degree in cinematography from UCLA. There, he met Jim Morrison, and the two co-founded The Doors in 1965. Manzarek’s distinctive keyboard playing helped define the band’s sound, especially on songs such as “Light My Fire” and “Riders on the Storm.”

A common mix-up is confusing Manzarek’s birth year with the dates of The Doors’ major releases. The band’s debut album arrived in 1967, when Manzarek was 28. He remained active in music after The Doors and died in Germany in 2013 at age 74.