Which guitarist was a member of The Doors?

Robby Krieger was the guitarist who became a member of The Doors. His distinctive, economical guitar work helped give the band its unusual sound and produced several of its best-known songs.

Krieger joined the group in 1965 after playing with John Densmore in the Psychedelic Rangers. He became the final member of the original quartet, completing the lineup with singer Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, and drummer Densmore.

Unlike many rock guitarists of the era, Krieger often avoided heavy blues-rock excess. He used flamenco, jazz, blues, and classical ideas, creating spacious parts that fit around Manzarek’s keyboards and Morrison’s vocals. Krieger wrote or co-wrote major Doors songs including “Light My Fire,” “Love Me Two Times,” “Touch Me,” and “Love Her Madly.”

A frequent misconception is that Morrison wrote all of The Doors’ material. Morrison was the band’s principal lyricist, but Krieger supplied much of the music for several enduring tracks. Krieger remained with The Doors through their post-Morrison recordings and later pursued solo work and collaborations.