From The World Of Hard Rock Memorabilia: All Roads Lead To Hollywood

In a few short days, we’re bringing you the latest installment in our ongoing series entitled, “Blowing Your Mind through Incredible Rock History in a Restaurant/Bar Setting”. A brand-spanking new Hard Rock Cafe is opening in Hollywood, California, right on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. Needless to say, we knew that we had to load this cafe down with some true treasures from our secret vault of rock artifacts. Let’s take a look at a couple pieces of history we’re gracing Hollywood with…

If you’ve paid any attention to rock music over the last 40 years, you’ve seen these pants. They were such a huge part of Jim Morrison’s life; they may as well have been a second skin. The Lizard King wore these bad-boys constantly, but it was the famous Doors gig at the Hollywood Bowl that really cemented the iconic image of Jim as Adonis in leather pants. It’s a look that’s still imitated over 40 years later, but no one has come close capturing the raw mystery and sexuality of Jim Morrison – try as they might. As frontman for The Doors, Morrison did much more than just write and sing – he really invented the mythology of the modern rock star. And it wasn’t an accident. It’s easy to dismiss Jim as a trite and self-important poet who got lucky, but what he really accomplished was a manipulation of image and perception. There’s much more of a direct connection between Jim Morrison and someone like Lady Gaga than between Jim and the pale imitators who are so often compared to him. Jim looked to challenge the audience down to its core beliefs. And he did it very successfully in these badass leather pants. Witness:

In any informed list of the greatest American rock bands of all time, X must be near – or at – the top. Their blend of raw power and visceral appeal put them squarely at the forefront of the first wave of Los Angeles punk bands in the late ’70s, but it was their songwriting that made them truly great. They also had an incredibly inspired guitarist – Billy Zoom. Already a rockabilly and blues veteran when he joined the group, Billy brought a level of musicianship to X that other punk bands lacked. His wide-stanced, smiling stage presence and ability to play intricate, lightning-fast licks without ever looking at his guitar has made him an underground icon and cult guitar hero. He’s the king and that’s all there is to it. This incredibly gorgeous ’56 Gretsch Silver Jet was Billy’s during the early days of X. Here’s some great footage of Billy putting this axe through its paces:

Imagine what it must have been like to wander into a Hollywood club back in ’77 and see a then-unknown Van Halen on stage. The incredible energy of their performance would have knocked you out, but Eddie’s groundbreaking guitar style would have been a revelation. Here was a kid with a homemade guitar reinventing the instrument in the L.A. clubs. It must have been like seeing Hendrix before he became a household name, or Joe DiMaggio playing sandlot ball as a teenager. One of the many seismic shifts Eddie brought to the guitar world was the design of his signature “Frankenstein” guitar. Eddie cobbled together this iconic instrument from left over pieces and discarded hardware – and he topped it all off with a haphazard striped finish of Schwinn bicycle paint. In the days of custom Les Pauls and fancy electronics, Eddie’s guitar must have seemed like a joke. Now it’s the most recognizable instrument on the planet. This one was handbuilt by Eddie in the Kramer factory in 1986. He was pictured with it on the cover of Guitar World magazine later that year. The original Frankenstein is still owned and operated by Eddie.

How about some more classic Jim Morrison memorabilia?  This set of lyrics for the Doors’ mega-iconic “L.A. Woman” is in Jim’s own hand and was almost certainly a reference lyric for the recording of the song. Less than four months after this song was released in April of ’71, Jim was gone forever. Handwritten lyrics from rock’s golden age are incredibly personal and affecting pieces of memorabilia – and this is one of our best examples. Though we’ve all heard this song a million times, it never really gets old. Let’s all have a sing-along:

This thing was worn by Warrant vocalist Jani Lane in the video for their oh-so-tender power ballad “Heaven” in 1989. If you’ve ever pondered the exact moment that ‘80s hair metal reached a critical mass of ridiculousness, this jacket provides the answer. Everything you love or hate about Los Angeles was embodied in this one band. The hairspray, the spandex, the poutiness, the choreographed guitar moves – not to mention the formulaic sap of “Heaven” or the frat-boy lyrics to “Cherry Pie” – a song so sophomoric  that it may have been the sound of the bell tolling for the entire Sunset Strip metal scene. All of that may sound like a dis, but what was ‘80s hair metal if not a decadent celebration of all things shallow? That equals some great rock n roll and this jacket is truly one of the best pieces of memorabilia in our collection. You know you want one just like it. Maybe there are still a few shops in Hollywood that can make you one (check Melrose). Here’s Jani Lane – and this jacket – in action back in the day: