The Famous Faces of Clan Morrison

Clan Morrison is renowned for their intelligence, determination, and resilience. These admirable traits have helped them reach the very top of numerous fields, achieving great things in the worlds of music, literature, politics, sport and more.

If you're a rock fan, you may be familiar with one talented member of the family! Jim Morrison was a celebrated singer and songwriter and frontman of the influential band ‘The Doors,’ who dominated the music scene of late 1960s America. 

Morrison was born on 8 December 1943 in Florida to Clara Clarke Morrison, a homemaker, and Stephen Morrison, a naval aviator. Stephen imbued his young son with an appreciation for music from an early age, often playing the piano at home for a crowd of neighbours and friends. 

At school, Morrison was notably clever, excelling at reading, writing, and drawing. After graduating high school, he won a spot at the prestigious University of California to study film, while also developing his interest in poetry, particularly the works of William Blake, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac. 

Jim Morrison in 1969 by Elektra Records

In 1965, Morrison made history by forming The Doors with pianist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robbie Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. The band were signed to Elektra Records the next year and released their debut album in 1967. The album’s second single, ‘Light My Fire,’ quickly became enormously popular, reaching no.1 on the Billboard pop charts and catapulting Morrison and his bandmates to widespread fame. Even today, the song is often included on lists of the greatest rock songs ever recorded. 

Over the following years, The Doors built on their popularity, fuelled by Morrison’s poetic lyrics and entrancing stage presence. Later in 1967, they released their second album, ‘Strange Days,’ which included 3 Top 40 hits: ‘Love Me Two Times,’ ‘People are Strange,’ and ‘When the Music’s Over.’ 

In 1968, they released another album, ‘Waiting for the Sun,’ and over the next 3 years went on to make 3 further records, ‘The Soft Parade,’ ‘Morrison Hotel,’ and ‘L.A. Woman.’ 

However, while his career was flourishing, Morrison was plagued by alcoholism and depression. In 1971, he took a break from the band and moved to Paris intending to embark on a quieter and calmer life. 

Sadly, though, on 3 July 1971, Morrison passed away after suffering heart failure. He was buried in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery, and his grave has become one of the most visited destinations in Paris. 

Morrison remains one of the most enigmatic and legendary rock stars of all time and continues to inspire young musicians and poets to this day.

Another member of Clan Morrison has had a huge impact on the literary world. Toni Morrison was born on 18 February 1931 in Ohio and showed an astonishing skill for writing even as a small child. 

At school, Morrison was dedicated to her studies and extra-curricular responsibilities, joining the debate team, yearbook staff, and even working as a secretary for the head librarian at the local public library.

After high school, she moved to Washington D.C. to study English at Howard University, where she made valuable connections with other writers and artists. She then went on to study a Master’s degree in English at Cornell University. 

Toni Morrison by John Mathew Smith

On graduating, she returned to Howard University to teach, and stayed in the position for 7 years, before moving to New York to become an editor for Random House publishing. She focused on editing fiction written by African American authors, all the while honing her own writing skills. 

She published her first novel, ‘The Bluest Eye,’ when she was 39 years old, and from there on began to release work prolifically. Her second book, ‘Sula,’ was nominated for the National Book Award, and her third, ‘Song of Solomon,’ also earned widespread critical acclaim. 

At this point, Morrison was able to leave her job in publishing and become a writer full-time, quickly finding stratospheric success. In 1987, her novel, ‘Beloved,’ stayed as a bestseller for 25 weeks and won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. 

Her star only continued to rise, and in 1993, she became the first Black woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, while in 2000 she was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress.

In 2019, Morrison sadly passed away, but her legacy stays alive in her work, and she remains one of the most respected and admired literary figures of our age. 

Our next famous face made his name in the turbulent world of politics.

Herbert Stanley Morrison, born 3 January 1888, was an influential British politician who played a key role in shaping post-war Britain, enjoying a career that spanned several decades. 

Morrison was the youngest child of police officer Henry Morrison, and Priscilla Lyon, and grew up in Stockwell, London. He left school at the age of 14 to work as a shop assistant, an experience that would later shape his politics and dedication to worker’s rights. 

From 1905, he was actively engaged in socialism, but in December 1914 he changed direction and became secretary of the new London Labour Party. In November 1919, he was appointed Mayor of the borough of Hackney, and in 1922 he joined the London County council for East Woolwich. Under Ramsay Macdonald’s government, he was first a member of parliament for South Hackney, and later the Minister of Transport.

Herbert Morrison by Bain News Service

After Winston Churchill formed his coalition government in 1940, Morrison worked his way further up the ranks, earning the positions of Minister of Supply, Home Secretary, and Minister of Home Security. 

In the 1945 general election, he played a key role in organising Labour’s victory and eventually was named deputy Prime Minister to Clement Attlee. 

In 1947, Morrison embarked upon one of his most impactful and memorable political ventures when he began to lead on the Festival of Britain project.

The festival was intended to provide fun, inspiration, and a morale boost for the people of London, who were struggling in the aftermath of the war, with signs of the Blitz still on every corner, and rationing still firmly in place. 

The Festival of Britain looked away from the darkness of the period and instead focused on celebrating British design, science, and technology, even commissioning new, impressive buildings such as the Royal Festival Hall, created in an uplifting Modernist style. 

The main event took place in the summer of 1951, when the South Bank of the Thames hosted numerous eye-catching exhibitions, allowing visitors to explore then novel television pictures, cutting edge designs of new technology, and experimental sculptures from celebrated artists. Historian Kenneth O. Morgan calls the festival a ‘triumphant success,’ suggesting that ‘a people curbed by years of total war and half-crushed by austerity and gloom, showed that it had not lost the capacity for enjoying itself.’ 

Morrison retired from the House of Commons in 1959, but his influence can still be felt in the beloved London landmark of the Royal Festival Hall, and the artistic hub of the South Bank. 

Born in Winterest, Iowa, on May 26, 1907, Marion Robert Morrison is famously known as John Wayne. Seven years after his birth, the family moved out West to California, supposedly because the dry climate would help his father who had a health condition. 

The family moved to Glendale where Morrison got his nickname. Often visiting the local firehouse with his dog, Duke, the firefighters only knew his dog’s name and eventually called Morrison “Duke”, too. 

At high school and college Morrison played football, but he also excelled in academics. While at the University of Southern California (USC) where he’d earnt a scholarship, Morrison worked part-time at Fox Film Corp where his taste for being on screen started. He was cast as an extra from time to time, often playing a football player, alongside his job moving set props. 

John Wayne in 1960 by Hugo van Gelderen

His first feature film was Men Without Women in 1930, and after a succession of over 70 low budget films, his first big break was Stagecoach in 1939, which his director friend John Ford had cast him for. In his career Morrison appeared as John Wayne in almost 250 films. In 1970, he won an Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in True Grit.

Sadly, Morrison was diagnosed with lung cancer in the 1960s and passed away on 11th June 1979 due to respiratory arrest and gastric cancer. While talking about cancer in the public sphere was seen as taboo, Morrison used his John Wayne image to become an advocate for early checkups, speaking up and raising awareness of the disease. 

In June 1979, Orange County Airport was renamed “John Wayne Airport”, and you can find a bronze statue of him in his iconic Western outfit and pose outside the terminal building.

In March 1980, Morrison’s family was presented with the Congressional Gold Medal with the inscription "John Wayne – American”, a testament of his contributions to US history and culture.

Matthew Morrison by Peabody Awards

Matthew Morrison is an actor and dancer from California most famous for his role as Will Shuester in the musical comedy-drama TV series Glee. He studied musical theatre at School and College before landing his first role in the musical adaption of Footloose, however his big break came when he played Link Larkin in the Broadway production of Hairspray. This role is what kick started his career in TV and film, gaining roles in Sex and the City and California Man. Throughout his career he has received nominations for Tony, Grammy and Golden Globe Awards.

Ruia Morrison by Archives New Zealand

Ruia Morrison MBE was the first New Zealand woman and first Maori person to compete at Wimbledon in 1957. Her coach fundraised so she could travel to the tournament and she reached the fourth round. She then went on to compete at the 1958 and 1959 Wimbledon tournaments. Her dad was a tennis player and was actively involved in the tennis community in the town where they lived. 

At the age of 8 Morrison wanted to play tennis but she was too little to play on a proper court so her dad practised with her against the side of their house until she was ready to play properly. Throughout her tennis career she won 13 national New Zealand titles, including 6 singles titles and was awarded an MBE in 1969 for her services to New Zealand tennis and the Maori people. She is still regarded as on of the country's best tennis players.

Morrisons Supermarket by Stephen Armstrong

William Morrison was brought up in Bradford, West Yorkshire. Morrison started selling eggs and butter on a wholesale basis in 1899, this slowly grew into him opening his first store in 1920 and the beginning of the Morrisons supermarket chain. Morrisons is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the UK and the headquarters reside in William's home town. There were only stores in the North of England up until 2004 when they bought Safeway meaning they could expand their business to the rest of the UK. William handed the business over to his son, Ken, in 1952 when he was only 21.

We hope you have been inspired by hearing about some of Clan Morrison’s astonishing accomplishments! Is there anyone else you think we should have mentioned?

 

If you would like to learn more about this talented family, head over to our Clan Morrison page, and be sure to keep an eye out for the rest of our content to come! 

Image Sources:

Jim Morrison by Elektra Records - eBay itemphoto frontphoto back, Public Domain 

Toni Morrison From Enoch Pratt Library January 29, 1998 © copyright John Mathew Smith 2001 by John Mathew Smith (celebrity-photos.com) - Flickr (archive), CC BY-SA 2.0 

Herbert Morrison M.P. Abstract/medium: 1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller by Bain News Service, publisher - Library of Congress, Public Domain 

Aankomst John Wayne op Schiphol 18 november 1960 by Hugo van Gelderen / Anefo - Nationaal Archief, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl

Matthew Morrison by Peabody Awards - 69th Annual Peabody AwardsUploaded by stemoc, CC BY 2.0

Ruia Morrison by Archives New Zealand, CC BY 2.0

Morrisons Supermarket by Stephen Armstrong, CC BY-SA 2.0