The Digital Journalist
© Henry Diltz
After taking the cover photo for "Morrison Hotel," Jim Morrison said, "Let's go get a drink." It was about five o'clock in the afternoon, so we drove a few blocks to Skid Row to look for a bar. There were only bars and pawn shops -- how to pick one? Suddenly we all spotted it: Hard Rock Café. We drank beer with the wino denizens; Jim was anxious to hear their stories about life. A picture of the bar was used on the back of their album. Several weeks later they received a call from England, "Would you mind if we used that name? We're starting a cafe in London." The Doors said, "Fine, go ahead." And that was the start of the worldwide Hard Rock Café empire.