RIAA Gold LP "white matte" award for The Doors 13 LP presented to Jim Morrison (1943-1971), which was released in November 1, 1970 in the U.S. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on June 20, 1972 for one million dollars worth sold.
In addition to its rare presentation to Jim Morrison, this award has exceptional provenance, evidence of which is included with purchase. The award was originally owned by Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek, who gifted it to Jim Morrison's UCLA college exchange student friend Alain Ronay, who was with Morrison in France days before his untimely death in 1971. Ronay, a photographer and artist, is said to have taken some of the last known photos of Morrison in France. Included with the award are a note written on parcel paper by Manzarek in which he explains he wants Ronay to have it is included with this award, along with an original letter of provenance from Ronay.
The title of the 13 album reflected the 13 tracks included and was their first compilation and only one released while Jim Morrison was still alive. It is jam-packed with classic hits including classics "Light My Fire", "Roadhouse Blues", "People Are Strange" "Love Me Two Times", "Touch Me" and many more. It reached #25 on the Billboard Albums chart and spent a total of 21 weeks on the chart. By 1987 it had been certified Platinum by the RIAA. See image above for the RIAA sales certifications of this album through the years*.
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Item Highlights:
- RIAA Gold LP award with white matte, gold disc, album miniature, and gold info plate
- In VG condition with some typical scratches and mars on the frame (see more detail below)
- A first presentation award from 1971
- Presented to Jim Morrison
- Has original back with manufacturer's sticker
- Included: Parcel paper note from Ray Mazarek to Morrison's friend Alain Ronay (see image)
- Included: Letter of provenance from Alain Ronay who owned this award (see image)
- "White matte" awards (obviously so-named due to the white matte used) were made from from 1964-1974
- RIAA white matte awards numbered only 5-25 plaques worldwide for any given single/album
- Award measures approx. 17" x 21"
- Beautiful and rare collector's item
- FREE WORLDWIDE insured shipping on this item (see details in red above)
Detailed Item Description: This RIAA Gold LP award must have been made in 1971 given the album's certification date and this is a first presentation award. The award is presented to Jim Morrison, arguably the most valuable presentation for Doors awards.
As referenced above, this award has exceptional provenance. Originally owned by Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek, he gave it to Morrison and Manzarek's fellow UCLA student and friend Alain Ronay, who had been friends with Morrison since they met in 1964. Included with this sale is a note written on a scrap of parcel paper from Manzarek which reads: "Alain: I thought you should have this more than anyone else.” (see image). Ronay kept the award for several decades until mid-2020 at which time we acquired it and his signed letter of provenance is also included with this award (see image).
Ronay, a photographer and artist who resided in France in the 1970s after attending UCLA, is said to have taken the last known photos of a clean-shaven Morrison in Saint-Leu-d’Esserent near the Chateau de Chantilly on June 28, 1971. You can see Ronay's photos of him with Morrison and his girlfriend Pamela Courson here. You can also search Alain Ronay on the Internet to find his account of The Lizard King's last days.
The award features the correct style presentation plate reading "to commemorate more than one million dollars worth of the Elektra Records long-playing record album..." etc. It is 48 years old but is in very good to excellent condition, considering its age. There are a few mars and scratches on the wood frame as is expected. The presentation plate is in very good condition and the plexiglas is clear with only a few minor mars. The original backing paper is present with New York Frame & Picture Co. sticker.
Don't miss this very rare opportunity to acquire a coveted RIAA white matte award with unparalleled historic provenance presented to the iconic singer/poet laureate of The Doors. See our article with more history about this award, Alain Ronay and his history with Jim Morrison and The Doors here.
Interested in learning the top 10 highest prices attained by RIAA awards sold in the marketplace? See them in our article here.
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Notes on the condition of all vintage RIAA awards like this one: Please do not buy this item if you want a brand new piece of memorabilia. These are historical artifacts from the year they were produced. As a result they may show signs of wear. Frankly, if you see a 50-year-old award purported to be in 100% perfect condition, it might be too good to be true. After all, an antique should have "good' wear. If not, you might want to question the piece.
As to where they came from, they could have been displayed in record label offices, recording studios, artist manager's offices, radio stations, private collector's homes and yes, of course, possibly the artist's or songwriter's home. Typically, we don't know all the places they may have been over the years other than what we've stated in the description.
Finally, a word on photos: Our photos are zoomable so you can get a very good look. Do let us know if you want photos of any other details on our pieces and we'll be happy to provide.
*RIAA sales data source: RIAA.com