Robby Krieger
The Doors guitarist whose flamenco-inflected licks and songwriting penned some of the band's most enduring and melodic hits.
Born 1946 (age 80)·American guitarist·Birthday: January 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Robby Krieger brought an unexpected sonic palette to the dark psychedelia of the Doors. Classically trained as a child, he didn't pick up the guitar until his late teens, initially inspired by flamenco and blues players. This unique blend defined his style: the serpentine, nylon-string intro to 'Light My Fire,' the bottleneck slide on 'Moonlight Drive.' While Jim Morrison provided the mythos, Krieger often supplied the accessible melody, writing or co-writing a surprising number of their radio staples. In the studio, he was an experimenter, using a treble-less Gibson SG to get his distinctive tone. After Morrison's death, he navigated the difficult legacy of the Doors, playing in various reunions and pursuing solo projects that ranged from jazz fusion to instrumental rock, always carrying the fingerprint of his elegant, economical playing.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Robby was born in 1946, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Robby Was Born
The biggest hits of 1946
#1 Movie
The Best Years of Our Lives
Best Picture
The Best Years of Our Lives
Robby's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1946Born
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1951Started school
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1959Became a teenager
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1962Could drive
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1964Could vote
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1967Turned 21
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1976Turned 30
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 40
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 50
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 60
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 70
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 80
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Wrote the music for 'Light My Fire,' which became the Doors' first number-one hit and a defining anthem of the 1960s.
- Composed several of the band's other major singles, including 'Love Me Two Times,' 'Touch Me,' and 'Love Her Madly.'
- Played all the guitar parts on the Doors' six studio albums with Jim Morrison, defining their instrumental sound.
- Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Doors in 1993.
Did You Know?
He was originally the Doors' bassist for a brief period before settling on lead guitar.
He learned to play flamenco guitar before taking up electric blues and rock.
He used a Fender Precision Bass guitar case to carry his shotgun, which led to a notorious 1969 arrest for possession of a concealed weapon.
He is an avid painter and has exhibited his psychedelic-inspired artwork.
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