Robby Krieger

The guitarist who fused flamenco and blues to craft The Doors' most enduring hits.

Robert Alan Krieger, born January 8, 1946, is the American guitarist and founding member of the rock band The Doors. He wrote or co-wrote many of their defining hits, including "Light My Fire," "Love Me Two Times," "Touch Me," and "Love Her Madly." His unique fingerstyle approach to the electric guitar, combined with broad musical tastes ranging from flamenco to blues, helped establish the group as a successful rock band in the 1960s. Krieger occasionally sang lead vocals, notably on "Runnin' Blue" and on the last two albums recorded after Jim Morrison's death. Following the band's disbandment in 1973, he continued to perform and record with former bandmates John Densmore and Ray Manzarek, as well as other musicians, maintaining a prolific career that included solo jazz-fusion projects and high-profile collaborations into the 2020s.

Quick Facts

Birth name

Robert Alan Krieger

Born

8 January 1946

Birthplace

Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Genre

Psychedelic rock
flamenco
blues rock
art rock
jazz fusion
acid jazz
proto-prog

Occupations

Musician, songwriter

Instruments

Guitar, vocals

Years active

1964–present

Label

Elektra

Lore & Background

Krieger's musical journey began in Los Angeles, where he attended a Hebrew school with his older brother Ronny. While boarding at Menlo School in Atherton, California, night study time allowed him to teach himself guitar by detuning a ukulele to the bottom four strings and mimicking records. By the mid-1960s, scholar Frank Chin taught him flamenco guitar, an influence clearly heard in "Spanish Caravan." At the University of California, Santa Barbara, his style was further shaped by listening to Wes Montgomery, Albert King, and Larry Carlton. Upon joining The Doors in 1965 alongside Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, and Jim Morrison, Krieger's distinctive fingerstyle playing became a hallmark of the band's sound. Together with Densmore, he studied Indian music at the Kinnara School of Music in Los Angeles, integrating non-Western scales into the band's psychedelic rock foundation.

Reader's Guide

To understand Krieger's impact, one must look at his specific gear and songwriting credits. He utilized a variety of electric guitars during his time with The Doors, including a 1954 Gibson Les Paul Custom ("Black Beauty"), multiple Gibson SG models from 1964 to 1968, and a 1958 National 'Town & Country'. His discography spans the original eight studio albums of The Doors, two Butts Band records, and numerous solo efforts like Versions (1982) and The Ritual Begins At Sundown (2020). He also made guest appearances on tracks by Fuel, Hollywood Vampires, X, and Alice Cooper. In 2023, Rolling Stone positioned him at number 248 in their list of the 250 greatest guitarists of all time. Krieger began uploading guitar tutorials for Doors songs to the band's official YouTube channel in 2020, ensuring new generations could learn his distinctive style. His personal life includes being married to Lynn Krieger with one child.

Did You Know?

Krieger sang lead vocals on "Runnin' Blue" and also provided vocals on the last two Doors albums, Other Voices and Full Circle, which were recorded after Jim Morrison's death.
On August 29, 2018, he joined Alice in Chains onstage at the Hollywood Palladium to close their concert with a performance of "Rooster."
In May 2012, Krieger toured with the Roadhouse Rebels, a trio side-project that included Rich Robinson and featured material from Robinson's new album.