Ray Manzarek dead: The Doors co-founder dies aged 74 after long battle with cancer

Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founder member of the 1960s rock band The Doors, has died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 74.

He formed the band with lead singer Jim Morrison in 1965 after a chance meeting in Venice Beach, Los Angeles.

Ray Manzarek, who had suffered from bile duct cancer for many years, died in a clinic in Rosenheim, Germany, with his wife and brothers at his bedside.

The Doors found fame in the 1960s with hits such as The End, Break on Through to the Other Side and Hello I Love You.

They sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and Ray Manzarek became one of the best-known keyboardists of his era, his artistry coloring tracks like Riders on the Storm and Light my Fire.

The death of Jim Morrison of heart failure in a bath in Paris on 3 July 1971 effectively spelled the end for the band, although Chicago-born Ray Manzarek took on singing duty.

The front man had moved to the city to write. A doctor’s report stated the cause of his death was heart failure aggravated by heavy drinking.

In his latter years, Ray Manzarek played in other bands and, in 1998, wrote a best-selling memoir, Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors.