Jim Morrison is Alive and Well in Syracuse, NY, and You’ll Never Believe What He’s Doing
According to the new documentary Before the End, now streaming on AppleTV+, Jim Morrison faked his death and is now living in Syracuse, NY.
Jeff Finn, a self-described Morrison “super fan,” researched the subject for nearly 40 years, and took 12 years to complete the three-part limited series, which he also wrote and directed. In it, he claims a man known simply as “Frank” is actually The Doors’ frontman living incognito as a maintenance man in Upstate New York.
When Morrison was found dead at 27 from a suspected overdose in Paris on July 3, 1971, many fans didn’t want to believe it was true. With no autopsy and a quick burial, speculations of a fake death flourished and the mystery of his sudden passing lived on.
Before the End suggests that Morrison met the actual Frank and was able to somehow assume his identity. Finn interviews Frank, who, no surprise here, comes off evasive. If it really was Morrison, and he effectively avoided being discovered for 54 years, would he agree to an interview now?
Other revelations from the film that attempt to prove that Morrison is still alive: Frank has a scar on his nose where Jim once had a mole, and Morrison’s Social Security number is still active—in the New York area. Finn also interviewed Morrison’s former assistant, who was with the singer in Paris at the time of his alleged death. When the filmmaker asked her if Jim faked his death, she replied, “That’s the secret I’m keeping to myself.”
Fascinating stuff or a load of hoo-hah? Guess you’ll have to watch the “docu-mystery,” as Finn likes to refer to it, and make up your own mind.
The On-Again, Off-Again, On-Again(?) New VH Album
The headlines were saying that Alex Van Halen was going to recruit Toto guitarist and legendary session player Steve Lukather to help him complete a new Van Halen album comprised of material he and his beloved brother, Eddie, worked on before the guitar god’s passing in 2020.
It all started with a story in the Dutch paper De Telegraf, in which Alex was quoted as saying, “Ed and Steve Lukather were very good friends and they often worked together. There is no one who can do this process with me as well as he can.”
When the reporter asked Lukather to confirm, he responded, “Did Alex say that? Oh, in that case the news is true. Ed, Alex and I were very close for years. It is true that we worked on it together.”
The De Telegraf article went on to raise numerous questions: What will the new Van Halen album sound like? Would Lukather fill in the gaps for parts Eddie wasn’t able to finish? Would Michael Anthony or Eddie’s son, Wolfgang, return as bassist? And what about Dave or another singer? (Alex made clear last year when promoting his memoir, Brothers, that he didn’t think too highly of Sammy Hagar.)
That’s about when the wheels came off.
Lukather attempted to set the record straight on his official Instagram account, posting the following message: “I will NOT EVER play a guitar note on a VH song ever. Al asked me to help him go thru a ton of unfinished recordings of Al and Ed writing and recording that never saw the light of day. As of now that’s all I got.”
He went on to say that he was honored Al asked him for the support, but clarified that he viewed it “more as a co-producer or something” as opposed to actually playing on the album.
Alex has previously shared that there is enough unused Van Halen recordings in their vault for three or four albums. And now it sounds like he’s ready to go through the material to see what they have…so we can still hold out hope for a new VH album featuring Eddie’s unmistakable guitar licks.
The Big KISS Off
This story’s as unpredictable as a Cold Gin bender.
Gene Simmons, former bassist and co-lead of the glam rock group KISS, was preparing to hit the road on a solo tour. You might recall, KISS called it quits in 2023 at the conclusion of their “End of the Road” world tour. In fact, they even lined up a hologram version of the band to play into perpetuity.
Ever the businessman, The Demon had this grand idea to give fans the chance to become a personal assistant/roadie on his Gene Simmons Band’s tour. And it would only cost them $12,495 for a day’s work. Come again?
It was actually a money-making scheme wrapped into the tour’s VIP program and that price tag included, among other things, meeting Simmons at his hotel and sharing a meal, sitting in on the soundcheck, backstage access, and two signed items: that night’s setlist and a bass he used during a KISS rehearsal.
Simmons, 75, then unexpectedly postponed 17 shows throughout April and part of May. These included dates in Anaheim (April 3) and Temecula (April 4). Only nine concerts from May 2-15 remained. His rep indicated that it had nothing to do with his health, leaving many to speculate that it must be because of low ticket sales.
The postponed shows supposedly will be rescheduled for early 2026, and those who already paid for “The Ultimate Gene Simmons Experience” in nixed markets can either get a refund or push to another city.
But wait, that’s not it. Just as D-Constructed was going to put a plug in this story, it was announced that KISS will return to the stage in 2025. Well, for a one-off “unmasked” event. Joined by former guitarist Bruce Kulick (1984-1996), the group will perform for the first time since 2023 during KISS Army Storms Vegas, Nov. 14-16 at Virgin Hotels. The three-day event will be a celebration of the KISS Army's 50th Anniversary and the 30th anniversary of the first KISS fan convention.
This One Goes to…12?
The long-awaited sequel to the 1984 cult classic mockumentary, This is Spinal Tap, is set to appear in theaters on Sept. 12. You can waste 33 seconds of your life and watch the Spinal Tap II: The End Continues teaser video above, but it tells you absolutely nothing about the film.
Here’s what we do know: The general premise is the band reunites 15 years later for one final concert. Fortunately for us, despite the time gap the lineup hasn’t changed. Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) all return for more heavy metal mayhem. And so, too, does original director Rob Reiner, also reprising his role as Spinal Tap documentarian Martin “Marty” Di Bergi.
Filmed partly in New Orleans, Spinal Tap II co-stars Fran Drescher and Paul Shaffer, and features cameos from Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lars Ulrich, and Chad Smith, among others.
For those wanting to remind themselves how it all started, the studio is planning to release a restored version of the 41-year-old film, appearing first in theaters this summer, and then on streamers.