Tuesday, August 10, 2021

RIP Patricia Kennealy-Morrison

Patricia Kennealy-Morrison, an author, journalist and longtime East Village resident, died on July 23. She was 75. According to published reports, the cause of death was due to complications from heart disease. 

Born in Brooklyn, she settled in the East Village in 1967 after graduating from Harpur College (now the State University of New York at Binghamton). 

Aside from her trailblazing work as a journalist, she was known for her relationship with Jim Morrison of the Doors. 

Here's more via an obituary at Legacy.com:
Kennealy-Morrison became a rock music journalist as a young woman, bringing a new seriousness to rock criticism as one of the first women in the field. She interviewed Morrison in 1969 for Jazz & Pop, the magazine she edited and contributed to. 
The two began a relationship, largely long-distance, and they participated in a handfasting ceremony in 1970. It wasn't a legal marriage, though Kennealy-Morrison considered herself Morrison's wife. It was a controversial claim, refuted by some who point out that Morrison was also in a serious relationship with Pamela Courson (1946–1974). 
The handfasting ceremony was included in the 1991 Oliver Stone movie "The Doors." Kathleen Quinlan played Kennealy-Morrison, and Kennealy-Morrison herself appeared in the scene as the Wiccan priestess who performed the ceremony. 
Kennealy-Morrison wrote the 1992 memoir, "Strange Days: My Life With and Without Jim Morrison." It was one of more than two dozen books written by Kennealy-Morrison, including several fantasy novels in "The Keltiad" series. In 2007, she founded the publishing house Lizard Queen Press, riffing on Morrison's "Lizard King" nickname. 
She went on to write and publish a series of rock-themed mystery novels, including "Ungrateful Dead: Murder at the Fillmore," "A Hard Slay's Night: Murder at the Royal Albert Hall," and "Scareway to Heaven: Murder at the Fillmore East."
She was also a longtime reader of EVG and left comments under her real name as well as, more recently, Peachy McPeachface. 

You can find feature obituaries about her at Variety and the Los Angeles Times, among many other news outlets.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sad news. Amazing to know she lived in our neighborhood.

Lola Sáenz said...

RIP Patricia Peachy McPeachface Kennealy Morrison

santo@sourceunltd.com said...

patricia was a client and 9th st neighbor for many years. she was a no bulldhit person who knew what she thought and felt and had no problem letting you know. always enjoyed her visits and will always cherish the convesations we had about everything from music to books to the neighborhood. she had a special attachment to our dogs, curtis and satch before him. her
she will be missed.

Anonymous said...

Aw I always liked Peachy McPeachface's observations, as well as written those under her real name. RIP, you will be missed on this blog.

Anonymous said...

Thought of you today,patricia,may you soar on angels wings on the other side,may love embrace you,love,barbara ann