{"id":483981,"date":"2026-10-03T14:56:19","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T14:56:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/483981\/"},"modified":"2026-10-03T14:56:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T14:56:19","slug":"doors-drummer-john-densmore-jams-at-homeboy-maybe-i-can-do-something-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/483981\/","title":{"rendered":"Doors drummer John Densmore jams at Homeboy: ‘Maybe I can do something here’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A couple of years ago, in a column about Father Greg Boyle, I noted that he is quite particular and even a bit preachy about the right way to eat a steak<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It should be medium rare, never well-done, and served with a proper elixir.<\/p>\n

Doors drummer John Densmore took note. One thing led to another, and in July, Densmore, Boyle, former Times reporter Greg Krikorian and I went to dinner at the Smoke House in Burbank.<\/p>\n

We did not necessarily follow Boyle\u2019s meat and beverage protocols, but we jabbered away in a red leather booth, and a good time was had by all.<\/p>\n

Then, in August, I got an email from Boyle.<\/p>\n

\u201cJohn walks into the Homeboy Art Academy,\u201d he wrote, \u201cand starts jamming as the homies are playing \u2018Stand By Me.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Boyle sent a short video, and there\u2019s Densmore, still keeping perfect time at 81.<\/p>\n

\"John <\/p>\n

John Densmore enjoys an upbeat moment while teaching a music class at Homeboy Art Academy.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t surprised. Densmore\u2019s a busy guy, with various charitable causes<\/a> and artistic ventures<\/a>. He and former Public Enemy rapper Chuck D just fused music genres on an album called \u201cNo Country for Old Men<\/a>.\u201d But he\u2019s an admirer of Boyle<\/a> and his decades-long mission of gang intervention and rehabilitation.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey,\u201d Densmore told the musicians he played with that day, \u201cmaybe I can do something here.\u201d<\/p>\n

He suggested that he return and stage a music workshop or a drum circle.<\/p>\n

They said of course.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, before the music began, Densmore insisted that I see the Homeboy Art Academy, whose founder is artist Fabian Debora<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in the projects when Father Greg first came in,\u201d Debora told me, referring to Homeboy\u2019s early days in the 1980s, when Boyle was pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights. \u201cThrough the arts, I found my way to healing and transformation. Then I said, \u2018How can I fulfill a need that was missing in my life?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The answer is the academy he now runs with Dre Comers<\/a>, located near Metro\u2019s Chinatown station, providing art instruction to tens of thousands of people. On Wednesday, teachers were busy helping students with artwork in various stages of completion, including a painting of Boyle with a halo.<\/p>\n

Most of the participants are young adults, many of whom were born decades after the Doors\u2019 last album was released. One student, in his 20s, welcomed us and asked Densmore what he was known for.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a drummer,\u201d Densmore said.<\/p>\n

He was known to far more people in the music room, including longtime musician\/instructors Joe Calderon<\/a> and Martin Flores. They\u2019re part of the Young Musicians Foundation\u2019s Music Heals<\/a> program, funded in large part by legendary songwriter Mike Stoller, who co-wrote dozens of hit songs including \u201cJailhouse Rock,\u201d \u201cHound Dog,\u201d \u201cPoison Ivy\u201d and \u201cStand by Me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The latter song appears on a brand new \u201cMusic Heals\u201d album designed by art academy participants and released Tuesday, so with Densmore\u2019s arrival on Wednesday, it was a big week for Homeboy arts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you\u2019re playing music,\u201d Densmore told about 30 students and instructors, you can enter a state of timelessness. \u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a meditation \u2026 A little bit of infinity creeps in \u2026 And everybody can get into that space. If you want to be a professional musician, cool. If you wind up playing the piano in a closet and nobody hears it, you\u2019re still getting into this space that kind of heals and feeds you.\u201d<\/p>\n

And then it was concert time, with Densmore on drums and instructors Calderon on guitar, Flores on percussion and Mackenzie Azela on bass. Fabian Debora Jr. (bass and vocals) and Ralph Quintero (vocals) are both in the Homeboy rehabilitation program.<\/p>\n

The band kicked off with a blues number called \u201cGot My Mojo Working,\u201d then it was Ben E. King\u2019s \u201cStand by Me\u201d followed by Cream\u2019s \u201cSunshine of Your Love.\u201d<\/p>\n

It all went off pretty smoothly for a group that hadn\u2019t worked together except for a quick minute on Densmore\u2019s previous visit. The musicians were smiling, the spectators tapped and clapped, and that magical sense of timelessness was real, spanning multiple generations.<\/p>\n

In a place filled with people confronting the challenge of rebuilding their lives, the lyrics of one particular song were a reverie.<\/p>\n

No, I won\u2019t be afraid.<\/p>\n

Oh, I won\u2019t be afraid.<\/p>\n

Just as long as you stand by me.<\/p>\n

\"Doors <\/p>\n

Doors drummer John Densmore, right, leads a jam session while teaching a music class at Homeboy Art Academy in downtown Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Debora Jr., 27, told me it was pretty cool to be playing with a member of the Doors, a band he knew about through his elders. Quintero, 50, who is studying psychology and wants to be a drug counselor, said he still couldn\u2019t believe he had just performed with a member of the Doors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an honor,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Everyone in the room grabbed either shakers or a small drum, and with Densmore instructing and conducting, the ensemble conjured what he called the heartbeat of Mother Earth. The music rose and fell, rose and fell as the players became one, followed by an orchestrated hush that served as a silent accent.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike sex,\u201d Densmore said.<\/p>\n

He moved on to a brief Q&A, and one of the first questions was about what it was like to be around Doors lead man Jim Morrison.<\/p>\n

\u201cI miss his artistry,\u201d Densmore said. \u201cI don\u2019t miss his self-destruction. So I\u2019m 81. He died at 27. And there\u2019s different ways to do this. Hopefully you guys will keep on breathing like I am.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Densmore packed up his things, a young man named Jeremiah asked the drummer if he\u2019d record a short video for the family of his girlfriend. She had just lost her grandfather, a longtime Doors fan.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was their go-to music, every car trip,\u201d Jeremiah said.<\/p>\n

He sent the clip to his girlfriend and asked her what the family\u2019s favorite songs were. \u201cRiders on the Storm\u201d was one. Along with \u201cBreak on Through,\u201d \u201cTouch Me,\u201d and \u201cL.A. Woman.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"John <\/p>\n

John Densmore, right, congratulates musicians Joe Calderon, from left, Fabian Debora Jr., with bass, and Ralph Quintero after they performed.<\/p>\n

At Homeboy, Boyle\u2019s mission has been twofold, in a sense. To show love to his charges while preparing them for lives unlike the ones they\u2019ve known. And through his books<\/a> and teachings, to remind us all that we belong to each other.<\/p>\n

There was a bit of that gospel in the note that Flores, program director at Music Heals, sent Densmore after his visit. He thanked him, telling Densmore he had \u201cprovided our students with not only an incredible artistic experience, but also a deep sense of connection, inspiration and hope as they navigate their journeys.\u201d<\/p>\n

Densmore answered immediately.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I might have gotten more out of it than I gave.\u201d<\/p>\n

steve.lopez@latimes.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A couple of years ago, in a column about Father Greg Boyle, I noted that he is quite…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":483982,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[23983,35112,189445,36555,189450,189447,189449,48,52,51,1637,47,50,49,189446,330,189448,21720,592,4574,316],"class_list":["post-483981","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-album","tag-boyle","tag-densmore","tag-doors","tag-drum-circle","tag-homeboy","tag-homeboy-art-academy","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-life","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-martin-flores","tag-music","tag-music-heals-program","tag-musician","tag-people","tag-student","tag-wednesday"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/483981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=483981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/483981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/483982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=483981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=483981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=483981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}