Press Conference Photo Gallery

Press Conference

Contact: Brad Durham
For Immediate Release
TEL: 615-838-4426
EMAIL: brad412@blomand.net
www.dawnshighway.net

Press Conference Date: Location: Dawn’s HWY Site Visit: Return to Archives: Morning Press Conference: Alternate Conference:

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 State Records Center & Archives 1205 Camino Carlos Rey Santa Fe, NM 87507-5166 5:30 AM (Depart Archives Before Dawn) 8:00 AM (Return to Archives) 9:00 AM (Archives) 3:00 PM (Archives)

    

Poet and rock and roll legend Jim Morrison described a childhood encounter with a deadly traffic accident in the desert at dawn, and new research has uncovered living witnesses and identified the actual site of this formative event on "Dawn's Highway." Brad Durham, a Tennessean who is filming a short documentary film about the accident, will release his research on October 17, 2007.

A newspaper article that describes the horrible accident involving an overturned truck carrying 10 workers to Los Alamos early in the morning of October 17, 1947, will authenticate Jim Morrison's story. The driver of the truck and an observer of the accident are scheduled to be at the press conference, health permitting.

Frank Lisciandro, Morrison's colleague and confidant, states the following: "I recorded Jim Morrison telling the story of the accident, and I own the recording copyright to the story. I have always believed that Mr. Morrison's tale of the accident was credible and that his memory of the event was accurate even in detail. I have reviewed Mr. Durham's research, and it appears to substantiate many of the physical details of Mr. Morrison's story."

A complete walk-through of the accident will be presented at the press conference, which will include documentation from historical records and eyewitness testimony. The presentation will include a guided tour to the site of the accident, about a thirty-minute drive from the State Archives. This one-time presentation offers proof that in "Dawn's Highway" Jim Morrison was telling a candid story about his own human experience.

Dr. Estevan Rael-Galvez, the State Historian of New Mexico, states the following: "Advancing an understanding of New Mexico's history and culture through research and interpretation is fundamental to the mission of the Office of the State Historian. Brad Durham's archival research and oral histories significantly clarifies a 1947 event that was clearly pivotal in this internationally recognized individual's life."

Prior to the press conference, there will be a tour directly to the site of the accident at sunrise, on Wednesday, October 17, 2007. The tour will depart from the State Archives at 5:30 AM. The Press Conference will be at 9:00 AM. The site is 27 miles from the Archives. A light breakfast will be provided. Drive time to the site is approximately 30 minutes. Anyone who misses the morning sessions can attend an alternate session with Brad Durham at 3:00 PM at the Archives.

DISCLAIMER: The Press Conference will be filmed and released as a "special feature" on the DVD of "Dawn's Highway." Anyone who wishes not to be filmed may attend the press conference, as editing will assume exclusion from the film.

For additional information, go to www.dawnshighway.net, and contact Brad Durham at CELL: 615-838-4426, EMAIL: brad412@blomand.net.