Weekend reading: Jim Morrison’s dad, Rufus Wainwright and Hootie

I was never a huge Doors fan, so I kind of bought into the image of Jim Morrison being some groundless, alcoholic, poet-drifter, for better or worse.

I didn’t realize that his dad was actually quite a guy — a Navy admiral who garnered his own obituary in the New York Times this past week.

To read that interesting little piece, and other Q&As and profiles, folllow the links below.

• Jim Morrison’s dad was a Navy admiral? Who commanded during the Vietnam War’s Gulf of Tonkin incident? And who was in charge of a secret nuclear-weapons project? I was not aware. The NY Times has George S. Morrison’s obit. (You may have to register with the site to access it.)
• Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan tells the Chicago Tribune he’s done releasing albums – only singles and the like from now on – and he will end up back on top without doing “something embarrassing like working with Timbaland.” Burn on Chris Cornell.
• Rivers Cuomo wrote an 11,000 word essay – included as liner notes in “Alone II” – to explain his solo work, he tells Billboard.
• Like a prodigal daughter, we’ll always welcome back Britney, Rob Sheffield writes for Blender.
• Rolling Stone talked to Rufus Wainwright in a somewhat amusing Q&A about Lou Reed and the Grinch, Judy Garland and Amy Winehouse.
• Press-shy Axl Rose talks straight to fans through a message board exchange. Stereogum.com posted highlights, like how Rose really didn’t care much about Dr. Pepper, but still might sue them.
• Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker plans to sing country music until he has his own theater in Branson, MS, we find out in the Washington Post.