Biography
Van Morrison, OBE (born George Ivan Morrison; 31 August 1945) is a critically
acclaimed Northern Irish singer and songwriter with a reputation for being
stubborn and idiosyncratic. His live performances at their best are regarded as
transcendental and inspired;[while some of his recordings, such as the studio
albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now,
are widely viewed as among the greatest ever made.
Known as "Van the Man" to his fans, Morrison started his professional career
when, as a young teenager in the late 1950s, he played a variety of instruments
including the guitar, harmonica, keyboards, and saxophone, in a range of Irish
showbands who covered the popular hits of the day, before rising to prominence
in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the gritty Northern Irish R&B band Them
with whom he recorded the garage band classic, "Gloria". His solo career began
under the pop-hit oriented guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit
single "Brown Eyed Girl" in 1967.
Much of Morrison's music is structured around the conventions of soul music and
R&B, such as the popular singles, "Brown Eyed Girl", "Moondance", "Domino" and
"Wild Night". An equal part of his catalogue consists of lengthy, loosely
connected, spiritually inspired musical journeys that show the influence of
Celtic tradition, jazz, and stream-of-consciousness narrative, such as Astral
Weeks and lesser-known works such as Veedon Fleece and Common One.
Morrison has received considerable acclaim, including six Grammy Awards, being
inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of
Fame. Read more....
Van Morrison on allmusic.com |
