The Life of Van Morrison

Van Morrison was born on 31 August 1945inFleece, initially it was poorly received but it proved
Belfast, Ireland. As a young teenager he wasto be a slow burner and is now viewed as one of
involved in numerous bands including the Sputniks,his best works. For three years after Veedon
Midnight Special, Deanie Sands and the Javelins andFleece, Morrison released nothing, he stated that
the Monarchs. After leaving school he played withhe needed a break after ten years from the
the Harry Mack Showband and the Great Eightmusic business. He returned on Thanksgiving Day,
with his friend and some time mentor Geordie1976, performing at a farewell concert for The
Sproule. At the age of seventeen he embarkedBand, the event was filmed and formed the basis
on a tour of Europe with the Internationalfor Martin Scorcese’s 1978 movie The Last
Monarchs, when he returned to Belfast heWaltz. Morrison released the albums A Period of
reunited with Geordie Sproule and played with himTransition, Wavelength and the much lauded Into
in the Manhattan Showband. He later joined Brainthe Music at the end of the seventies. Much of
Rossi and the Golden Eagles as a blues singer butthe music that Morrison would release in the
left before long to set up an R&B club at theeighties focused on spirituality with the albums
Maritime Hotel, needing a group to perform at theCommon One, Beautiful Vision, Inarticulate Speech
club, he joined with members of the Gamblersof the Heart, A Sense of Wonder and No Guru,
who changed their name to Them. Them had aNo Method, No Teacher. In 1988, he released an
number of successful chart hits including the rockalbum with the Irish group, The Chieftains called
standard Gloria, subsequently they went on a tourIrish Heartbeat which contained a collection of Irish
of America but became involved in a dispute withfolk songs. His 1989 album, Avalon Sunset
their manager, Decca Records’ Phil Solomonfeatured the hit duet with Cliff Richard Whenever
over revenues paid. Morrison teamed up with BertGod Shines his light and the top-selling ballad Have
Berns, recording the song Brown Eyed Girl forI Told You Lately. The early nineties were a very
Bang Records which reached number ten in thesuccessful time for him, with three Top Five UK
US charts in 1967. On the death of Berns,albums, The Best of Van Morrison, The Best of
Morrison began recording for Warner Bros. and hisVan Morrison Volume II and Too Long in Exile. In
first album with them was the classic AstralJanuary 1993, he was inducted into the Rock and
Weeks. He released the album, Moondance inRoll Hall of Fame, he did not attend the induction
1970, it was critically acclaimed and was aceremony becoming the only artist ever to do so.
commercial success. Over the next few years heHis albums of the mid nineties, Days Like This
released several acclaimed albums, 1972’s St.(1995), The Healing Game (1997) and Back on
Dominic’s Preview saw a return to the lessTop (1999) sold well but received mixed reviews.
accessible, innovative style of Astral Weeks. InIn 2002 he released the critically well received
1973 he formed The Caledonian Soul OrchestraDown the Road, which gave him his highest US
and embarked on a three month tour of thechart position since his 1972 work, St.
States resulting in the live double album, It’sDominic’s Preview, he followed this with the
Too Late to Stop Now, it has come to be2005 hit album Magic Time. In 2006, he released a
regarded as one of the greatest live rock albumscountry music album, Pay the Devil, it debuted at
of all time. In 1974, he released the album Veedonnumber twenty-six on The Billboard 200.