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Van Morrison

Van Morrison

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Music review: Van Morrison and others, Cheltenham Jazz Festival,… - The soulful baritone's barnstorming Saturday evening set had ranged from the defiant ballad "No Love Dying" to the sparely funky, prayerful reverie on Martin Luther King's assassination "1960 What?" Read More

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Van Morrison Biography

source: WikiPedia

This entry is from Wikipedia, the user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. If you find the biography content factually incorrect, defamatory or highly offensive you can edit this article at Wikipedia.

Van Morrison, OBE (born George Ivan Morrison; 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are described as transcendental, 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 critically acclaimed and appear at the top of many greatest album lists. Known as "Van the Man" to his fans, Morrison started his professional career when, as a teenager in the late 1950s, he played a variety of instruments including guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for various Irish showbands covering the popular hits of the day. He rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the 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. After Berns' death, Warner Bros. Records bought out his contract and allowed him three sessions to record ''Astral Weeks'' in 1968. Even though this album would gradually garner high praise, it was initially poorly received; however, the next one, ''Moondance'', established Morrison as a major artist, and throughout the 1970s he built on his reputation with a series of critically acclaimed albums and live performances. Morrison continues to record and tour, producing albums and live performances that sell well and are generally warmly received, sometimes collaborating with other artists, such as Georgie Fame and The Chieftains. In 2008 he performed ''Astral Weeks'' live for the first time since 1968. Much of Morrison's music is structured around the conventions of soul music and R&B, such as the popular singles "Brown Eyed Girl", "Jackie Wilson Said (I'm in Heaven When You Smile)", "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''. The two strains together are sometimes referred to as "Celtic Soul". Morrison has received considerable acclaim, including six Grammy Awards, the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, being inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and appearing on several "Greatest Artists" lists.

Wikipedia This entry is from Wikipedia, the user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. If you find the biography content factually incorrect, defamatory or highly offensive you can edit this article at Wikipedia.
Biography

Links & information come from MusicBrainz. You can add or edit information about Van Morrison.

Open the Door (To Your Heart) Single 2012-08-24 itunes amazon
Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood… Live 2009-02-06 itunes amazon
Wavelength Album 2008-01-28 itunes amazon
Keep It Simple Album 2008 itunes amazon
Still on Top: The Greatest Hits Compilation 2007-10-22 itunes amazon
Here Comes Compilation 2007-09-17 itunes amazon
The Best of Van Morrison, Volume 3 Compilation 2007-06-11 itunes amazon
Live at Montreux 1974 Live 2006-10-31 itunes amazon
Live at Montreux 1980 Other 2006-10-31 itunes amazon
Pay the Devil Album 2006-03-03 itunes amazon
Live at Austin City Limits Festival Live 2006 itunes amazon
Madame George Compilation 2005-08-29 itunes amazon
Magic Time Album 2005-05-16 itunes amazon
What's Wrong With This Picture? Album 2003-10-21 itunes amazon
The Complete Bang Sessions Album 2002-07-02 itunes amazon
MusicBrainzLinks & information come from MusicBrainz. You can add or edit information about Van Morrison at musicbrainz.org.
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