History Music / VanMorrison

* OddFriendship: ''Q'' magazine asked lunatic comedian SpikeMilligan to interview Morrison, and had a tape recorder running in the room to see what happened. The two hit it off so well that Q ended up publishing one of the best, longest, and most detailed interviews with Van Morrison, ever acheived anywhere. Milligan and Morrison remained friends.

* ReclusiveArtist: Morrison is notoriously shy of giving interviews or making public appearances. At times he has refused to go on stage or has cut gigs abruptly short, making buying concert tickets into something of a Russian Roulette.
** This was marked from a very early age: a piece of archive film that still makes it onto blooper reels is an Ulster Television interview, where a young and gushing Gloria Hunniford is trying to interview "Belfast's Answer to Mick Jagger". The mounting horror in Hunniford's eyes, as she realises Ireland's Answer To Mick Jagger will only reply in monosyllabic grunts and an occasional "yes" or "no", is something to behold.

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Uses elements of {{R&B}}, {{Blues}}, {{Rock}}, {{Jazz}}, {{Folk}}, and {{Classical}} ''all on the same album...''

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Uses elements of R&B, {{Blues}}, Rock, {{Jazz}}, {{Folk}}, and {{Classical}} ''all on the same album...''

George Ivan Morrison was born in Sandy Row, Belfast, in August 1945. Exposed to imported American music coming in through the docks, he was hooked on the blues and jazz from an early age. A window cleaner by day, at night he fronted a blues-rock band called Them, who were resident house-band at the Maritime hotel in Belfast. The group had its big break in 1965 with ''Here Comes The Night'', which topped the British singles chart and had limited success in the USA. A string of lesser hits followed, including a cover of BobDylan's ''It's All Over now, Baby Blue'', and a Morrison-penned number that was destined to be covered by some of the biggest names in the business and which is still popular today - the storming anthemic ''Gloria''.

He left Them in 1967, heading to the USA to try to break into the business there. He was managed by the legendarily rapacious Bert Berns, recording one LP with him, ''Blowin' Your Mind''. The contract Berns put him under was so unfair that it assigned Berns not only the song rights, but also performance rights. Morrison was paid a comparative pittance. The LP did not sell too well, so none of this might have mattered in the long run, except that a single called ''Brown Eyed Girl'' was released from it. A BBC documentary exploring song rights issued estimated that by 2012, this one song had earned $12-15,000,000. Morrison saw little of this cash.

The real breakthrough came with the next album, the big-band flavoured ''Moondance''. since its release in 1969, Van Morrison has released another thirty-two solo albums, and a collaboration with Irish trad band, the Chieftains. While having few single hits of his own, his songs have frequently been covered by others; Rod Stewart's version of ''Have I told You Lately..." topped the charts. His biggest single hit was a Christmas duet with Christian rock star CliffRichard.

It has been estimated that during his career, Morrison has dabbled with nearly every genre of music, with the possible exceptions of reggae and heavy rock. He has been married three times and has six children. His daughter Shana Morrison is a recording star in her own right.

* UsefulNotes/NorthernIreland: Morrison is from the disputed region's capital city, Belfast.

* [[UsefulNotes/Northern Ireland Northern ireland]] Morrison is from the disputed region's capital city, Belfast.

* LiveAlbum: Most famously ''It's Too Late to Stop Now''. Also ''Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl''.

* MainstreamObscurity: Van is beloved by his tiny fanbase, but almost unknown to the larger public. Most people assume the '60's Pop Hit "Brown-Eyed Girl" was a One-HitWonder.
** While his CultAudience is extremely devout, Van never quite develop the massive following his contemporaries BobDylan, NeilYoung and BruceSpringsteen did. Consider how long it took for him to get this page.

* HappyRain: Rainy imagery is a motif in his songs, as in the "Fields all misty wet with rain" lines in "Sweet Thing" and "The Way Young Lovers Do", both from ''Astral Weeks'', as well as the whole theme of "And It Stoned Me" from ''Moondance''.

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Uses elements of [[Rhythm&Blues R&B]], {{Blues}}, [[Rock&Roll Rock]], {{Jazz}}, {{Folk}}, and {{Classical}} ''all on the same album...''

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Uses elements of [[R&B Rhythm&Blues]], {{Blues}}, [[Rock Rock & Roll]], {{Jazz}}, {{Folk}}, and {{Classical}} ''all on the same album...''

* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Uses elements of {{R&B}}, {{Blues}}, Rock, {{Jazz}}, {{Folk}}, and {{Classical}} ''all on the same album...''

* HappyRain: Rainy imagery is a motif in his songs, as in the "Fields all misty wet with rain" lines in "Sweet Thing" and "The Way Young Lovers Do", both from "Astral Weeks", as well as the whole theme of "And It Stoned Me" from "Moondance".
* NeoclassicalPunkZydecoRockabilly: Uses elements of R&B, Blues, Rock, Jazz, Folk, and Classical "all on the same album..."

** Also the track ''Streets of Arklow'', on the ''Veedon Fleece'' album.

** The jolly (for Morrison) song ''Cleanin' Windows'' is all about those carefree teenage days working as a window cleaner in East Belfast.

* MagnumOpus: Astral Weeks. Full-stop.

* [[TransAtlanticEquivalent Trans- Irish Sea Equivalent]]: his first band, Them, were billed as ''Ireland's Answer To The Rolling Stones!'' Although the legendarily introvert and retiring Morrison was no Mick Jagger.

* [[UsefulNotes/Northern Ireland]] Morrison is from the disputed region's capital city, Belfast.

* [[UsefulNotes/NorthernIreland]] Morrison is from the disputed region's capital city, Belfast.

* [[UsefulNotes:Ireland]]

* Oireland: His collaboration with trad music veterans The Chieftains, versions of Irish traditional songs performed on native instruments with Morrison performing vocals.