Van Morrison

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1945, Van Morrison grew up surrounded by his father's blues, gospel, jazz and country records, a foundation that left a lasting mark on his songwriting and phrasing. After starting out in local showbands, he came to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead voice of Them, a rhythm-and-blues group with which he recorded, among other songs, "Gloria". His solo career began in 1967 with "Brown Eyed Girl", before he took a more personal turn with Astral Weeks (1968) and Moondance (1970), two albums often cited to illustrate Van Morrison's distinctive balance between white soul, folk, blues, jazz and Celtic tradition. Over the decades his repertoire evolved without sharp breaks, blending short songs, long meditative pieces and a very free vocal approach nourished by R&B, gospel and improvisation. Van Morrison also recorded with The Chieftains on Irish Heartbeat (1988), worked with John Lee Hooker, Georgie Fame and Joey DeFrancesco, and maintained a steady performing schedule across clubs, concert halls and festivals. His particularly abundant discography ranges from Saint Dominic's Preview (1972) to Keep Me Singing (2016), Roll with the Punches (2017), Three Chords & the Truth (2019) and Moving On Skiffle (2023).