A Short History Of Country Legend Van Morrison
Written by Eugene Walker on August 17, 2008 – 7:22 am -Morrison is widely considered one of the most unusual and influential vocalists in the history of rock and roll. Famed critic Greil Marcus has gone so far as to note that “No white man sings like Van Morrison.”
Sometimes dubbed “Van the Man”, Morrison first rose to prominence as the lead singer of the British band Them, penning their seminal 1965 hit “Gloria”. A few years later, Morrison left the band for a successful solo career.
Morrison has pursued an idiosyncratic musical path. Much of his music is tightly structured around the conventions of American soul and R&B, such as the popular singles “Brown Eyed Girl”, “Moondance”, and “Domino”.
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 his classic album Astral Weeks and lesser known works such as Veedon Fleece. The two strains together are sometimes referred to as “Celtic Soul”.
Morrison’s career, spanning some four decades, has influenced many popular musical artists. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In 2000, Morrison ranked number 25 on American cable music channel VH1’s list of its 100 greatest artists of rock and roll.
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