General Biography of Van Morrison

August 31, 1945 may seem like just another unimportant date in history to many, but music lovers all over the world should thank their lucky stars for that day. Magic happened on that day in Belfast, Northern Ireland, when George Ivan "Van" Morrison was welcomed into the world.

Never one to be a follower, Morrison has mesmerized music fans for over four decades. What makes Morrison stand out amongst the million of other musicians and bands that have graced ears for decades? Being born into a musical family, Morrison had a head start in learning the fine arts of jazz and blues. Along with his natural ability, he decided that he was not going to be a follower, and swayed away from the trends of what is considered "popular" music. Morrison has never been interested in the latest trends of commercialized music, and has stayed to true to his vision of music.

In 1968, Morrison took listeners on a bleak yet daring ride with his release of "Astral Weeks", in which he recorded the hit single "Brown Eyed Girl". In 1970, following the turns that life takes, he released "Moondance," which was cheerful and filled with celebratory music. "Into the Mystic," a song featured on "Moondance", is still popular to this day, and is a work of art not easily replicated.

Even though his refusal to become the latest fad kept Morrison from being prominent in the pop scene, his endless desire to spread his word and fill hearts with his interesting style has captured millions on fans. His extraordinary style continued in 1986 with the release of his album "No Guru, No Method, No Teacher", probably his best work ever and most critically acclaimed. In the 90's, Morrison proved to be a man that doesn't forget his roots. At the age of 15, he toured with the R&B band "The Monarchs", yet 40 years later he brought back that soulful R&B sound he grew up on with the album such as 1993's "Too Long in Exile". His critical reception would start to decline during this period, yet Morrison being Morrison, went on to create several projects and albums during this era.

So what is Morrison up to now? He continues to record and tour a few times a week, yet seldom plays his more "well known" tunes. In 2003, he received a Grammy nomination for his album "What's Wrong With This Picture"?, then in 2005 his album "Magic Time" debuted at number 25 on the U.S. Billboard. Finally, just this month Morrison has released an album entitled "Pay the Devil", turning to a country style theme. With all his success, Morrison has managed to stay true to who he is, and continues to experiment with different styles of music. One can only hope that there are many more years to come of Morrison's fine lyrics and brilliant style.