Van Morrison is set to play two shows in Belfast’s Whitla Hall this February.
Born in 1945, Van first fell in love with muisc after listening to his father’s collection of blues, country and gospel.
Inspired by American singers such as Hank Williams, Jimmie Rodgers, Muddy Waters, Mahalia Jackson and Leadbelly, the Belfast talent went on the road as a travelling musician at 15 performing in several bands before forming Northern Irish rock band Them in 1964.
The original five-member band consisted of Van, Alan Henderson, Ronnie Milling, Billy Harrison, and Eric Wrixon. The boys enjoyed success with hits such as ‘Gloria’ and ‘Here Comes The Night’.
However, In 1966 Van left the band and embarked on his solo career a year later. His first single, ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent a total of sixteen weeks on the chart. It is now considered to be ‘The Van Man’s’ signature song.
Despite turning 70 in 2015, he has released – on average – more than an album a year. His accolades, include two Grammy Awards, the 1994 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, the 2017 Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting and he has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
His song writing and musicality continues to evolve with the creation of new material and reinterpretation of older classics, showcased in his latest album ‘New Arrangements And Duets’, which features fifteen tracks from Van’s extensive back catalogue. The album also features a range of artists including Kurt Elling, Curtis Stigers, Joss Stone and Willie Nelson.
Tickets for Van Morrison’s Belfast shows go on sale on Wednesday January 22 at 10am from ticketmaster.ie and vanmorrison.com.