Van Morrison

In a career lasting half a century, Van Morrison's soulful individualism has seen him rise above the vagaries of pop fashion and the trappings of fame to establish himself as a rock great. "Van the Man" cut his teeth playing guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone in a succession of Irish showbands in the late 1950s, before graduating to become lead singer with gritty R&B band Them recording the hit singles Gloria (1964) and Here Comes The Night (1965). When Them split, Morrison went solo, releasing his 1967 classic Brown Eyed Girl, before going on to make his masterpiece album Astral Weeks, a mystical song cycle widely regarded as one of the greatest albums ever made. The 1970 follow-up Moondance was a million-seller and from that point Morrison pursued a highly individual path, drawing on soul, jazz, blues and rock, but investing it into his own style. His public truculence and aversion to the trappings of celebrity is well-known but, far from damaging his popular appeal, this has added to his legend.