Much of Morrison's music is structured around the conventions of soul music and early rhythm and blues. Moondance (1970) established Morrison as a major artist, and he built on his reputation throughout the 1970s with a series of acclaimed albums and live performances. While initially a poor seller, the album has become regarded as a classic.
Records bought Morrison's contract and allowed him three sessions to record Astral Weeks (1968). His solo career started under the pop-hit oriented guidance of Bert Berns with the release of the hit single ' Brown Eyed Girl' in 1967. Known as 'Van the Man' to his fans, Morrison rose to prominence in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the Belfast R&B band Them, with whom he wrote and recorded ' Gloria', which became a garage band staple. Morrison began performing as a teenager in the late 1950s, playing a variety of instruments including guitar, harmonica, keyboards and saxophone for various Irish showbands, covering the popular hits of that time. Sir George Ivan ' Van' Morrison OBE (born 31 August 1945) is a singer-songwriter and musician from Northern Ireland whose recording career spans seven decades.
