Biography
Who is Van Morrison?
Early life and real name
George Ivan Morrison was born on August 31, 1945, in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He was the only child of a shipyard electrician father and a former singer and tap dancer mother. He grew up in a working class Protestant family descended from the Ulster Scots population. During his early school years at Elmgrove Primary School, he began to be known by the name Van. His father owned a large record collection acquired in Detroit, which exposed young Van to a wide variety of musical genres from an early age.
How Van became famous
Van became well known in the mid-1960s as the lead singer of the Belfast rhythm and blues band Them. He responded to an advertisement for musicians to play at a new club in Belfast, forming the band out of an existing group called the Gamblers. With Them, he wrote and recorded the track Gloria, which turned into a major garage band staple. The group gained attention for energetic live performances at the Maritime Hotel before experiencing frequent line-up changes.
Career highlights
Van has maintained a productive recording schedule, with more than forty albums reaching the UK Top 40. He achieved top ten albums in the UK across four consecutive decades, aided by the release of Latest Record Project, Volume 1 in 2021. Eighteen of his albums reached the top 40 in the United States. Since turning seventy years old, he has released on average more than one album every single year.
Family and relationships
Van comes from a working class background in Belfast, where his father worked as a shipyard electrician and his mother performed as a singer and tap dancer in her youth. His family tree includes Ulster Scots ancestry. Later in life, Van married Michelle Rocca.
Birthday and age
Van Morrison was born on August 31, 1945, which makes Van 81 years old today. That birthday falls under the Virgo sign. Van shares the date with 23 other famous people.
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