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 Northern Irish 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 Morrison OBE (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer, musician and songwriter whose recording career spans seven decades.
