Van Morrison: Into the Music

THE EARLY YEARS 1945 - 1975

The Definitive Biography by Ritchie Yorke

This is the first biography of Van Morrison, the man whose stunningly beautiful lyrics and virtuoso performances have won him a respect and admiration granted to few musicians. His music reaches out to millions. yet the van himself is shrouded by a mystique that seemed virtually impenetrable. He is elusive, complex and withdrawn. He allows years to slip by without performing in public and he very rarely grants interviews. But he did talk to Ritchie Yorke, freely and at great length and the result is a unique and loving assessment of this solitary rock genius.

This book is dedicated to purity (an increasingly rare quantity in these declining days) and to the people around the world who, by their perception and recognition of genius shining in a garden of faded blooms and rampant weeds, have made it possible for one determined young man to create his art with next to no compromise.