A definitive, provocative and revelatory portrait of an endlessly complicated man and his music.

In this first full-scale biography of one of the most influential artists in the history of popular music, Johnny Rogan reveals the man, his music and his origins.

Van Morrison grew up in 1950s Belfast at a time of an explosion in youth culture and the emergence of a beat scene second only to Liverpool; a vibrant period before the descent into sectarian conflict. For Morrison, whose personality seemed to typify the “No Surrender” Unionist mentality, this was a time of inner discovery and musical experiment. He was an unlikely star and a publicist’s nightmare; short, with plain looks, wavy red hair and a pot-belly, he gave fractious interviews, fell out regularly with friends and management, and behaved in a generally self-destructive fashion. Following a period of local success in Belfast clubs, and chart success with his band, Them, his great solo break came when he moved to America and recorded Astral Weeks, an album which was the start of a period of huge musical and commercial achievement and secured him the status of modern music myth. Over five decades, Van Morrison’s music has embraced rock, folk, blues, country and jazz. Today, he remains a hugely influential artist as well as a conundrum of a man.