Stars align for musical tribute to birthday boy Van
DOZENS of Ireland’s leading singers and artists have created a musical tribute to Van Morrison to mark his 75th birthday – which falls today.
Seventy-five musicians including Hozier, Imelda May and Bob Geldof have paid homage to the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter by recording and performing songs he wrote.
The musical tributes will be broadcast on YouTube in August and September.
Rave On, Van Morrison has been created by Hot Press magazine and will mark the singer’s birthday landmark birthday today.
Morrison, who was born in Belfast in 1945, has produced and released music over six decades, including more than 40 original albums.
Among those who have recorded tracks for broadcast is none other than President Michael D Higgins, who performed the spoken word Rave On, John Donne.
President Higgins said: ‘Van Morrison is one of the outstanding songwriters and performers of the past 60 years and has been a powerful inspiration to successive generations of musicians and artists all over the island of Ireland, and abroad.
‘It is a great privilege to be part of this extraordinary celebration of Van’s work, on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Long may he continue. Rave on, Van Morrison.’
Other stars taking part include at least two of the four Irish artists who have achieved US number-one albums: Hozier and Sinéad O’Connor. Also performing Morrison’s songs for the tribute are Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody, Andrea Corr of The Corrs, Glen Hansard, Paul Brady, Una Healy from The Saturdays, Damien Rice, Gavin James, The Academic, Moya Ní Bhraonain of Clannad, Loah, Mick Flannery, Mary Stokes, Altan, Eleanor McEvoy, David Keenan, and the rising young Dublin rapper Malaki.
Mobo-nominated drummer and composer David Lyttle, from Belfast, has recorded On Hyndford Street, featuring the voice of Antrim film star Liam Neeson, and fiddler Martin Hayes of The Gloaming delivers an interpretation of Moondance on fiddle.
In 2016, Morrison accepted a knighthood in Britain for his services to music.