Geoge Ivan Morrison was born on 31 August 1945, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Uk, and is a musician, singer and songwriter, best known for his Grammy Award-winning career. He’s been inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and all of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Van Morrison? As of mid-2016, sources estimate a net worth that is at $90 million, mostly earned through a successful career in the music industry. He has produced a lot of critically acclaimed albums, and had numerous hits; all of these have ensured the position of his wealth.
Van Morrison Net Worth $90 million
Morrison attended Elmgrove Primary School, but spent most his spare time listening to the record collection of his father. He became exposed to numerous genres, and then at the age of 11, was given his first acoustic guitar. The following year, he formed his first band called “The Sputniks” and they started to perform locally. He then became interested in the saxophone and took lessons; soon, he would play the saxophone with various bands. He was educated at Orangefield Boys Secondary School, but left and found a job as a window cleaner. When he turned 17, he toured around Europe with the Monarchs, playing various instruments with them, and they then began recording songs. However, the group disbanded in 1963.
Van then created a new group, and played the saxophone with them. This group would be called Them, after the horror movie of the same name. The group started to attract attention and performed many routines that had crowds entertained. Soon they were discovered by Dick Rowe, who signed them to a two year contract with Decco Records; they released two albums, but eventually Van departed the group.
1967, Morrison returned to New York and signed under Bang Records. and they released the album “Blowin’ Your Mind” which was done without his consent. One song from the album – “Brown Eyed Girl” – would become highly successful and reached the top ten of the US charts. Morrison then went to Boston and started working with Warner Bros. Records which bought out his contract from Bang Records. His first album with them would be 1968’s “Astra Weeks” which is considered one of the best albums of all time, receiving critical acclaim from big publications in music. Two years later, he released his third album, “Moondance” and it would become his first million selling album. It reached the 29th spot on the Billboard Charts and it was a vastly different musical style compared to his previous album. Some of the album’s successful songs include “Into the Mystic” and “Come Running”. His net worth was still rising.
Over the next years, he would release several more albums which showcased various genres, styles and themes, including “His Band and the Street Choir” which produced the hit single “Domino”. In 1971, he released “Tupleo Honey” which was also well received, followed by “Saint Dominic’s Preview” which produced Hot 100 hits such as “Redwood Tree”. His next releases included “Hard Nose the Highway” which was not well received and “Veedon Fleece” which slowly became popular over the years. He then took a three year break from music and in 1977, released “A Period of Transition”. His next album entitled “Wavelength” would certify gold.
Throughout the 1980s, he continued to release albums almost every year, earning praise from both fans and critics. One of his most successful albums of the time was “Avalon Sunset”, plus in the 1990s “The Best of Van Morrison” which became a multi-platinum success. In the 2000s, he returned to music and started recording once again. He is currently working on his 36th studio album entitled “Keep Me Singing”.
For his personal life, it is known that Van married Janet Rigsbee in 1968, and they have one daughter, but divorced in 1973. He later married Michelle Rocca and they have two children. He also reportedly had a son from tour manager Gigi Lee but he denied paternity; Gigi and her son would pass away in 2011 due to illness.
