Ivan the terrible.

Happy 70th birthday to Sir George Ivan Morrison. The “terrible” obviously doesn’t refer to his music, but to his infamously foul and choleric temperament. There are too many examples to list here but they are nothing when set against the countless examples of his musical brilliance. With Van Morrison, it’s hard to know where to begin, but his first really big hit seems the most natural place. The moment I heard this, I wanted to know who the singer was. And I’ve enjoyed years of musical discovery since finding out.