Van Morrison honoured by peers

The Songwriters Hall of Fame is to award Van Morrison the Johnny Mercer Award, the highest honour it bestows. President and CEO Linda Moran said, "You have to be an inductee to get that award. Your body of work has to be considered the gold-bar standard by your peers." Van Morrison was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2003 and he will receive the award at a gala show in New York on June 18th.

Morrison’s career spans over 50 years and he has written much loved hit songs including ‘Moondance’ and ‘Brown Eyed Girl’. His recent album ‘Born To Sing, No Plan B’ for Blue Note Records continues to feature extensively on Jazz FM. He joins names like Hal David and Burt Bacharach, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, Stevie Wonder and Carole King in receiving the award for his music which Moran describes as poetic and mystical.

Last month saw the release of ‘Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue’, which featured versions of Van’s songs with additional singers Michael Bublé, Natalie Cole, Gregory Porter, blues man Taj Mahal and the late Bobby Womack.

Johnny Mercer, after whom the award is named, was a prolific hit making lyricist and wrote many jazz-standardised songs including ‘Autumn Leaves’ and ‘Satin Doll’.

Van Morrison will perform as Sunday night headliner on July 5th to wrap this year’s Love Supreme Festival in Glynde Place, Sussex, 3rd - 5th July.