He sounds as if Van Morrison were his godfather, and he plays guitar with a gentle touch.

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When Van Morrison recorded Astral Weeks in 1968, he had reached a low point in his life.

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You know, the Van Morrison song, I love, I love, I love, and he keeps repeating it like that.

BBC: Last Updated: Monday, 6 March 2006, 06:06 GMT

Inside the clubs, Van Morrison, The Goo Goo Dolls and James Brown are among the performers booked for New Year's Eve shows.

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NdegeOcello's early releases have earned her multiple Grammy nominations, and her cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night" (a 1994 duet with John Mellencamp) became a massive hit.

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Fratto discovered Keady was a big Van Morrison fan.

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You might find yourself drifting off about five tracks in, only to be woken up by Everything's Alright, which starts off sounding like Van Morrison before evolving into a fabulous angst-ridden rant.

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Tupelo honey would have us humming Van Morrison.

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He had uncanny instincts and made an art out of the "Duets" concept, pairing Sinatra with U2 frontman Bono, Luther Vandross and other younger artists, Bennett with McCartney and Barbra Streisand, and Charles with Bonnie Raitt and Van Morrison.

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Normally Robbie Williams' presence would gladden the heart, but his single nomination this year due to an eligibility hiccup means he'll have to sit there with a gracious smile on his face while Bowie, Van Morrison, Ian Brown, Tom Jones and Sting gamely slug it out for Best Solo artist - tired heavyweights to a man.

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