“I’m super excited to be heading to South Africa for a few shows next year. It’ll be my first time playing there and my first gigs in a little while, can’t wait to play in Johannesburg and then with the mountains as the backdrop in Cape Town’s Botanical Garden,” says Morrison.
When he broke onto the scene as a soulful singer-songwriter in 2006, even he couldn’t have predicted that he would become the template that allowed a wave of like-minded musicians to enter the field. Now, almost 10 years on, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran, George Ezra, and James Bay are all crowding the charts, following the same format; one guy with a great, soulful voice, and a guitar. They’ve all cited him as an influence, but does Morrison take some credit for paving the way? “I don’t really see it like that, I was just lucky to be one of the first,” he says.
Despite his humble nature, he really was the first to take that format and not only make it work but also became an overnight success story. Pop gems like You Give Me Something, from his first record Undiscovered, made him anything but and he won the 2007 Brit Award for Best Male when he was just 21 years old. He was also told by the veteran soul producer Jerry Wexler that his raspy, gravelly voice, the product of a childhood illness, had its "own thumbprint" and was so distinctive that “once heard, never forgotten.”
2008’s Songs for You, Truths for Me brought with it a string of top 10 singles, including the phenomenally catchy Broken Strings with Nelly Furtado. His last album, 2011’s Awakening shot straight to number one, selling over one million copies worldwide.
Award-winning Morrison’s career includes singing You Give Me Something at the 2006 Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall. He appeared on Live from Abbey Road following his live recording session at Abbey Road Studios and he also appeared on USA television as a guest as well as performing on NBC’s Today Show.
At the Concert for Diana in 2007, he performed the songs Wonderful World and You Give Me Something in honour of Princess Diana. Morrison has collaborated with Jason Mraz on the track Details in the Fabric on Mraz's studio album, We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. Morrison also worked on Demi Lovato's third album Unbroken, released in 2011.
The 34-year-old singer-songwriter has now sold 4.5 million copies of his three albums, performed four world tours including sold-out shows to thousands at London’s Hyde Park, supporting both Bruce Springsteen and Stevie Wonder and appeared on Herbie Hancock’s Grammy-winning album The Imagination Project.
This year, Morrison made a brand-new album that is his most honest and powerful set of songs yet. To be released next year, the album explores his relationship, being a father and his family, as well as his experiences with dark times and light. Recorded at British Grove and Metrophonic Studios and produced by Mark Taylor, the album sees the return of Morrison to his soulful best.
Book Johannesburg tickets now by calling Computicket on 083 915 8000 or book online at www.computicket.com. Tickets for the Cape Town concert are available from Webtickets.
