Sterling Morrison
Holmes Sterling Morrison, Jr was born on August 28, 1942, in Westbury, New York State. He was one of the founding members of influential rock group The Velvet Underground.
Biography
Morrison read English at Syracuse University; it was here that he met Lou Reed, a fellow English student. Although the two jammed together, they drifted apart after Morrison quit his studies and Reed graduated (1964). They met again in New York City in 1965. By this time, Reed had met John Cale and wanted to start a band, so when they ran into Morrison, he was invited to join.
Morrison primarily played guitar and sometimes bass guitar on the band's first two albums. This was necessitated because of their live-in-the-studio approach, and when Cale — the band's nominal bassist — played viola or keyboards on a record, Morrison often played bass. Other songs, however, (including Heroin and Sister Ray) find Reed and Morrison on guitars while Cale plays viola or organ. Although Morrison was a good bassist (witness his playing on Sunday Morning or Lady Godiva's Operation), he hated the instrument.
After Cale left the group in 1968, Morrison always played guitar, be it rhythm or lead. Additionally, he did backing vocals and the occasional lead vocal spot (The Murder Mystery).
In 1970, when the band are back in NYC to play an entire summer's engagement at Max's Kansas City, Morrison seizes the opportunity to complete his studies and graduate (from City College). When in 1971 he is offered a position at the University of Texas at Austin, he leaves the band, playing his last gig with them on August 21 in Houston.
Sometime in the Seventies (the records are vague), Morrison changes from an academic career to being the captain of a Houston tugboat; this he remains well into the eighties. Since leaving the Velvet Underground, Morrison never played in bands again except locally for fun; from the mid-eighties on, however, he occasionally guested for Reed, Cale, and Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker, who had started a solo career of her own. Morrison was part of her touring band for most of the late-eighties, early-nineties.
In 1992, the core Velvet Underground line-up of Reed, Cale, Morrison and Tucker decide to reform for a tour and possible album. The band extensively tour Europe in 1993, alternatively as headline act or supporting U2. Morrison's playing held up well, and his performances are top-notch.
By the end of the tour, relationships have soured again and a proposed US tour and MTV Unplugged album are scotched.
The European tour turns out to be Morrison's last musical achievement when he is diagnosed in 1994 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, of which he dies on August 30, 1995, one day after his 53rd birthday.
Discography with the Velvet Underground
Of course, only those titles featuring Morrison are listed. For a full discography, please see the Velvet Underground article.
Singles
- "All Tomorrow's Parties" / "I'll Be Your Mirror" (1966)
- "Sunday Morning" / "Femme Fatale" (1966)
- "White Light/White Heat" / "Here She Comes Now" (1968)
- "What Goes On" / "Jesus" (promo, 1969)
- "Who Loves the Sun" / "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'" (1971)
- "Foggy Notion" / "I Can't Stand It" (promo, 1985)
- "Venus in Furs" / "I'm Waiting for the Man" (live, 1994)
Original albums
Later releases of archive material
