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Biography
refimprove|date = July 2010Infobox musical artist| name = Sterling Morrison| image = Sterling Morrison.jpg| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist| birth_name = Holmes Sterling Morrison Junior| birth_date = Birth date|1942|8|28|mf=y| birth_place = East Meadow, New York | death_date = death date and age|1995|8|30|1942|8|28| death_place = Poughkeepsie (city), New York|Poughkeepsie, New York | instrument = Guitar , bass guitar , backing vocals | associated_acts = The Velvet Underground , Nico | genre = Rock music|Rock , experimental rock , protopunk , art rock | notable_instruments = Gibson SG Fender Stratocaster Fender Jaguar Holmes Sterling Morrison, Jr. (August 28, 1942 & ndash; August 30, 1995) was one of the founding members of the rock group The Velvet Underground , usually playing electric guitar , occasionally bass guitar , and singing Backing vocalist|backing vocals .
Biography
Morrison majored in English language|English at Syracuse University ; it was there 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 in 1964. They met again in New York City in 1965. By this time, Reed had met John Cale and was interested in starting a band, so when they encountered Morrison, he was invited to join.
Morrison primarily played guitar on the band's first two albums, although when Cale & mdash; the band's nominal bassist & mdash; played viola or keyboards, Morrison often filled in on bass. Other songs, however, (including " Heroin (song)|Heroin " and " Sister Ray ") featured Reed and Morrison on guitars while Cale played viola or organ. Although Morrison was an accomplished bassist (witness his playing on "Sunday Morning" or "Lady Godiva's Operation"), he disliked playing the instrument.
After Cale left the group in 1968, Morrison always played guitar. There was no established " lead guitar|lead " or " rhythm guitar|rhythm " guitar hierarchy in the Velvet Underground; both Reed and Morrison traded roles regularly during the band's Cale-era. From The Velvet Underground (album)|the third album on though, Morrison almost always took the role of lead guitarist as Reed concentrated more on his singing and Rhythm. Additionally, Morrison did backing vocals and the occasional lead vocal spot (he rapidly recited many verses of Reed's poetry in "The Murder Mystery", and sang one line in "I'm Sticking With You").
In 1970, when the band was back in New York City to play an entire summer's engagement at Max's Kansas City , Morrison seized the opportunity to complete his studies and graduate (from City College of New York|City College ). In 1971 he attended The University of Texas at Austin , where he earned a Ph.D. in medieval studies.cite news | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html? res=990CE3D81138F931A3575AC0A963958260 | title = Sterling Morrison | publisher = The New York Times | accessdate = 2008-07-14 | date=September 2, 1995 | first=Lawrence | last=Van Gelder He played his last Gig (musical performance)|gig with them on August 21 at Liberty Hall, 1610 Chenevert, in Houston . When it was time for the band to return to New York, Morrison packed an empty suitcase and accompanied them to the gate of their departing plane, before finally telling them he was staying in Texas and leaving the band.
Sometime in the 1980s, Morrison left his academic career to become the Captain (nautical)|captain of a Houston tugboat ; he pursued this well into the 1980s. After leaving the Velvet Underground, Morrison's musical career was primarily limited to informal sessions for personal enjoyment, though he played in a few bands around Austin, Texas, most notably The Bizarros.Which also included later record company executive and record producer Bill Bentley (producer)|Bill Bentley on drums. Morrison joined the band at Bentley's invitation. Morrison was subsequently fired from the band, acrimoniously, with Bentley being the only band member voting to continue with Morrison. See Margaret Moser, http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story? oid=oid:75120 Back Door Man: The Man Behind More Oar , Bill Bentley. Austin Chronicle , December 17, 1999; www.austinchronicle.com. See also Margaret Moser, http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story? oid=oid:76343 Velvet Underdog: Sterling Morrison - An Oral History With Interviews(sic). Austin Chronicle , March 17, 2000; www.austinchronicle.com. According to this latter history, Morrison first applied to doctoral studies at the University of Texas in 1969. Morrison's tenure in the capital of Texas made him a well-loved and admired member of the local music community as well as an influential voice. During John Cale's renaissance in the late 1970s, Sterling could be seen playing with his former bandmate on stages such as the Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin. From the mid-eighties on, however, he occasionally recorded or performed with Reed, Cale, and Velvet Underground drummer Maureen Tucker , who had by then started a solo career of her own. Morrison was part of her touring band for most of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1992, the core Velvet Underground line-up of Reed, Cale, Morrison and Tucker decided to reform for a tour and possible album. Morrison argued that Doug Yule , who had replaced Cale in 1968, should be included to fill out the sound, but Reed and Cale vetoed him. The band extensively toured Europe in 1993, alternatively as headline act or supporting U2 . Morrison's playing held up well, and his performances were generally agreed to be top-notch. But by the end of the tour, relationships had soured again and plans for a US tour and MTV Unplugged album were scrapped.
The European tour turned out to be the last for the Velvet Underground. Sterling joined Maureen Tucker's band for a tour in 1994, and later that year was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma , from which he died on August 30, 1995, two days after his 53rd birthday . Upon their induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, Reed, Cale and Tucker performed a song entitled "Last Night I Said Goodbye to My Friend," which was dedicated to Morrison.
In March 2001, Sterling Morrison was remembered through a tribute set at the Austin Music Awards during the South by Southwest Festival. John Cale performed "Some Friends," a song he'd composed in Morrison's memory, with Alejandro Escovedo , who played "Tugboat," also written for Morrison. An SXSW panel on Sterling successfully convened that year, with Cale and others remembering their fallen friend. Morrison was also the subject of an oral history, http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story? oid=oid:76343 Velvet Underdog, in the Austin Chronicle that year. The story featured quotes by John Cale, Lou Reed, Maureen Tucker, and other Morrison associates.
The Galaxie 500 song "Tugboat" is believed to be a reference to Morrison.
His surviving family includes his widow, Martha, and his son, Thomas, who reside in Poughkeepsie, New York, and a daughter, Mary Anne.
Discography with the Velvet Underground
''Only the titles featuring Morrison are listed. For the band's full discography , please see the The Velvet Underground|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& #33; Sweet Nuthin'" (1971)
"Foggy Notion" / "I Can't Stand It" (promo, 1985)
"Venus in Furs" / "I'm Waiting for the Man" (live, 1994)
*Plays guitar on "Me, Myself and I" "I Don't Understand" "Little Girl" and "I Wanna"; plays electric sitar on "Danny Boy"
Inside the Dream Syndicate Vol.III: Stainless Steel Gamelan (Table of the Elements 2002)
*Personnel: Terry Jennings , Angus MacLise , John Cale , Sterling Morrison
References
Reflist
External links
http://olivier.landemaine.free.fr/sterling/sterling.html Sterling Morrison tribute site
The Velvet Underground Persondata | NAME = Morrison, Sterling | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH = August 28, 1942 | PLACE OF BIRTH = East Meadow, New York | DATE OF DEATH = August 30, 1995 | PLACE OF DEATH = Poughkeepsie (city), New York|Poughkeepsie, New York DEFAULTSORT:Morrison, Sterling Category:1942 births Category:1995 deaths Category:American rock guitarists Category:The Velvet Underground members Category:Deaths from lymphoma Category:University of Texas at Austin alumni Category:Cancer deaths in New York Category:People from Nassau County, New York Category:People from Austin, Texas Category:People from Houston, Texas Category:Protopunk musicians
