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'Rave on': Irish president helps celebrate Van Morrison's 75th birthday
Irish President Michael D. Higgins joined a virtual celebration of Van Morrison's 75th birthday on Monday.
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Northern Irish musician Van Morrison performs in Sondika, near Bilbao, northern Spain, on June 2, 2017. (REUTERS/Vincent West)
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rish President Michael D. Higgins joined a virtual celebration of Van Morrison's 75th birthday on Monday, namechecking US civil rights champion John Lewis and author James Baldwin in a spoken-word rendition of one of the Northern Irishman's songs.
Higgins, a part-time poet and onetime culture minister, is one of 75 Irish artists and musicians to record cover versions of the "Brown Eyed Girl" singer's extensive back catalog to mark the milestone in a weeks-long online series.
"Rave on Van Morrison. Rave on James Baldwin. Rave on John Lewis. The celebration will be held, racism defeated," the 79-year-old Higgins added into a verse of the 1983 song "Rave On, John Donne".
Read also: Bob Geldof and Hozier to perform in Van Morrison 75th birthday tribute
The president recorded the rendition from his official residence in Dublin's Phoenix Park, accompanied by Bill Whelan, composer of the global hit Irish dancing show "Riverdance".
Irish music stars Bob Geldof, Hozier and Sinead O'Connor were joined by actor and Morrison's fellow Northern Irishman Liam Neeson in the performances that local music magazine Hot Press organized while COVID-19 keeps most music venues closed.
Morrison, who still performs, called on music professionals last week to join him in seeking a return to playing in front of full-capacity audiences, criticizing what he described as the "pseudo-science" that has all but shut the live sector.
