The Michael Berry Show

George Morrison was born on this day in 1945, 78 years ago in Bloomfield,

Belfast, Northern Ireland, George Morrison, George Ivan Morrison, or George I Van Morrison,

known to the world as Van Morrison. I like me some Van Morrison. My favorite van Morrison's story

was he came to the Woodlands which is about an hour north of Houston. There's a place

called Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion and it's where the big acts come. They come to the basketball

Arena Toyota Center but they'll also or the NRG which is the football but a lot of them will come to

Cynthia Woods Mitchell. It's a big concert facility and Van Morrison is a recovered alcoholic.

Most people that are fans of his know that and he's not happy about it. He is not what they call a

grateful alcoholic. He's pretty pissed off about it. He'd really like a drink and there are stories

about how much he would like a drink. He might punch you in the face because he wants a drink so

bad he can't help it and really wants a drink. So it's time for his show and I guess the rules

had been made clear that he did not want alcohol once you could have a drink outside the show

but you couldn't have a drink during the show and I paused drinking in January.

You know you got to get control of it. You shouldn't be drinking it. I felt like I don't care what you

do but I shouldn't be drinking every day. It's not good for your liver or your long-term health and I

found that I wasn't as productive. I like to write at night. I like to read and research and prepare

for the next day and you know have a couple of drinks and I found that I could justify not working

for the show tomorrow. So I thought well I'm probably a little more productive and it's true.

So I took a little pause. I don't say quit because if you say quit and people you know they get all

excited. No no no I don't want to be part of anybody's group. I just decided I wouldn't drink for

a little while and you know what the beauty of my bourbon collection is if I go back to it it's

...