Sterling Morrison facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sterling Morrison
Morrison circa 1966
Background information
Birth name	Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr.
Born	(1942-08-29)August 29, 1942 East Meadow, New York, U.S.
Died	August 30, 1995(1995-08-30) (aged 53) Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
Genres	Rock experimental rock proto-punk art rock
Occupation(s)	Musician
Instruments	Guitar bass guitar vocals
Years active	1965–1971 1990-1995
Associated acts	The Velvet Underground Nico

Holmes Sterling Morrison Jr. (born August 29, 1942 – died August 30, 1995) was an American musician. He was a founding member of the famous rock group The Velvet Underground. In the band, he usually played electric guitar. Sometimes, he also played bass guitar and sang backing vocals.

Unlike other band members like Lou Reed and John Cale, Sterling Morrison never released his own solo music. However, he was a very important part of the band's sound. His guitar playing was unique, with a strong rhythm and clear melodies. This style worked well with Lou Reed's guitar parts.

Sterling Morrison's Early Life

Sterling Morrison was born on August 29, 1942, in East Meadow, New York. He grew up with two brothers and two sisters. His parents divorced when he was young, and his mother later remarried.

He first met Maureen Tucker, who would become the drummer for The Velvet Underground, when they were kids. He knew her through her brother, Jim, who went to school with Morrison. Sterling first learned to play the trumpet. But he switched to the guitar after his teacher joined the army.

Morrison studied English at the City College of New York. He met Lou Reed while visiting a friend at Syracuse University. They met again in New York City in 1963. By then, Lou Reed had met John Cale and wanted to start a band. So, when they saw Morrison, they asked him to join.

Joining The Velvet Underground (1965–1971)

Morrison in 1968

The first members of The Velvet Underground were Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Angus MacLise. They chose their band name from a book. Lou Reed sang and played guitar. Morrison played guitar. Cale played viola, bass, and keyboards. MacLise played various drums like bongos and tambourines. Soon, Maureen Tucker replaced Angus MacLise as the drummer.

Morrison mainly played guitar on the band's first two albums. Sometimes, when John Cale played viola or keyboards, Morrison would play bass guitar instead. He was good at playing bass, but he did not enjoy it as much.

After John Cale left the band in 1968, Morrison usually played only guitar. He also often sang backing vocals. He even sang some lines in songs like "The Murder Mystery" and "I'm Sticking With You."

Sterling Morrison often said that "Venus in Furs" was his favorite Velvet Underground song. He felt the band truly found their unique sound with that track.

In 1970, the band played many shows in New York City. Morrison used this time to finish his college degree. He stayed with The Velvet Underground as the lead guitarist after Lou Reed left in August 1970. However, in 1971, he started studying at the University of Texas at Austin. He earned a PhD in medieval literature there in 1986. Morrison's last show with the band was on August 21, 1971. He decided to stay in Texas, becoming the last founding member to leave the group.

Life After The Velvet Underground (1971–1990)

Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker in Augsburg, Germany, in 1992

In the mid-1970s, Morrison started working on tugboats in Houston to earn money. He became a licensed master mariner and a tugboat captain. He continued this job throughout the 1980s.

After leaving The Velvet Underground, Morrison mostly played music for fun. He played in a few bands in Austin, Texas, like the Bizarros. He was a well-liked musician in the local music scene. He sometimes played with John Cale and often with Maureen Tucker. He was part of Maureen Tucker's touring band in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The Velvet Underground Reunion

In 1992, the main members of The Velvet Underground – Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison, and Maureen Tucker – decided to get back together. They planned a tour and possibly a new album. Morrison wanted Doug Yule, who had replaced Cale earlier, to join them. But Reed and Cale said no.

The band toured Europe in 1993, sometimes playing their own shows and sometimes opening for U2. Morrison's guitar playing was excellent during this tour. However, by the end of the tour, the band members were not getting along again. Plans for a US tour and an MTV Unplugged album were canceled. This European tour became the last for The Velvet Underground. Morrison then joined Maureen Tucker's band for another tour in 1994.

Sterling Morrison's Death

In late 1994, Sterling Morrison was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. As his health got worse, he could no longer play guitar. His former bandmates, Lou Reed and Maureen Tucker, visited him. Lou Reed said that when he saw Morrison for the last time, he was very thin and had lost his hair. But Morrison never complained about his illness.

Sterling Morrison died from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma on August 30, 1995. He passed away just one day after his 53rd birthday.

Sterling Morrison's Legacy

When The Velvet Underground was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996, Lou Reed, John Cale, and Maureen Tucker performed a song. It was called "Last Night I Said Goodbye to My Friend" and was dedicated to Sterling Morrison.

In March 2001, a special tribute was held for Morrison at the Austin Music Awards. John Cale played a song he wrote for Morrison called "Some Friends." Alejandro Escovedo played the Galaxie 500 song "Tugboat," which was also written for Morrison. A discussion panel about Sterling Morrison also took place, with Cale and others sharing memories of their friend.

The song "Tugboat" by Galaxie 500 refers to Morrison's job as a tugboat captain after he left the band. Sterling Morrison was a big influence on musician Dean Wareham.

Sterling Morrison's Family Life

Sterling Morrison's family included his wife, Martha, whom he married in 1971. He also had a son, Thomas, and a daughter, Mary Anne. They all live in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Sterling Morrison's Guitar Style

In the early days of The Velvet Underground, there was no set "lead" or "rhythm" guitarist. Both Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison often switched roles. However, from their third album onwards, Morrison usually played lead guitar. Reed focused more on singing and rhythm guitar.

Morrison and Reed's guitars worked together, playing off each other. They would switch between lead and rhythm parts. Compared to Reed's more experimental style, Morrison's guitar playing was often more rhythmic and clean, with clear melodies. Lou Reed praised Morrison's playing, saying it was "sterling" – meaning excellent and pure. He said Morrison's playing had grace and elegance.

Doug Yule, who joined the band later, said that Morrison's biggest influence was Mickey Baker. Baker was a blues and R&B guitarist known for the 1957 hit song "Love Is Strange."

Songs Sterling Morrison Helped Write

Lou Reed was the main songwriter for The Velvet Underground. However, some people believe that Sterling Morrison and John Cale helped write more songs than they were given credit for. Morrison once said that Lou Reed wanted most of the credit for the songs. He said they often let Reed have it to keep the peace.

Even so, Morrison did get co-writing credits on several songs. These include "European Son", "Here She Comes Now", "The Gift", and "Sister Ray". He also helped write "Chelsea Girls" with Reed, which was the title song for Nico's first solo album, Chelsea Girl.

Music with The Velvet Underground

Only recordings that feature Sterling Morrison are listed here. For all of the band's music, 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

• The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
• White Light/White Heat (1968)
• The Velvet Underground (1969)
• Loaded (1970)
• Live at Max's Kansas City (1972)
• Live MCMXCIII (1993)

Later Releases of Old Music

• 1969: The Velvet Underground Live (1974)
• VU (1985)
• Another View (1986)
• Chronicles (1991)
• Peel Slowly and See (box set, 1995)
• Bootleg Series Volume 1: The Quine Tapes (live, 2001)
• The Very Best of the Velvet Underground (2003)
• The Complete Matrix Tapes (live, 2015)

Other Music Recordings

• Nico - Chelsea Girl (1967)
  • Plays guitar on "Chelsea Girls" and "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams"
• Moe Tucker - I Spent a Week There the Other Night (1992)
  • Plays electric guitar on "Too Shy"; plays 12-string guitar on "Blue, All the Way to Canada"
• Luna - Bewitched (1994)
  • Plays guitar on "Friendly Advice" and "Great Jones Street"
• Moe Tucker - Dogs Under Stress (1994)
  • Plays guitar on "Me, Myself and I", "I Don't Understand", "Little Girl" and "I Wanna"; plays electric sitar on "Danny Boy"
• John Cale – Antártida (1995)
  • Plays guitar on "People Who Died"
• Inside the Dream Syndicate Vol.III: Stainless Steel Gamelan (Table of the Elements 2002)
  • Also features Terry Jennings, Angus MacLise, John Cale

See also

In Spanish: Sterling Morrison para niños