Sterling Morrison

Sterling Morrison (1942-1995) was a pioneering rock guitarist and one of the founding members of The Velvet Underground.

Born in Long Island, Morrison was studying for a degree in English at Syracuse University when he met Lou Reed, who convinced him to drop his studies and join him in a rock & roll band. While Morrison usually played guitar, he often filled in on bass for John Cale (and Doug Yule when Cale was fired) despite his distaste for the instrument.

In 1970, during the Velvets' residency at Max’s Kansas City, Morrison decided to finish his undergraduate degree at the City College of New York. He creatively withdrew from the band slowly until abruptly leaving in 1971. After a show in Houston, he packed a bag, said goodbye to the band at their airport gate and told them he was staying.

Morrison worked as a tugboat captain for many years while he studied for his PhD in medieval literature at the University of Texas in Austin (which he would gain in 1986). He continued to work on and off as a guitarist, but apart from joining Mo Tucker’s touring ensemble in the late ‘80s, it was never anything serious until the Velvet Underground reformed in 1992.

The reunion was a success, but it brought out old wounds and the band folded one last time in ‘93. Morrison continued to perform with Tucker, but was soon diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. It ended up taking his life at age 53.