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Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band
the Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then, he has pursued a successful solo career. Morrissey's music is characterised by his
baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
voice and distinctive lyrics with recurring themes of emotional isolation, sexual longing, self-deprecating and dark humour, and anti-establishment stances. Morrissey was born to working-class Irish immigrants in
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
, Lancashire, England; the family lived in Queen's Court near the Loreto convent in Hulme and his mother worked nearby at the Hulme Hippodrome bingo hall. They moved due to the 1960s demolitions of almost all the Victorian-era houses in Hulme, known as '
slum clearance Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low-income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...
', and he grew up in nearby
Stretford Stretford is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, sited on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal; the Bridgewater Canal bisects the town. The town is located south of Manchester, south of Salfo ...
. As a child, he developed a love of literature,
kitchen sink realism Kitchen sink realism (or kitchen sink drama) is a British cultural movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as " angry young men" ...
, and 1960s pop music. In the late 1970s, he fronted the
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
band the Nosebleeds with little success before beginning a career in music journalism and writing several books on music and film in the early 1980s. (Morrissey later said, in 2024, that he "did not ever join" the Nosebleeds.) He formed the Smiths with
Johnny Marr John Martin Marr (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Maher; born 31 October 1963) is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has sinc ...
in 1982 and the band soon attracted national recognition for their eponymous debut album. As the band's frontman, Morrissey attracted attention for his trademark
quiff The quiff is a hairstyle that combines the 1950s pompadour hairstyle, the 1950s flattop, and sometimes a mohawk. It was born as a post-war reaction to the short and strict haircuts for men. The hairstyle was a staple in the British Teddy Boy ...
and witty and sardonic lyrics. Deliberately avoiding rock machismo, he cultivated the image of a sexually ambiguous social outsider who embraced celibacy. The Smiths released three further studio albums—'' Meat Is Murder'', '' The Queen Is Dead'', and '' Strangeways, Here We Come''—and had a string of hit singles. The band were critically acclaimed and attracted a cult following. Personal differences between Morrissey and Marr resulted in the separation of the Smiths in 1987. In 1988, Morrissey launched his solo career with '' Viva Hate''. This album and its follow-ups—'' Kill Uncle'' (1991), '' Your Arsenal'' (1992), and '' Vauxhall and I'' (1994)—all did well on the UK Albums Chart and spawned multiple hit singles. He took on Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer as his main co-writers to replace Marr. During this time his image began to shift into that of a more robust figure who toyed with patriotic imagery and working-class masculinity. In the mid to late 1990s, his albums '' Southpaw Grammar'' (1995) and '' Maladjusted'' (1997) also charted but were less well received. Relocating to Los Angeles, he took a musical hiatus from 1998 to 2003 before releasing a successful comeback album, '' You Are the Quarry'', in 2004. Ensuing years saw the release of albums '' Ringleader of the Tormentors'' (2006), '' Years of Refusal'' (2009), '' World Peace Is None of Your Business'' (2014), '' Low in High School'' (2017), '' California Son'' (2019), and '' I Am Not a Dog on a Chain'' (2020), as well as his autobiography (2013) and his debut novel, '' List of the Lost'' (2015). Highly influential, Morrissey has been credited as a seminal figure in the emergence of
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...
,
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
, and
Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...
. In a 2006 poll for the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's '' Culture Show'', Morrissey was voted the second-greatest living British cultural icon. His work has been the subject of academic study. He has been a controversial figure throughout his music career due to his forthright opinions and outspoken nature, endorsing vegetarianism and
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...
and criticising royalty and prominent politicians. He has also supported far-right activism with regard to British heritage, and defended a particular vision of
national identity National identity is a person's identity or sense of belonging to one or more states or one or more nations. It is the sense of "a nation as a cohesive whole, as represented by distinctive traditions, culture, and language". National identity ...
while critiquing the effects of immigration on the UK.


Early life


1959–1976: Childhood

Steven Patrick Morrissey was born on 22 May 1959 in
Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and is the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,197, it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after W ...
, Lancashire. His parents, Elizabeth (''née'' Dwyer) and Peter Morrissey, were
Irish Catholics Irish Catholics () are an ethnoreligious group native to Ireland, defined by their adherence to Catholic Christianity and their shared Irish ethnic, linguistic, and cultural heritage.The term distinguishes Catholics of Irish descent, particul ...
who had emigrated to
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
from
Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...
with his only sibling, elder sister Jacqueline, a year before his birth. Morrissey claims he was named after American actor Steve Cochran, although he may instead have been named in honour of his father's brother who died in infancy, Patrick Steven Morrissey. His earliest home was a
council house A council house, corporation house or council flat is a form of British Public housing in the United Kingdom, public housing built by Local government in the United Kingdom, local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing ...
at 17 Harper Street in the Queen's Square area of Hulme, inner Manchester, since demolished. Living in that area as a child, he was deeply affected by the
Moors murders The Moors murders were a serial killer, series of child murder, child killings committed by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley in and around Manchester, England, between July 1963 and October 1965. The victims were five children—Pauline Reade, John Ki ...
, in which a number of local children were killed; the crimes had a lasting impression on him and would inspire the lyrics of the Smiths song " Suffer Little Children". He also became aware of the
anti-Irish sentiment Anti-Irish sentiment, also Hibernophobia, is bigotry against the Irish people or individuals. It can include hatred, oppression, persecution, as well as simple discrimination. Generally, it could be bigotry against people from the island of Ire ...
in British society against Irish immigrants to Britain. In 1970, after the "
slum clearances Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low-income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...
" of Victorian-era houses in Hulme, the family moved to another council house at 384 King's Road in
Stretford Stretford is a market town in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, sited on flat ground between the River Mersey and the Manchester Ship Canal; the Bridgewater Canal bisects the town. The town is located south of Manchester, south of Salfo ...
.


Education

Following a primary education at St Wilfred's Primary School, Morrissey failed his 11-plus exam and proceeded to St Mary's Secondary Modern School, an experience he found unpleasant. He excelled at athletics, though he was an unpopular
loner A loner is a person described as not seeking out, actively avoiding, or failing to maintain interpersonal relationships. There are many potential causes for this solitude. Intentional causes include introversion, mysticism, spirituality, reli ...
at the school. He left school in 1975, having received no formal qualifications. He continued his education at Stretford Technical College, where he gained three O-Levels in English literature, sociology, and the General Paper. In 1985, he gave a tour of Manchester for the '' Oxford Road Show'' and spoke fondly of St Wilfred's, including meeting his former teachers and going through a photo album. Later in the tour, he arrived at St Mary's and described it in highly negative terms, wryly closing with "Not to be recommended." He has been critical of his formal education, later stating, "The education I received was so basically evil and brutal. All I learnt was to have no self-esteem and to feel ashamed without knowing why." He has also discussed being subjected to
corporal punishment A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. When it is inflicted on Minor (law), minors, especially in home and school settings, its methods may include spanking or Padd ...
as a student, which is the subject of the Smiths' 1985 song " The Headmaster Ritual". Education is a recurring theme in his lyrics, such as "The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils" from '' Southpaw Grammar'' (1995) and the '' Years of Refusal'' bonus track "Because of My Poor Education" (2009). The working title for his first solo album '' Viva Hate'' was ''Education in Reverse'' and it was initially released in Australia under that title, though this was later rectified.


Family life and influences

In 1975, he travelled to the U.S. to visit an aunt who lived in
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is the southernmost of the boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County and situated at the southernmost point of New York (state), New York. The borough is separated from the ad ...
. The relationship between his parents was strained, and they ultimately separated in December 1976, with his father moving out of the family home. Morrissey's librarian mother encouraged her son's interest in reading. He took an interest in feminist literature, citing examples such as Marjorie Rosen,
Molly Haskell Molly Clark Haskell (born September 29, 1939)Aitken, Ian, ed. (2006)''Encyclopedia of Documentary Film, Volume 2'' New York: Routledge. p. 541. . is an American film critic and author. She contributed to '' The Village Voice''—first as a ...
and
Susan Brownmiller Susan Brownmiller (born Susan Warhaftig; February 15, 1935 – May 24, 2025) was an American journalist, author, and feminist activist, best known for her 1975 book '' Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape'', which was selected by The New ...
in an 1983 interview with ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
''. He particularly liked the Irish author
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
, whom he came to idolise. The young Morrissey was a fan of the television soap opera ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
'', which focused on working-class communities in Manchester; he sent proposed scripts and storylines to the show's production company,
Granada Television ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV (TV network), ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire on weekdays only, as ABC Weekend TV, ...
, although all were rejected. He was also a fan of Shelagh Delaney's '' A Taste of Honey'' and its 1961 film adaptation, which was a drama focusing on working-class life in
Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...
. Many of his later songs directly quoted ''A Taste of Honey''. Of his youth, Morrissey has said, "Pop music was all I ever had, and it was completely entwined with the image of the pop star. I remember feeling the person singing was actually with me and understood me and my predicament." He later revealed that the first record he purchased was
Marianne Faithfull Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (29 December 1946 – 30 January 2025) was an English singer and actress who achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her UK top 10 single " As Tears Go By". She became one of the leading female art ...
's 1965 single " Come and Stay With Me". He became a
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...
fan in the 1970s, enjoying the work of English artists like T. Rex,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
and
Roxy Music Roxy Music are an English rock music, rock band formed in 1970 by Bryan Ferry (lead vocals/keyboards/principal songwriter) and Graham Simpson (musician), Graham Simpson (bass). By the time the band recorded their Roxy Music (album), first albu ...
. He was also a fan of American glam rock artists such as Sparks, Jobriath and the
New York Dolls New York Dolls were an American rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1971. Along with the Velvet Underground, the MC5, and the Stooges, they were one of the first bands of the early punk rock scenes. Although the band never achieved ...
. He formed a British fan club for the latter, attracting members through small adverts in the back pages of music magazines. It was through the New York Dolls' interest in female pop singers from the 1960s that Morrissey too developed a fascination for such artists, including Sandie Shaw,
Twinkle Twinkle may refer to: * Twinkling, the variation of brightness of distant objects People * Twinkle (singer) (1948–2015), born Lynn Annette Ripley, English singer-songwriter * Twinkle Bajpai, Indian singer, television and film actress * Twinkl ...
, and
Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...
.


1977–1981: Early bands and published books

Having left formal education, Morrissey proceeded through a series of jobs, as a clerk for the civil service and then the Inland Revenue, as a salesperson in a
record store A record shop or record store is a retail outlet that sells recorded music. Per the name, in the late 19th century and the early 20th century, record shops only sold gramophone records. But over the course of the 20th century, record shops sol ...
, and as a hospital porter, before abandoning employment and claiming
unemployment benefits Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work d ...
. He used much of the money from these jobs to purchase tickets for gigs, attending performances by
Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 1975.Talking Heads
, the
Ramones The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of th ...
, and Blondie. He regularly attended concerts, having a particular interest in the alternative and post-punk music scene. Having met the guitarist
Billy Duffy William Henry Duffy (born 12 May 1961) is an English rock musician, best known as the guitarist in the band the Cult. Early life Duffy was born and grew up in Manchester, England. He has Irish and Jewish heritage and ancestry. He began playin ...
in November 1977, Morrissey agreed to become the vocalist for Duffy's punk band the Nosebleeds, though Morrissey later said, in 2024, that he "did not ever join" the band. Morrissey co-wrote a number of songs with the band—"Peppermint Heaven", "I Get Nervous" and "I Think I'm Ready for the Electric Chair"—and performed with them in support slots for Jilted John and then
Magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
. The band soon disbanded. He came to be known as a minor figure within Manchester's punk community. By 1981, he had become a close friend of Linder Sterling, the frontwoman of punk-jazz ensemble Ludus; her lyrics and style of singing both influenced him. Through Sterling, he came to know
Howard Devoto Howard Devoto (born Howard Andrew Trafford, 15 March 1952) is an English singer and songwriter, who began his career as the frontman for punk rock band Buzzcocks, but then left to form Magazine, an early post-punk band. After Magazine, he went ...
and Richard Boon. At the time, Morrissey's best male friend was James Maker; he would visit Maker in London or they would meet in Manchester, where they visited the city's gay bars and gay clubs, in one case having to escape from a gang of gay bashers. Wanting to become a professional writer, Morrissey considered a career in music journalism. He frequently wrote letters to the music press and was eventually hired by the weekly music review publication ''
Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...
''. He wrote several short books for local publishing company Babylon Books: in 1981 it released a 24-page booklet he had written on the New York Dolls, which sold 3000 copies. This was followed by ''James Dean is Not Dead'', about the late American film star
James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...
. Morrissey had developed a love of Dean and had covered his bedroom with pictures of the dead film star.


The Smiths


1982–1984: Establishing the Smiths

In August 1978, Morrissey was briefly introduced to the 14-year-old
Johnny Marr John Martin Marr (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Maher; born 31 October 1963) is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has sinc ...
by mutual acquaintances at a
Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer. Her 1975 debut album '' Horses'' made her an influential member of the New York City-based punk rock movement. Smith has fu ...
gig held at Manchester's Apollo Theatre. Several years later, in May 1982, Marr turned up on the doorstep of Morrissey's house, there to ask Morrissey if he was interested in co-founding a band. Marr had been impressed that Morrissey had authored a book on the New York Dolls, and was inspired to turn up on his doorstep following the example of Jerry Leiber, who had formed his working partnership with
Mike Stoller Leiber and Stoller were an American songwriting and record production duo, consisting of lyricist Jerome Leiber (; April 25, 1933 – August 22, 2011) and composer Michael Stoller (born March 13, 1933). As well as many R&B and pop hits, they wr ...
after turning up at the latter's door. According to Morrissey: "We got on absolutely famously. We were very similar in drive." The next day, Morrissey phoned Marr to confirm that he would be interested in forming a band with him. Steve Pomfret—who had served as the band's first bassist—soon abandoned the band, to be replaced by Dale Hibbert. Around the time of the band's formation, Morrissey decided that he would be publicly known only by his surname, with Marr referring to him as "Mozzer" or "Moz". In 1983, he forbade those around him from using the name "Steven", which he despised. Morrissey was also responsible for choosing the band name of "the Smiths", later informing an interviewer that "it was the most ordinary name and I thought it was time that the ordinary folk of the world showed their faces". Alongside developing their own songs, they also developed a cover of the Cookies' "I Want a Boy for My Birthday", the latter reflecting their deliberate desire to transgress established norms of gender and sexuality in rock in a manner inspired by the New York Dolls. In August 1982, they recorded their first demo at Manchester's Decibel Studios, and Morrissey took the demo recording to
Factory Records Factory Records was a Manchester-based British independent record label founded in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. The label featured several important acts on its roster, including Joy Division, New Order (band), New Order, A Certain Ra ...
, but they weren't interested. In late summer 1982, Mike Joyce was adopted as the band's drummer after a successful audition. In October 1982, they then gave their first public performance, as a support act for
Blue Rondo à la Turk Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The term ''blue'' generally d ...
at Manchester's The Ritz. Hibbert however was unhappy with what he perceived as the band's gay aesthetic; in turn, Morrissey and Marr were unhappy with his bass playing, and so he was removed from the band and replaced by Marr's old school friend Andy Rourke. After the record company EMI turned them down, Morrissey and Marr visited London to hand a cassette of their recordings to Geoff Travis of the
independent record label An independent record label (or indie label) is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small and medium-sized enterprise, small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels ...
Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...
. Although not signing them to a contract straight away, he agreed to cut their song " Hand in Glove" as a single. Morrissey chose a homoerotic cover design in the form of a Jim French photograph. It was released in May 1983. The band soon generated controversy when
Garry Bushell Garry Bushell (born 13 May 1955) is an English newspaper columnist, rock music journalist, television presenter, author, musician and political activist. Bushell also sings in the Cockney Oi! bands GBX and the Gonads. He managed the New York C ...
of tabloid newspaper ''
The Sun The Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System. It is a massive, nearly perfect sphere of hot Plasma (physics), plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core, radiating the energy from its surface mainly as ...
'' alleged that their B-side "Handsome Devil" was an endorsement of
paedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of pube ...
. The band denied this, with Morrissey stating that the song "has nothing to do with children, and certainly nothing to do with child molesting". In the wake of their single, the band performed their first significant London gig, gained radio airplay with a
John Peel John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), better known as John Peel, was an English radio presenter and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original disc jockeys on BBC Radio 1, broadcasting regularly from ...
session, and obtained their first interviews in music magazines ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' and '' Sounds''. The follow-up singles "
This Charming Man "This Charming Man" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group's second single on 31 October 1983 by the independent record label Rough Trade, it is defined b ...
" and " What Difference Does It Make?" fared better when they reached numbers 25 and 12 respectively on the UK Singles Chart. Aided by praise from the music press and a series of studio sessions for Peel and David Jensen at
BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
, the Smiths began to acquire a dedicated fan base. In February 1984 they released their debut album, ''
The Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
'', which reached number 2 on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
. As frontman of the Smiths, Morrissey—described as "lanky, soft-spoken, bequiffed and bespectacled"—subverted many of the norms that were associated with pop and rock music. The band's aesthetic simplicity was a reaction to the excess personified by the
New Romantic New Romantic was an underground subculture movement that originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s. The movement emerged from the nightclub scene in London and Birmingham at venues such as Billy's and The Blitz. The New Romantic mo ...
s, and while Morrissey adopted an androgynous appearance like the New Romantics or earlier glam rockers, his was far more subtle and understated. According to one commentator, "he was bookish; he wore
NHS The National Health Service (NHS) is the term for the publicly funded health care, publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom: the National Health Service (England), NHS Scotland, NHS Wales, and Health and Social Care (Northern ...
spectacles and a hearing aid on stage; he was celibate. Worst of all, he was sincere", with his music being "so intoxicatingly melancholic, so dangerously thoughtful, so seductively funny that it lured its listeners . . . into a relationship with him and his music instead of the world." In an
academic paper Academic publishing is the subfield of publishing which distributes Research, academic research and scholarship. Most academic work is published in academic journal articles, books or Thesis, theses. The part of academic written output that is n ...
on the band, Julian Stringer characterised the Smiths as "one of Britain's most overtly political groups", while in his study of their work, Andrew Warns termed them "this most anti-capitalist of bands". Morrissey had been particularly vocal in his criticism of then-Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
; after the October 1984 Brighton hotel bombing, he commented that "the only sorrow" of it was "that Thatcher escaped unscathed". In 1988, he stated that Section 28 "embodies Thatcher's very nature and her quite natural hatred".


1984–1987: The Smiths' growing success

In 1984, the band released two non-album singles: " Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" (their first UK top-ten hit) and " William, It Was Really Nothing". The year ended with the compilation album '' Hatful of Hollow''. This collected singles, B-sides and the versions of songs that had been recorded throughout the previous year for the Peel and Jensen shows. Early in 1985, the band released their second album, '' Meat Is Murder'', which was their only studio album to top the UK charts. The single-only release " Shakespeare's Sister" reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, though the only single taken from the album, " That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", was less successful, barely making the top 50. " How Soon Is Now?" was originally a B-side of "William, It Was Really Nothing", and was subsequently featured on ''Hatful of Hollow'' and the American, Canadian, Australian and Warner UK editions of '' Meat Is Murder''. Belatedly released as a single in the UK in 1985, " How Soon Is Now?" reached number 24 on the UK Singles Chart. During 1985, the band undertook lengthy tours of the UK and the US while recording the next studio record, '' The Queen Is Dead''. The album was released in June 1986, shortly after the single " Bigmouth Strikes Again". The record reached number 2 in the UK charts. All was not well within the band. A legal dispute with Rough Trade had delayed the album by almost seven months (it had been completed in November 1985), and Marr was beginning to feel the stress of the band's exhausting touring and recording schedule.Kelly, Danny. "Exile on Mainstream". ''NME''. 14 February 1987. Meanwhile, Rourke was fired in early 1986 for his use of heroin. Rourke was temporarily replaced on bass guitar by Craig Gannon, but he was reinstated after only a fortnight. Gannon stayed in the band, switching to rhythm guitar. This five-piece recorded the singles " Panic" and " Ask" (with Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals) which reached numbers 11 and 14 respectively on the UK Singles Chart, and toured the UK. After the tour ended in October 1986, Gannon left the band. The band had become frustrated with Rough Trade and sought a record deal with a major label, ultimately signing with EMI, which drew criticism from some of the band's fanbase. In early 1987, the single " Shoplifters of the World Unite" was released and reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. It was followed by a second compilation album, '' The World Won't Listen'', which reached number 2 in the charts—and the single " Sheila Take a Bow", the band's second (and last during the band's lifetime) UK top-10 hit. Despite their continued success, personal differences within the band—including the increasingly strained relationship between Morrissey and Marr—saw them on the verge of breaking up. In July 1987, Marr left the band and auditions to find a replacement proved fruitless. By the time that the band's fourth album '' Strangeways, Here We Come'' was released in September, the band had broken up. Morrissey attributed the band's break-up to the lack of a managerial figure—in a 1989 interview with then-teenage fan Tim Samuels. ''Strangeways'' peaked at number 2 in the UK, but was only a minor US hit, though it was more successful there than the band's previous albums.


Solo career


1988–1991: Early solo work

Several months before the Smiths dissolved, Morrissey enlisted Stephen Street as his personal producer and new songwriting partner, with whom he could begin his solo career. By September 1987, he had begun work on his first solo album, '' Viva Hate'', at Wool Hall Studios near
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
; it was recorded with the musicians Vini Reilly and Andrew Paresi. Rather than featuring pre-existing images of celebrities, as the Smiths' album and single covers had done, the cover sleeve of ''Viva Hate'' featured a photograph of Morrissey taken by Anton Corbijn. In February 1988, EMI released the first single from this album, " Suedehead", which reached number 5 on the British singles chart, a higher position than any Smiths single had achieved. The second single from the album, " Everyday Is Like Sunday", was released in June and reached number 9. The album reached number 1 on the UK album charts. The album's final song, "Margaret on the Guillotine", featured descriptions of Thatcher being executed; in response, the Conservative Member of Parliament Geoffrey Dickens accused Morrissey of being involved in a terrorist network and police
Special Branch Special Branch is a label customarily used to identify units responsible for matters of national security and Intelligence (information gathering), intelligence in Policing in the United Kingdom, British, Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, ...
conducted a search of his Manchester home. Morrissey's first solo performance took place at
Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands of England. Located around 12 miles (20 km) north of Birmingham, it forms the northwestern part of the West Midlands conurbation, with the towns of ...
's Civic Hall in December 1988. The event attracted huge crowds, with ''NME'' journalist James Brown observing that "the excitement and atmosphere inside the hall was like nothing I have ever experienced at any public event". Following ''Viva Hate'', Morrissey put out two new singles; " The Last of the Famous International Playboys" was about the Kray twins, gangsters who operated in London's East End, and reached number 6 on the UK singles chart. This was followed by " Interesting Drug", which reached number 9. After his songwriting partnership with Street ended and was replaced by
Alan Winstanley Alan Kenneth Winstanley (; born 2 November 1952) is an English record producer and songwriter, active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Clive Langer. Early life He was born in Fulham in November 1952 to parents Ken and Doreen. ...
and
Clive Langer Clive Langer (born 19 June 1954) is an English record producer and songwriter, active from the mid-1970s onwards. He usually works with Alan Winstanley. He composed the music for the films '' Still Crazy'' and '' Brothers of the Head''. Biog ...
, he recorded " Ouija Board, Ouija Board", released as a single in November 1989; it reached number 18. Christian spokespeople and tabloid newspapers condemned the song, claiming that it promoted
occultism The occult () is a category of esoteric or supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of organized religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving a 'hidden' or 'secret' agency, such as magic and mystic ...
, to which Morrissey responded that "the only contact I ever made with the dead was when I spoke to a journalist from ''The Sun''." With Winstanley and Langer he began work on his first compilation album, '' Bona Drag'', although only recorded six new songs for it, the rest of the album comprising his recent singles and B-sides. The album reached number 9 on the UK album chart. Two of the newly recorded ''Bona Drag'' tracks were released as singles: " November Spawned a Monster", a song about a woman who is a wheelchair user, reached number 12 in the charts but received criticism from some who believed that it mocked disabled people. The second, " Piccadilly Palare", referenced London
rent boys Male prostitution is a form of sex work consisting of the act or practice of men providing sexual services in return for payment. Although clients can be of any gender, the vast majority are older males looking to fulfill their sexual needs. M ...
and featured terms from the
polari Polari () is a form of slang or Cant (language), cant historically used primarily in the United Kingdom by some actors, circus and fairground performers, professional wrestlers, merchant navy sailors, criminals and prostitutes, and particula ...
gay slang. Released in November 1990, it reached number 19 in the charts. The song attracted some criticism from the British gay press, who were of the opinion that it was wrong for Morrissey to use polari when he was not openly gay; in an interview the previous year he had nevertheless acknowledged his attraction to both men and women. Adopting Mark E. Nevin as his new songwriting partner, Morrissey created his second solo album, '' Kill Uncle''; released in March 1991, it peaked at number 8 on the album chart. The two singles released in promotion of the album, " Our Frank" and " Sing Your Life", failed to break the Top 20 on the singles charts, reaching number 26 and 33 respectively. Another of the album's tracks, "Found, Found, Found", alluded to Morrissey's friendship with
Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe was born in Metro Atlanta in January 1960. Due to his father's militar ...
, the lead singer of American indie rock band REM. Planning his first solo tour, Morrissey assembled several musicians with a background in
rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the Southern United States, South. As a genre, it blends the sound of Western music (North America), Western musi ...
for his new backing group, including the guitarist Boz Boorer, Alain Whyte and Spencer Cobrin. Morrissey began the ''Kill Uncle'' tour in Europe; he brought
Phranc Phranc (born Susan Gottlieb; August 28, 1957), is an American singer-songwriter whose career began playing in several bands in the late 1970s Los Angeles punk rock scene. Her musical style later shifted during the 1980s as a solo artist, into a ...
as his
support act An opening act, also known as a warm-up act, support act, supporting act or opener, is an entertainment act (musical, comedic, or otherwise), that performs at a concert before the featured act, or "headliner". Rarely, an opening act may perform ...
and decorated the stage of each performance with a large image of Edith Sitwell. On the US leg of his tour, he sold out Los Angeles' 18,000 seat The Forum in fifteen minutes, faster than
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
or
Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
had done. During the performance,
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
joined him onstage for a rendition of T. Rex's " Cosmic Dancer". In the US, he sold out 25 of his 26 other performances; one Texan appearance was filmed by Tim Broad for release as the VHS ''Live in Dallas''. He proceeded to Japan—where he was frustrated by the authorities' tough stance toward fans—and then Australasia, where he cancelled several dates due to acute sinusitis. The early 1990s were described by biographer David Bret as the "black phase" in Morrissey's relationship with the British music press, which was increasingly hostile and critical of him. In some cases, this involved the press spreading misinformation, such as the claim that he and Phranc were recording a cover of "
Don't Go Breaking My Heart "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" is a duet by English musician Elton John and English singer Kiki Dee, released by The Rocket Record Company on 25 June 1976. It was written by John with Bernie Taupin under the pseudonyms "Ann Orson" and "Carte B ...
"; others, such as those of Barbara Ellen in ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'', were closer to personal attack than musical review. ''NME'' claimed that his cancelled performances reflected a disrespect towards his fans. He became increasingly reticent in talking to British music journalists, expressing frustration at how they constantly compared his solo work with that of the Smiths; "my past is almost denying me a future". He told one interviewer that the band he was then working with were technically better musicians than the Smiths had ever been.


1992–1995: Changing image

In July 1992, Morrissey released the album '' Your Arsenal'', which peaked at number 2 in the album chart. It was the final release from producer
Mick Ronson Michael Ronson (26 May 1946 – 29 April 1993) was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musici ...
; Morrissey related that working with Ronson had been "the greatest privilege of my life". ''Your Arsenal'' reflected Morrissey's lament for what he regarded as the decline of British culture in the face of increasing Americanisation. He told one interviewer that "everything is informed by American culture—everyone under fifty speaks American—and that's sad. We once had a strong identity and now that's gone completely". A number of the tracks on the album, most notably " Certain People I Know" and "The National Front Disco", dealt with the lives and experiences of tough, working-class youths. ''Your Arsenal'' was critically well received, and often described as his best album since ''Viva Hate''. The first single, " We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful", had been released in April 1992 and peaked at number 17; this was followed by " You're the One for Me, Fatty", which reached number 19 and "Certain People I Know", which reached number 34. From September to December, Morrissey embarked on a 53-date ''Your Arsenal'' tour in which he varyingly decorated the stage with backdrops of
skinhead A skinhead or skin is a member of a subculture that originated among working-class youth in London, England, in the 1960s. It soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working-class skinhead movement emerging worldwide i ...
girls,
Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a Bombshell (slang), blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Mamie Van ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was an American singer and actor. Referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one of the most significant cultural figures of the ...
, and Charlie Richardson. One of the performances was recorded and released as '' Beethoven Was Deaf'' (1993). By the release of ''Your Arsenal'', Morrissey's image had changed; according to Simpson, the singer had converted "from the aesthete interested in rough lads into a rough lad interested in aestheticism (and rough lads)". According to Woods, Morrissey developed an air of "quietly assured masculinity", representing "a more robust, burlier, beefier version of himself", while the poet and Morrissey fan Simon Armitage described the transition as being one from that of "stick-thin, knock-me-over-with-a-feather campness" to that of a "mobster and bare-knuckle boxer image". This new image was reflected in the cover art for ''Your Arsenal''; a photograph taken by Sterling, it featured Morrissey onstage with his shirt open, displaying a muscular torso beneath. In mid-1993, Morrissey co-wrote his fifth album, '' Vauxhall and I'', with Whyte and Boorer; it was produced by
Steve Lillywhite Stephen Alan Lillywhite (born 15 March 1955) is an English record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts The Alarm ...
. Morrissey described the album as "the best I've ever made", and at the time believed it would be either his final or penultimate work. It was both a critical and commercial success, topping the UK album chart in March 1994. The album had been named after
Vauxhall Vauxhall ( , ) is an area of South London, within the London Borough of Lambeth. Named after a medieval manor called Fox Hall, it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. From the Victorian period until the mid-20th century, Va ...
, a district of South West London famous for the Royal Vauxhall Tavern gay pub. One of the album's songs, " The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get", was released as a single at the time and reached number 8 in the UK. The single's sleeve featured images of Jake Walters, a skinhead in his twenties, who was living with Morrissey at the time. Walters had introduced Morrissey to York Hall, a boxing venue in
Bethnal Green Bethnal Green is an area in London, England, and is located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is in east London and part of the East End of London, East End. The area emerged from the small settlement which developed around the common la ...
, part of London's East End, with the singer spending an increasing amount of time there. That year, he also released a non-album single, " Interlude", a duet with Siouxsie Sioux: the track was a cover of a Timi Yuro song. The record was published under the banner "Morrissey & Siouxsie"; due to record company issues, "Interlude" was only available on import outside Europe. In the autumn of 1994, Morrissey recorded five songs at South London's
Olympic Studios Olympic Studios was a British independent recording studio based on Church Road, Barnes, Church Road, Barnes, London, Barnes, London. It is best known for its recordings of many artists throughout the late 1960s to the first decade of the 21st ...
. In January 1995 the single " Boxers" was released, reaching number 23 on the singles chart. In February 1995, he embarked on the ''Boxers'' tour, supported by the band Marion and featuring a backdrop depiction of the boxer Cornelius Carr. One of these performances was filmed by James O'Brien and released as the VHS ''Introducing Morrissey''. In December 1995, the song " Sunny" was released as a single; a lament for Morrissey's terminated relationship with Walters, the song was the first of Morrissey's singles not to chart. In 1995 the compilation album '' World of Morrissey'' was released, containing largely B-sides.


1995–2003: Move to Los Angeles

After his contract with EMI expired, Morrissey signed to
RCA RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded in 1919 as the Radio Corporation of America. It was initially a patent pool, patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Westinghou ...
. On this label he recorded his next album, '' Southpaw Grammar'', at the Miraval Studios in southern France before releasing it in August 1995. Its cover art featured an image of the boxer Kenny Lane. It reached number 4 in the UK album charts, but made little impact compared to its two predecessors. In September 1995, Morrissey served as the support act for the British leg of Bowie's Outside Tour. Backstage at the
Aberdeen Aberdeen ( ; ; ) is a port city in North East Scotland, and is the List of towns and cities in Scotland by population, third most populous Cities of Scotland, Scottish city. Historically, Aberdeen was within the historic county of Aberdeensh ...
gig, Morrissey was taken ill and taken to hospital; he did not return for the rest of the tour. Later referring to the tour critically, he said that when you become involved with Bowie, "you have to worship at the Temple of David". In December 1996, a legal case against Morrissey and Marr brought by Smiths' drummer Mike Joyce arrived at the High Court. Joyce alleged that he had not received his fair share of recording and performance royalties from his time with the band, calling for at least £1 million in damages and 25% of all future Smiths album sales. After a seven-day hearing, the judge ruled in favour of Joyce. In summing up the case, Judge Justice Weeks referred to Morrissey as "devious, truculent and unreliable when his own interests were at stake", with the words "devious" and "truculent" being widely used in press coverage of the ruling. Marr paid the money legally owed to Joyce but Morrissey launched an appeal against the ruling. He said that the judge had been biased against him from the start of the proceedings because of his public criticisms of Thatcher and her government. Morrissey lost his appeal in July 1998, although he launched another soon after; this too was unsuccessful. In a November 2005 statement, Morrissey said that Joyce had cost him £600,000 in legal fees alone and approximately £1,515,000 in total. Morrissey returned on
Island Records Island Records is a multinational record label owned by Universal Music Group. It was founded in Jamaica by Chris Blackwell, Graeme Goodall, and Leslie Kong in 1959, and was eventually sold to PolyGram in 1989. Island and A&M Records, another ...
in 1997, releasing the single " Alma Matters" in July, followed by his next album '' Maladjusted'' in August. The album peaked at number 8 in the UK album charts. Its further two singles, " Roy's Keen" and " Satan Rejected My Soul", both peaked outside the top 30 on the UK singles chart. Having been unhappy with the cover design for ''Southpaw Grammar'', Morrissey left control of cover art of ''Maladjusted'' to his record company, but again was unsatisfied with the result. '' Uncut'' reported in 1998 that Morrissey no longer had a record deal. The following year, he embarked on the ''Oye Esteban Tour'', and was one of the headliners of the Coachella Festival in California. Leaving Britain, Morrissey purchased a house in
Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles Lincoln Heights is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was originally called "East Los Angeles" from 1873 to 1917. It is a densely populated, mostly Latino and Asian neighborhood that includes many histo ...
. It had formerly been the residence of Carole Lombard and had been re-designed by William Haines. Over the next few years he rarely returned to Britain. In 2002, Morrissey returned with a world tour, culminating in two sold-out nights at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres ...
, during which he played as-yet unreleased songs. Outside the US and Europe, concerts also took place in Australia and Japan. During this time,
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by Channel Four Television Corporation. It is state-owned enterprise, publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is funded en ...
filmed ''The Importance of Being Morrissey'', a documentary which aired in 2003; it was Morrissey's first major screen interview to appear on British television. He told interviewers that he was working on an autobiography, and expressed criticism of reality television music shows like ''
Pop Idol ''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and pa ...
'' which were then in their infancy.


2004–2009: Comeback

In 2003, Morrissey signed to
Sanctuary Records Sanctuary Records Group Limited was a record label based in the United Kingdom and is, as of 2013, a subsidiary of BMG Rights Management solely for reissues. Until June 2007, it was the largest independent record label in the UK and the largest ...
, where he was given the defunct
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
label
Attack Records Attack Records ran originally from 1969 to 1980 as an imprint of Trojan Records. Notable artists included The Pioneers, Gregory Isaacs, I-Roy, Big Youth and The Upsetters. In 2003 it was revived for British singer Morrissey and the label ...
to use for his next project. Produced by Jerry Finn and recorded in both Los Angeles and
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; abbreviated ), officially the Royal County of Berkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Oxfordshire to the north, Buckinghamshire to the north-east, Greater London ...
, Morrissey's seventh solo album was '' You Are the Quarry''; it was released in May 2004. The album's cover art featured an image of Morrissey carrying a Tommy gun. It peaked at number 2 on the UK album chart and number 11 on the U.S. Billboard album chart. The first single, " Irish Blood, English Heart", reached number 3 in the UK singles chart, the highest ranked single of his career. Promoting the album, he made appearances on both ''
Top of the Pops ''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
'' and '' Later with Jools Holland'', and gave his first television interview in 17 years on ''
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' is a British chat show presented by Jonathan Ross and broadcast on BBC One between 2001 and 2010. The programme featured Ross' take on current topics of conversation, guest interviews (usually three per show ...
''; Morrissey was visibly uncomfortable with Jonathan Ross' questions. He also agreed to interviews with various press outlets, including the ''NME'', stating that "the nasty old guard" who controlled the magazine in the 1990s were gone and that it was not "the smelly ''NME'' any more". To promote the album, Morrissey embarked on a world tour from April to November. He marked his 45th birthday with a concert at the
Manchester Arena Manchester Arena (currently known as AO Arena for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena in Manchester, England, immediately north of the Manchester city centre, city centre and partly above Manchester Victoria station in air rights space. Pr ...
, supported by Franz Ferdinand; it was recorded for release as the DVD '' Who Put the M in Manchester?''. Morrissey was also invited to curate that year's Meltdown festival at London's Southbank Centre. Among the acts he secured were Sparks, Loudon Wainwright III, Ennio Marchetto,
Nancy Sinatra Nancy Sandra Sinatra (born June 8, 1940) is an American singer, actress, film producer and author. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra ( Barbato) and is known for her 1965 signature hit " These Boots Are Made for Walki ...
, the Cockney Rejects, Lypsinka,
the Ordinary Boys The Ordinary Boys are an English pop band from Worthing, West Sussex. Originally named Next in Line, they are influenced by punk rock and Britpop music. Their name derives from a Morrissey song, "The Ordinary Boys". The membership of the band ...
,
the Libertines The Libertines are an English Rock music, rock band, formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât (vocals/guitar) and Pete Doherty (vocals/guitar). The band, centred on the songwriting partnership of Barât and Doherty, included John Hassall ...
, and playwright
Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English actor, author, playwright and screenwriter. He has received numerous awards and honours including four BAFTA Awards, four Laurence Olivier Awards, and two Tony Awards. In 2005 he received the Socie ...
. He had unsuccessfully attempted to secure appearances from
Brigitte Bardot Brigitte Anne-Marie Bardot ( ; ; born 28 September 1934), often referred to by her initials B.B., is a French former actress, singer, and model as well as an animal rights activist. Famous for portraying characters with Hedonism, hedonistic life ...
and
Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credi ...
. That year he also performed at several UK music festivals, including
Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
,
Reading Reading is the process of taking in the sense or meaning of symbols, often specifically those of a written language, by means of Visual perception, sight or Somatosensory system, touch. For educators and researchers, reading is a multifacete ...
, and
Glastonbury Glastonbury ( , ) is a town and civil parish in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low-lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town had a population of 8,932 in the 2011 census. Glastonbury is less than across the River ...
. Morrissey's eighth studio album, '' Ringleader of the Tormentors'', was recorded in Rome and released in April 2006. It debuted at number 1 in the UK album charts and number 27 in the US. The album yielded four singles: " You Have Killed Me", " The Youngest Was the Most Loved", " In the Future When All's Well", and " I Just Want to See the Boy Happy". The album was produced by
Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
; Morrissey called the album "the most beautiful—perhaps the most gentle—so far". ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' described the album as showcasing "a thicker, more rock-driven sound". In December 2007, Morrissey signed a new deal with
Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis after his acquisition of a gramophone manufacturer, The Decca Gramophone Company. It set up an American subsidiary under the Decca name, which bec ...
, which included a '' Greatest Hits'' album and a new studio album. ''Greatest Hits'' charted at number 5 in the UK album chart. " That's How People Grow Up" was the first single from ''Greatest Hits'', reaching number 14 in the UK charts. A second single from the album, " All You Need Is Me", followed. His ninth studio album, '' Years of Refusal'', originally due in September, was postponed until February 2009, as a result of the death of producer Jerry Finn, and the lack of an American label to distribute the album. When released by the Universal Music Group, it reached number 3 in the UK Albums Chart and 11 in the US ''Billboard'' 200. The record was widely acclaimed by critics, with comparisons made to ''Your Arsenal'' and ''Vauxhall and I''. A review from
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
noted that with ''Years of Refusal'', Morrissey "has rediscovered himself, finding new potency in his familiar arsenal. Morrissey's rejuvenation is most obvious in the renewed strength of his vocals" and called it his "most venomous, score-settling album, and in a perverse way that makes it his most engaging". " I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" and " Something Is Squeezing My Skull" were released as the record's singles. The song "Black Cloud" features the guitar playing of
Jeff Beck Geoffrey Arnold Beck (24 June 1944 – 10 January 2023) was an English musician. He rose to prominence as the guitarist of the rock band the Yardbirds, and afterwards founded and fronted the Jeff Beck Group and Beck, Bogert & Appice. In 1975, ...
. Throughout 2009, Morrissey toured to promote the album. As part of the extensive Tour of Refusal, Morrissey followed a lengthy US tour with concerts booked in Ireland, the UK, and Russia. In October 2009, ''
Swords A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...
'', a B-sides collection of material released between 2004 and 2009, was released. It peaked at 55 on the UK albums chart, and Morrissey later called it "a meek disaster". On the second date of the UK tour to promote ''Swords'', Morrissey collapsed onstage in
Swindon Swindon () is a town in Wiltshire, England. At the time of the 2021 Census the population of the built-up area was 183,638, making it the largest settlement in the county. Located at the northeastern edge of the South West England region, Swi ...
, and was briefly hospitalised. Following the ''Swords'' tour, Morrissey had fulfilled his contractual obligation to Universal Records and was without a record company.


2010–2019: Further studio albums and literary work

In April 2011, EMI issued a new compilation, '' Very Best of Morrissey'', for which the singer had chosen the track list and artwork. In March 2011, Morrissey took Ron Laffitte as his manager. In June and July 2011, Morrissey played a UK tour; during his 2011 performance at
Glastonbury Festival The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
, Morrissey criticised UK Prime Minister
David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
for attempting to prevent a ban on wild animals performing in circuses, calling him a "silly twit". This was followed by several dates elsewhere in Europe. Morrissey's 2012 tour started in South America and continued through Asia and North America. Morrissey played concerts in Belgium, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Portugal, England, and Scotland. In late September, while visiting Strand Bookstore in Manhattan, he saved an elderly lady who had fainted beside him. Between January and March 2013, Morrissey toured 32 North American cities, beginning in Greenvale, New York and ending in Portland, Oregon.
Patti Smith Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter, author, and photographer. Her 1975 debut album '' Horses'' made her an influential member of the New York City-based punk rock movement. Smith has fu ...
and her band were special guests at the
Staples Center Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known as Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along F ...
concert in Los Angeles, and Kristeen Young opened on all nights. In January 2013, Morrissey was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer and several engagements were rescheduled. On 7 March, Morrissey was hospitalised again, this time with pneumonia in both lungs. One week later, the rest of the tour was cancelled. During his rehabilitation he spent time in Ireland, where he watched the country's football team play a match against
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
in the company of his cousin Robbie Keane. In April, EMI reissued the single "The Last of the Famous International Playboys", backed by three new songs: "People Are the Same Everywhere", "Action Is My Middle Name", and "The Kid's a Looker", all recorded live in 2011. Starting in June, Morrissey performed in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile. In August, Morrissey's concert at Hollywood High School on 2 March 2013, had a worldwide cinema release. Morrissey: 25 Live marks Morrissey's 25th year as a solo artist, and was the first authorised live Morrissey DVD in nine years. In July, Morrissey cancelled the South American leg of his tour due to a "lack of funding", saying it was "the last of many final straws". In October 2013, Morrissey's autobiography, titled ''
Autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life, providing a personal narrative that reflects on the author's experiences, memories, and insights. This genre allows individuals to share thei ...
'', was released after a "content dispute" had delayed it from the initial release date of 16 September 2013. The book's release caused controversy as it was published as a "contemporary classic" under the
Penguin Classics Penguin Classics is an imprint (trade name), imprint of Penguin Books under which classic works of literature are published in English language, English, Spanish language, Spanish, Portuguese language, Portuguese, and Korean language, Korean amon ...
label at Morrissey's request, which some critics felt devalued the Penguin Classics label. Morrissey had completed the 660-page book in 2011, before shopping it to publishers such as Penguin Books and Faber and Faber. The book received divergent reviews: ''The Daily Telegraph'' giving it a five-star review that described it as "the best written musical autobiography since Bob Dylan's Chronicles: Volume One, Chronicles", while ''The Independent'' criticised the book's "droning narcissism" as well as its status as a Penguin Classic. The book entered the UK book charts at number 1, nearly 35,000 copies being sold in its first week. In December, a 2011 live cover version of Lou Reed's "Satellite of Love#Morrissey cover, Satellite of Love", was released as a single. In January 2014, Morrissey signed a two-record deal with Capitol Music. His tenth studio album, '' World Peace Is None of Your Business'', was released in July. Prior to its release, he embarked on a US tour in May, but was hospitalised in Boston in early June, cancelling the remaining nine tour dates. After finishing a six date tour in the UK, he did a US tour during June and July, including a concert in New York with special guest Blondie at Madison Square Garden. In July 2015, he publicly claimed that an airport security guard had groped him at San Francisco International Airport. He filed a sexual assault complaint; the Transportation Security Administration found no supporting evidence to act on the allegation. In August, Capitol Music and Harvest Records ended their contracts with Morrissey. In October, he disclosed he had received treatment for Barrett's esophagus, Barrett's oesophageal cancer. In September 2015, Penguin Books published Morrissey's first novel, '' List of the Lost''. In November 2017, his eleventh studio album, '' Low in High School'', was released through BMG Rights Management, BMG and Morrissey's own Etienne record label. That same month, Morrissey attracted press attention and criticism for comments made in an interview with ''Der Spiegel'': he stated that it was "quite sad" that distinct national identities in Europe were being undermined by politicians trying "to introduce a multicultural aspect to everything", and that some individuals claiming victimhood as part of the Me Too movement were not genuine victims of sexual assault but were "simply disappointed". Morrissey accused ''Der Spiegel'' of misquoting him and said it would be his last print interview. He played two shows at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl in November. Morrissey's first UK tour since 2015 began in Aberdeen and concluded in London. In November 2018, Morrissey released a cover of the Pretenders' "Back on the Chain Gang", performing it on ''The Late Late Show with James Corden''. In May 2019, Morrissey played a seven-night residency at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway theatre, Broadway, prior to the release of his twelfth studio album, a covers album titled '' California Son''.


2020–present: ''I Am Not a Dog on a Chain'', unreleased album and ''Without Music the World Dies''

Morrissey released an 11-track album '' I Am Not a Dog on a Chain'' in late March 2020. The lead single, "Bobby, Don't You Think They Know?" featuring Motown soul singer Thelma Houston, was also made available on streaming sites. In November 2020, Morrissey's deal with BMG expired and was not renewed. Morrissey completed a Las Vegas residency in July 2022 titled "Viva Moz Vegas" for the second year in a row. He completed tour dates in the UK and Ireland. The initial plan to release his fourteenth solo album ''Bonfire of Teenagers'' in 2023 on Capitol Records in the US, although he did not sign with a label for a UK release, was scrapped. The album has eleven songs produced by Andrew Watt and features Red Hot Chili Peppers members Chad Smith and Flea (musician), Flea alongside their former bandmate Josh Klinghoffer. Guests also included singers Miley Cyrus and Iggy Pop who contributed backing vocals. In addition, Capitol planned to re-issue several of Morrissey's albums released between 1995 and 2014, with the exception of ''Maladjusted''. On 15 November, it was announced that ''Bonfire of Teenagers'' was no longer scheduled to release in February, with Morrissey saying that the fate of the album was exclusively in the hands of the label. On 25 November 2022, the album's lead single, "Rebels Without Applause", was released by Capitol Records worldwide. On 23 and 24 December, Morrissey announced that he had voluntarily parted ways with his current management companies, Maverick (management), Maverick and Quest, withdrew any association with Capitol Records, and revealed that Cyrus requested to have her vocals removed from the album, which still remains under the control of Capitol and would no longer be releasing it. He later confirmed in February 2023 that Capitol, while still maintaining control of the album, will not release ''Bonfire of Teenagers''; he also suggested that the album had been "sabotaged" by Capitol. On 8 December 2022, Morrissey announced that in January and February 2023, he would record a new album, titled ''Without Music the World Dies''. On 20 February 2023, he announced the album had been completed and unveiled its tracklist, before offering the album to any record labels or private investors who would be willing to distribute it. In 2024, "Interlude", Morrissey's duet with Siouxsie, was re-released on 12-inch gold vinyl for Record Store Day on 20 April 2024; it was available in the UK and other parts of Europe only. In August 2024, Morrissey said in a post on his website that he and Marr had received a "lucrative offer" to tour as the Smiths in 2025. The singer said he accepted the invitation, but Marr did not respond. Marr did not publicly comment, but had then-recently posted a picture of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to dismiss calls to reunite in the aftermath of Oasis (band), Oasis's reunion. Marr previously said in 2016 that Morrissey's politics aligned with Farage's, joking that any potential Smiths reunion would feature the politician as their replacement guitarist. Marr's statement also clarified other claims made by Morrissey's team on Morrissey's website such as that Marr had filed for 100% ownership of the Smiths' intellectual property and trademark rights without having consulted with Morrissey despite the fact that "Morrissey alone created the musical unit name 'The Smiths' in May 1982". In Marr's statement, it was clarified that Marr discovered that the band did not own the trademark, and in an effort to protect the trademark from a third party attempt made in 2018 to use the band's name, Marr registered the trademark solely under his name after a failure to receive a response from Morrissey and his representatives. In January 2024, Marr signed an agreement to share ownership of the name with Morrissey, an agreement Morrissey has yet to follow up on. Marr further clarified that the efforts to take the trademark were not to tour under the Smiths' name with a singer of Marr's choice (contrary to the claims made by Morrissey's team), but rather simply to protect the band's name and use of the name. In February 2025, Morrissey announced tour dates in the UK and Ireland, later followed by dates across Europe throughout the year. Shows in Dublin and Manchester were opened by Brigitte Calls Me Baby. In March 2025 he instructed his law firm, Levy & McRae to pursue legal action against a UK-based individual for "distressing, harmful and libellous content" about him as reported by Music Business Worldwide. The Times newspaper in April 2025 also concurred with his actions arguing it wasn't parody but stalking.


Artistry


Lyrics

Mark Simpson (journalist), Mark Simpson characterised Morrissey as "the anti-pop idol", representing "the last, greatest and most gravely worrying product of an era when pop music was all there was". Music journalist and biographer Johnny Rogan stated that Morrissey's œuvre seems based on "endlessly re-examining a lost, painful past". Morrissey's lyrics have been described as "dramatic, bleak, funny Vignette (literature), vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home". According to Mark Simpson, there is a common feeling that his music's emphasis on the sadness of life is depressing. His lyrics are characterised by their usage of black humour, self-deprecation, and the pop vernacular. Many of his lyrics avoid mentioning the gender of the narrator, and thus provide both male and female listeners with multiple points of identification. Simpson felt that his lyrics often highlighted "the essential absurdity of gender". Discussing the Smiths' lyrics in 1992, Stringer highlighted that they placed great emphasis on the concept of Englishness, but added that unlike the contemporary 2 Tone (music genre), Two-Tone and acid house movements, they focused on white England rather than exploring its multi-cultural counterpart. Although noting that during the 1980s emphasising white identity was a trait closely linked with right-wing politics, Stringer expressed the view that the Smiths represented "the only sustained response that white, English pop/rock music was able to make" against the Thatcher government's "appropriation of white, English national identity". His lyrics have expressed disdain for many elements of British society, including the government, church, education system, royal family, meat-eating, money, gender, discos, fame, and relationships. In his lyrics for the Smiths, Morrissey avoided explicit descriptions of the consummation of sex; rather, he sings about the anticipation, frustration, aversion, or final disappointment with sex. Stringer suggested that this deliberate avoidance of sex was a reflection of the band's 'Englishness' because it invoked English cultures' "lack of emotional expression, the way in which feelings, and especially sexual feelings, cannot be expressed directly through casual touch, body contact and so on". Male homoerotic elements can be found in many of the Smiths' lyrics, but these also included sexualised descriptions featuring women. Morrissey has described having "a macabre fascination" with violence. Simpson opined that Morrissey's lyrics "bleed and throb with violent imagery", citing the references to bus crashes and suicide pacts in "There is a Light that Never Goes Out", smashed teeth in "Bigmouth Strikes Again", and nuclear apocalypse in both "Ask" and "Everyday is Like Sunday". More broadly, Morrissey had a longstanding interest in thuggery, whether that be murderers, gangsters, rough trade, or skinheads.


Performance style

Morrissey's vocals have been cited as having a particularly distinctive quality. Simpson believed that Morrissey's work embodied and personified that of the "Northern Women", speaking in styles of vernacular language that would be common to many women living in northern England. In this he was strongly influenced by the Northern singer Cilla Black, who had a successful career as a pop music singer in the 1960s, as well as Viv Nicholson, who similarly earned fame during that decade. Other female singers from that decade who have been cited as an influence on Morrissey have been the Scottish Lulu (singer), Lulu, and the Essexer Sandie Shaw. However, Stringer noted that rather than expressly singing in a Mancunian working-class accent, Morrissey adopted a "very clipped, precise enunciation" and sang in "clear English diction". He is also noted for his unusual
baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
vocal style (though he sometimes uses falsetto). When performing onstage, he often whips his microphone cord about, particularly during his up-tempo tracks. Simpson believed that Morrissey often gave "slyly aggressive gestures" while onstage; he cited two instances from ''Top of the Pops'', one in which Morrissey used hand gestures to pretend shooting at the audience during "Shoplifters of the World Unite" and another in which he turned his microphone cord into a hangman's noose while repeating the lyrics "Hang the DJ, hang the DJ" in the song "Panic". Rogan claimed that Morrissey exhibited "a power onstage which I have seldom seen from any other artiste of his generation", and that while performing he "oozes charisma, offering that peculiar combination of gauche vulnerability and athleticism". On various occasions, Morrissey has expressed anger when he believes that bouncers and the security teams at his concerts have treated the audience poorly. For instance, at his San Antonio concert as part of the ''Your Arsenal'' tour he stopped his performance to rebuke bouncers for hitting fans. On 12 November 2022, while playing a live show in Los Angeles at the Greek Theatre (Los Angeles), Greek Theater, he finished the set just after 9 songs and left without notice, upsetting many fans. The bandmates hung around for over 10 minutes before realising he was not coming back and it was announced that the show was being cancelled for "unforseen circumstances". It was speculated by some fans that the weather may have been too cold for him.


Personal life

Throughout his career, Morrissey has retained an intensely private personal life. A longtime resident of Los Angeles in the US, he also has homes in Italy, Switzerland, and the UK. In 2017, Los Angeles declared 10 November "Morrissey Day". Friends refer to him as "Morrissey", and he dislikes the nickname "Moz", telling one interviewer that "it's like something you'd squirt on the kitchen floor". His mother, Elizabeth Anne Dwyer, died in August 2020 at the age of 82 from gallbladder cancer. In 2023 at a live gig in New York, he revealed that he has never owned a mobile phone. Morrissey has described himself a lapsed Catholic and has criticised the Catholic Church. In 1991, he said that he believed in an afterlife. Morrissey is a cousin of Irish footballer Robbie Keane and once said, "To watch [Keane] on the pitch—pacing like a lion, as weightless as an astronaut, is pure therapy." He is also a fan of boxing. Morrissey has described having clinical depression, for which he has pursued professional help.


Public image

Julian Stringer has characterised Morrissey as a man with various contradictory traits, being "an ordinary, working-class 'anti-star' who nevertheless loves to hog the spotlight, a nice man who says the nastiest things about other people, a shy man who is also an outrageous narcissist". He further suggested that part of Morrissey's appeal was that he conveyed the image of a "cultivated English gentleman, being every inch the typically English 'gent' he is perfectly representative of that type's loathing for cant and hypocrisy, and his fragile, quasi-gay sexuality". Similarly, Morrissey biographer David Bret described him as being "quintessentially English", while Mark Simpson termed him a Little Englander. Morrissey is known for his criticism of the British music press, royalty, politicians and people who eat meat. According to Bret, his "withering attacks" on those he disliked are typically delivered in a "laid-back" manner. During the 1980s, interviewer Paul Morley stated that Morrissey "sets out to be a decent man and he succeeds because that is what he is". Eddie Sanderson, who interviewed Morrissey for ''The Mail on Sunday'' in 1992, said that "underneath all the rock star flim-flam, Morrissey is actually a very nice chap, excellent company, perfectly willing and able to talk about any subject one cared to throw at him". Having photographed him in 2004, Mischa Richter described Morrissey as "genuinely lovely".


Animal rights advocacy

A vocal advocate of animal welfare and
animal rights Animal rights is the philosophy according to which many or all Animal consciousness, sentient animals have Moral patienthood, moral worth independent of their Utilitarianism, utility to humans, and that their most basic interests—such as ...
issues, Morrissey has been a vegetarian since the age of 11. He has explained his vegetarianism by saying that "if you love animals, obviously it doesn't make sense to hurt them". Morrissey announced in 2015 that he is a vegan. He spoke of difficulties transitioning from vegetarianism to veganism. In a 2018 interview, Morrissey stated that he "refuse[s] to eat anything that had a mother" but has always had difficulties with food, stating that he only eats bread, potatoes, pasta and nuts despite the increasing availability of more varied vegan food. Morrissey is a supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In recognition of his support, PETA honoured him with the Linda McCartney Memorial Award at their 25th Anniversary Gala on 10 September 2005. He appeared in a PETA advert in 2012, encouraging people to have their dogs and cats neutered to help reduce the number of homeless pets. In 2014, PETA worked with animator Anna Saunders to create a cartoon called ''Someday'' in honour of Morrissey's 55th birthday. It features his song "I Know It's Gonna Happen Someday" and highlights the journey of a young chick. In January 2006, Morrissey attracted criticism when he stated that he accepts the motives behind the militant tactics of the Animal Rights Militia, saying, "I understand why fur-farmers and so-called laboratory scientists are repaid with violence—it is because they deal in violence themselves and it's the only language they understand." He has criticised people who are involved in the promotion of eating meat, including Jamie Oliver and Clarissa Dickson Wright. The latter had already been targeted by some animal rights activists for her stance on fox hunting. In response, Dickson Wright stated, "Morrissey is encouraging people to commit acts of violence and I am constantly aware that something might very well happen to me." Conservative MP David Davis (British politician), David Davis criticised Morrissey's comments, saying that "any incitement to violence is obviously wrong in a civilised society and should be investigated by the police". Morrissey has also criticised the British royal family for their involvement in fox hunting. In 2006, Morrissey refused to include Canada in his world tour that year and supported a boycott of Canadian goods in protest against the country's annual seal hunt, which he described as a "barbaric and cruel slaughter". In 2018, he changed his approach, feeling that his previous "stance was ultimately of no use and helped no one", and pledged to donate to animal protection groups in the cities where he would perform. He also invited those groups to set up stalls at his concerts. During an interview with Simon Armitage in 2010, Morrissey said that "you can't help but feel that the Chinese are a subspecies" due to their "horrific" Animal welfare and rights in China, treatment of animals. Armitage said: "He must have known it would make waves, he's not daft. But clearly, when it comes to animal rights and animal welfare, he's absolutely unshakable in his beliefs. In his view, if you treat an animal badly, you are less than human." At a concert in Warsaw on 24 July 2011, Morrissey stated, "We all live in a murderous world, as the events in Norway have shown, with 97 dead. Though that is nothing compared to what happens in McDonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken, Kentucky Fried Shit every day." His comments, referencing the 2011 Norway attacks that resulted in the killing of 77 people, were described as crude and insensitive by ''NME''. He later elaborated on his statement, saying, "If you quite rightly feel horrified at the Norway killings, then it surely naturally follows that you feel horror at the murder of ANY innocent being. You cannot ignore animal suffering simply because animals 'Speciesism, are not us'." In February 2013, after much speculation, it was reported that the
Staples Center Crypto.com Arena (originally and colloquially known as Staples Center) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in downtown Los Angeles. Opened on October 17, 1999, as Staples Center, it is located next to the Los Angeles Convention Center complex along F ...
had agreed for the first time to make every vendor in the arena completely vegetarian for Morrissey's performance on 1 March, contractually having all McDonald's vendors close down. In a press release, Morrissey stated, "I don't look upon it as a victory for me, but a victory for the animals." The request was previously denied to Paul McCartney. Despite these reports, the Staples Center retained some meat vendors while closing down McDonald's. Later in February, Morrissey cancelled an appearance on ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' after learning that the guests for that night also included the cast of ''Duck Dynasty'', a reality show about a family who create duck calls for use in hunting. Morrissey referred to them as "animal serial killers". In 2014, Morrissey stated that he believed there is "no difference between eating animals and paedophilia. They are both rape, violence, murder." In September 2015, he expressed his revulsion at the "Piggate" scandal, saying that if Prime Minister
David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
had really inserted "a private part of his anatomy" into the mouth of a dead pig's severed head while at university, then it showed "a callousness and complete lack of empathy entirely unbefitting a man in his position, and he should resign". Also in September, he called Australian politician Greg Hunt's campaign to cull 2 million invasive cats "idiocy", describing the cats as smaller versions of Cecil the lion. Morrissey came under controversy in 2019 when he banned all meat products from a venue he was performing at in Houston. Musicians Josh A and Jake Hill (musician), Jake Hill called out Morrissey and criticised the ban, cancelling their show in protest. The duo eventually released a diss track on him in October 2019, titled "Lowlife".


Sexuality

Morrissey's sexuality has been the subject of much speculation and coverage in the British press during his career, with claims varyingly being made that he was celibate, a frustrated heterosexual, or bisexual. In a 1980 letter he described both himself and his "girlfriend" as bisexual. The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' states that he created a "compellingly conflicted persona (loudly proclaimed celibacy offset by coy hints of closeted homosexuality)" that has "made him a peculiar heartthrob". Speculation was further fuelled by the frequent references to gay subculture and slang in his lyrics. In 2006, Liz Hoggard from ''The Independent'' said: "Only 15 years after homosexuality had been Sexual Offences Act 1967, decriminalised, his lyrics flirted with every kind of gay subculture." During his years with the Smiths, Morrissey professed to being celibate, which stood out at a time when much of pop music was dominated by visible sexuality. Marr said in a 1984 interview that Morrissey "doesn't participate in sex at the moment and hasn't done so for a while". Repeatedly, interviewers asked Morrissey if he was gay, which he denied. In response to one such inquiry in 1985, he stated that "I don't recognise such terms as heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, and I think it's important that there's someone in pop music who's like that. These words do great damage, they confuse people and they make people feel unhappy, so I want to do away with them." As his career developed, there was increased pressure placed on him to come out of the closet, although he presented himself as a non-practising bisexual. In a 1989 interview, he said that he was "always attracted to men and women who were never attracted to me" and thus he did not have "relationships at all". In 2013, he released a statement that said, "Unfortunately, I am not homosexual. In technical fact, I am humasexual. I am attracted to humans. But, of course ... not many." In 1997, Morrissey said that he had abandoned celibacy and that he had a relationship with a Cockney boxer. That person was revealed in his autobiography to be Jake Walters. Their relationship began in 1994, and they lived together until 1996. In a March 2013 interview, Walters said, "Morrissey and I have been friends for a long time, probably around 20 years." Morrissey was later attached to Tina Dehghani. He discussed having a child with Dehghani, with whom he described having an "uncluttered commitment". In his autobiography Morrissey also mentions a relationship with a younger Italian man, known only as "Gelato", with whom he sought to buy a house in around 2006. In a 2015 interview, Morrissey stated: "I don't fit into any sexual category at all so I don't feel people see it as being sexual, but as being intimate."


Political opinions


British politics

In an
academic paper Academic publishing is the subfield of publishing which distributes Research, academic research and scholarship. Most academic work is published in academic journal articles, books or Thesis, theses. The part of academic written output that is n ...
on the Smiths, Julian Stringer characterised the band as "one of Britain's most overtly political groups", while Andrew Warns termed them the "most anti-capitalist of bands". Simon Goddard described Morrissey as being "pro-working class, anti-elite and anti-institution. That includes all political parties, parliament itself, all Public school (United Kingdom), public schools, Oxbridge, the Catholic church, the monarchy, the EU, the BBC, the broadsheet press and the music press. Because his comments are not consistent with any one political agenda it confuses people, especially on left-wing politics, the left. If anything, he's a professional Refusenik." Morrissey has exhibited enduring anti-royalist views from his teenage years and has fiercely criticised the British monarchy. In a 1985 interview with Simon Garfield, he stated that he had always "despised royalty" and that royalist sentiment is a "false devotion". In a 2011 interview, he publicly identified as a Republicanism in the United Kingdom, republican, stating that he regarded the British royal family as "benefit scroungers and nothing else". In a 2012 interview with Stephen Colbert, he spoke out against the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, stating: "It was a celebration of what? 60 years of dictatorship. She's not [my Queen]. I'm not a subject." Morrissey's first solo album, ''Viva Hate'', included a track entitled "Margaret on the Guillotine", a jab at
Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013), was a British stateswoman who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of th ...
. The London Metropolitan Police investigated Morrissey as a result of the song's lyrics. Following Death and funeral of Margaret Thatcher, her death in 2013, Morrissey called her "a terror without an atom of humanity" and said "every move she made was charged by negativity". He described Thatcher's successor, John Major, as "no one's idea of a Prime Minister... a terrible human mistake". His seventh studio album, ''You Are the Quarry'' includes the track "Irish Blood, English Heart", described as "the most unambiguously political of his career to date", with lyrics denouncing the Tories, the Labour party, royalism, and the prominent historical British politician Oliver Cromwell. During the Iraq War, he described George W. Bush and Tony Blair as "insufferable, egotistical insane despots". In February 2006, Morrissey stated he had been interviewed by the FBI and by Special Branch, British intelligence after speaking out against the American and British governments. He said: "They were trying to determine if I was a threat to the government . . . it didn't take them long to realise that I'm not". In 2010, he endorsed Marr's statement that Prime Minister
David Cameron David William Donald Cameron, Baron Cameron of Chipping Norton (born 9 October 1966) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2010 to 2016. Until 2015, he led the first coalition government in the UK s ...
was forbidden to like the Smiths, criticising the Prime Minister's hobby of Hunting and shooting in the United Kingdom, stag hunting. In response to the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017, Morrissey criticised Prime Minister Theresa May, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, and Elizabeth II for their statements regarding the bombing.


European Union

In 2013, Morrissey said that he "nearly voted" for the UK Independence Party, expressing his admiration for party leader Nigel Farage and endorsing Farage's Euroscepticism regarding UK membership of the European Union. In 2019, Morrissey said: "It's obvious that he [Farage] would make a good prime minister—if any of us can actually remember what a good prime minister is." In October 2016, he praised the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum, UK's referendum on EU membership as "magnificent" and said the BBC had "persistently denigrated" supporters of the Brexit, Leave campaign. In 2019, he argued that the result of the EU referendum should be respected, stating "My view has always been that the result of the referendum must be carried through. If the vote had been remain there would be absolutely no question that we would remain. In the interest of true democracy, you cannot argue against the wish of the people" and added that he found "absolutely nothing attractive about the EU."


Race and support for Anne Marie Waters

Morrissey has faced ongoing accusations of racism since the early 1990s from media and commentators around the globe, which were prompted by his comments, actions, and recorded material. He has constantly rejected accusations of racism, and won a libel action forcing an apology from ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'', a British music magazine, saying: "We do not believe [Morrissey] is a racist." Various sources accused Morrissey of racism for making reference to the National Front (UK), National Front, a far-right political party, in his 1992 song "The National Front Disco"; it has been argued that this criticism ignored the ironic context of the song, which pitied rather than glorified the party's supporters. According to Bret, these and other allegations of racism typically entailed decontextualising lyrics from Morrissey songs such as "Bengali in Platforms" and "Asian Rut". ''NME'' also accused Morrissey of racism on the basis of the imagery he employed during his 1992 performance at the ''Madstock'' festival at Finsbury Park in north London; Morrissey included images of
skinhead A skinhead or skin is a member of a subculture that originated among working-class youth in London, England, in the 1960s. It soon spread to other parts of the United Kingdom, with a second working-class skinhead movement emerging worldwide i ...
girls as a backdrop, and wrapped himself in a Union flag. Conversely, these actions resulted in Morrissey being booed off stage by a group of neo-Nazi skinheads in the audience, who believed that he was appropriating skinhead culture. Morrissey sued ''NME'' for libel over a 2007 article that criticised Morrissey after he allegedly told a reporter that British identity had disappeared because of immigration. He was quoted as saying: "It's very difficult [to return to England] because, although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.... the gates of England are flooded. The country's been thrown away." His manager described the article as a "character assassination". In 2008, ''The Word (UK magazine), The Word'' apologised in court for a piece written by David Quantick, which commented on the 2007 ''NME'' article and suggested Morrissey was a racist. Morrissey accepted ''The Word''s apology. The legal suit against ''NME'' began in October 2011 after Morrissey won a pre-trial hearing. Morrissey's case against ''NME'' editor Conor McNicholas and publisher International Publishing Corporation, IPC was due to have been heard in July 2012. The parties settled the dispute in June 2012, with ''NME'' issuing a public apology. Morrissey's lawyer said that "no money was sought as part of a settlement.... The ''NME'' apology in itself is settlement enough and it closes the case." Morrissey's 2010 statement in which he described the Chinese as a "subspecies" in reference to their treatment of animals was widely condemned as racist by many sources. In October 2017, he expressed the view that the 2017 UK Independence Party leadership election, 2017 UKIP leadership election had been rigged against Islamophobia, anti-Islam activist Anne Marie Waters. In April 2018 he endorsed Waters' new far-right party, For Britain, subsequently wearing a party badge during several performances in New York City in 2019. Morrissey's apparent support for the For Britain party saw adverts of his album '' California Son'' withdrawn from Merseyrail stations, and several record stores refusing to stock the album. In June 2018, Morrissey reaffirmed his support for Waters and For Britain, stating "she believes in British heritage, freedom of speech, and she wants everyone in the UK to live under the same law. I find this compelling." At the same time, Morrissey also expressed comments criticising the treatment of anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson, and said: "It's very obvious that Labour or the Tories do not believe in free speech... I mean, look at the shocking treatment of Tommy Robinson." In June 2019, Morrissey rejected further accusations of racism against him, saying, "The word is meaningless now. Everyone ultimately prefers their own race—does this make everyone racist?" In response to his recent political comments, fellow singer-songwriter Billy Bragg accused Morrissey of dragging the legacy of Johnny Marr and the Smiths "through the dirt". Nick Cave wrote an open letter defending Morrissey's right to freedom of speech to voice his beliefs, as well as arguing that his musical legacy should be kept separate from his political opinions. In January 2023, in response to rumours that Miley Cyrus had decided to pull her vocals from the song "I Am Veronica" from his album ''Bonfire of Teenagers'' over his political views, Morrissey published a statement on his website rejecting claims that he was far-right, and further clarified his political stance;


American politics

At a Dublin concert in June 2004, Morrissey commented on the Death and state funeral of Ronald Reagan, death of Ronald Reagan, saying that he would have preferred if George W. Bush had died instead. Morrissey openly criticised the war on terror and condemned Bush as "the world's most famous active terrorist, as he bizarrely bombs the innocent people of Iraq out of existence in the name of freedom and democracy" in his Autobiography (Morrissey book), autobiography. During a January 2008 concert, Morrissey remarked "God Bless Barack Obama" and criticised Hillary Clinton, naming her "Billary Clinton". In 2015, he accused Obama of not doing enough to tackle Police brutality in the United States, police brutality, stating he could not "see him doing anything at all for the black community except warning them that they must respect the security forces." He endorsed Clinton in the 2016 United States presidential election, although he later criticised her as "the face and voice of pooled money" and praised Bernie Sanders as "sane and intelligent", accusing the US media of paying insufficient attention to his campaign. Morrissey called Donald Trump "Donald Thump" and accused him of not having any sympathy for the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida. When asked in a 2017 interview if he would push a button that would kill Trump if given the opportunity, he responded that he "would, for the safety of the human race." He later said the United States Secret Service questioned him over his comments on Trump.


Impact and legacy

Biographer David Bret has characterised him as an artist who divides opinion among those who love him and those who loathe him, with little space for compromise between the two. The press termed him the "Pope of Mope".


Fandom

Simpson stated that Morrissey had a global fan following that was unrivalled in its devotion to the singer, characterising this as "the kind of devotion that only dead stars command" normally. Morrissey's fans have been described as being among the most dedicated of pop and rock fans. Music magazine ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' considers Morrissey to be "one of the most influential artists ever", while ''The Independent'' says, "Most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status he has reached in his lifetime." According to Bret, Morrissey's fanbase "religiously followed his every pitfall and triumph". Simpson highlighted an example during the US leg of Morrissey's 1996 ''Maladjusted'' tour in which young men asked the singer to autograph their necks, which they subsequently had permanently tattooed into their skin. Rogan compared Morrissey to Wilde's character Dorian Gray "in reverse; while he slowly ages, his audience remains young". Rogan also noted that while onstage, Morrissey "revels in the messianic adoration" of his fans. Soon after achieving national fame, Morrissey became a gay icon, with Bret noting that by the start of his solo career, Morrissey already had a "massive gay following". This development was influenced by the speculation around his own sexual orientation, his lyrics that dealt with such subjects as age-gap sex and rent boys, as well as the Smiths' heavy use of gay and camp imagery on their record covers. Morrissey's gay following was not restricted to Western countries, for he remained popular within the Japanese gay community as well. Morrissey also has a significant Hispanic fanbase, particularly in Mexico and among Mexican Americans (Chicanos) in the western United States. His music has resonated with these communities because of its similarities to the traditional Mexican music genre of ranchera, which revolves around romance, morose metaphors and slow ballads. Morrissey's popularity among Hispanics became widespread knowledge after he toured Latin America for the first time in 2000. Chuck Klosterman, in a 2002 profile for Spin (magazine), ''Spin'' that analysed Morrissey's relationship with the Latino community, theorised that Morrissey's rockabilly influences were seen as a nod to the Greaser (subculture), greaser culture popular among Latinos and that his status as the son of Irish immigrants in England resonated with immigrant families in Los Angeles. On numerous occasions, Morrissey has acknowledged his Mexican fanbase. During a 1999 concert in California, he said, "I wish I was born Mexican, but it's too late for that now." He released the song "Mexico" in 2004, which contained lyrics that condemned white privilege. The film ''25 Live'' evidences a particularly strong following among the singer's Latino/Chicano fans. A tribute band named Mexrrissey performs Morrissey covers live translated into Spanish. The 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel film ''Ant-Man and the Wasp'' contains a scene in which the character Luis discusses how his grandmother owned a jukebox that "only played Morrissey" because of Latinos' love for his music. Director Peyton Reed noted that it was a "funny, really specific true-to-life detail". Several Morrissey fansites exist. In the early 2000s Morrissey issued a "cease and desist" notification against the fan website Morrissey-Solo for publishing claims, never proven, that Morrissey had failed to pay members of his touring personnel. In 2011, he issued a lifetime concert ban against the site owner who, it was claimed, had caused "intentional distress to Morrissey and Morrissey's band" over many years. Another fansite, True-To-You, enjoys a close relationship with Morrissey and functioned as his official website for statements until May 2017. In April 2018, Morrissey launched his own website, Morrissey Central.


Influence

Morrissey is routinely referred to as an influential artist, both in his solo career and with the Smiths. The
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
has referred to him as "one of the most influential figures in the history of British pop", and ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' named the Smiths the "most influential artist ever" in a 2002 poll, even topping the Beatles. ''Rolling Stone'', naming him one of the greatest singers of all time in a 2014 poll, noted that his "rejection of convention" in his vocal style and lyrics is the reason "why he redefined the sound of British rock for the past quarter-century". Morrissey's enduring influence has been ascribed to his wit, the "infinite capacity for interpretation" in his lyrics, and his appeal to the "constant navel gazing, reflection, solipsism" of generations of "disenfranchised youth", offering unusually intimate "companionship" to broad demographics. Paul A. Woods described Morrissey as "Britain's unlikeliest rock 'n' roll star in several decades", noting that at the same time he was also "its most essential". Bret described him as "probably the most intellectually gifted and imaginative lyricist of his generation", listing him alongside Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, and Jacques Brel as being one of "the ''monstres sacrés''". Journalist Mark Simpson (journalist), Mark Simpson calls Morrissey "one of the greatest pop lyricists—and probably ''the'' greatest-ever lyricist of desire—that has ever moaned" and observes that "he is fully present in his songs as few other artists are, in a way that fans of most other performers . . . wouldn't tolerate for a moment." Simpson also argues that "After Morrissey there could be no more pop stars. His was an impossible act to follow . . . [his] unrivalled knowledge of the pop canon, his unequaled imagination of what it might mean to be a pop star, and his breathtakingly perverse ambition to turn it into great art, could only exhaust the form forever". In 2006, Morrissey was voted the second greatest living British icon in a poll held by the BBC's '' Culture Show''. The ''All Music Guide to Rock'' asserts that Morrissey's "lyrical preoccupations", particularly themes dealing with English identity, proved extremely influential on subsequent artists. Journalist Philip Collins (journalist), Philip Collins also described him as a major influence on modern music and "the best British lyricist in living memory". In 1998, he received an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. In 2002, ''NME'', by this point a critic of Morrissey, nevertheless considered him to be the "most influential artist ever". In 2004, ''Q'' gave him its best songwriter award. In November 2008, ''Rolling Stone'' magazine ranked Morrissey as 92nd of "The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time". The list was compiled from ballots cast by a panel of 179 "music experts", such as Bruce Springsteen, Alicia Keys and Bono, who were asked to name their 20 favourite vocalists. Other scholars have responded favourably to Morrissey's work, including academic symposium, symposia at various universities including University of Limerick and Manchester Metropolitan University. Gavin Hopps, a research fellow and literary scholar at the University of St Andrews, wrote a full-length academic study of Morrissey's work, calling him comparable to
Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...
, John Betjeman, and Philip Larkin, and noting similarities between Morrissey and Samuel Beckett. The ''British Food Journal'' featured an article in 2008 that applied Morrissey's lyrics to building positive business relationships. A book of academic essays edited by Eoin Devereux, Aileen Dillane and Martin Power, ''Morrissey: Fandom, Representations and Identities'', which focuses on Morrissey's solo career, was published in 2011. He is regarded as an important innovator in the indie music scene; while in 2004,
Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
called him "one of the most singular figures in Western popular culture from the last 20 years." A ''Los Angeles Times'' critic wrote that Morrissey "patented the template for modern
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
" and that many bands playing at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival "would not be there—or at least, would not sound the same—were it not for him".Timberg, Scott. "Coachella: Morrissey and The Smiths' influence is apparent". ''Los Angeles Times''. 13 April 2009 Similarly, the critic Steven Wells called Morrissey "the man who more or less invented indie" and an artist "who more than anybody else personifies" indie culture. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic writes that the Smiths and Morrissey "inspired every band of note" in the
Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s United Kingdom, British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. Musically, Britpop produced bright, catchy alternative rock, with significant influences from British guitar pop of the 1960s and 1970s. B ...
era, including Suede (band), Suede, Blur (band), Blur, Oasis (band), Oasis, and Pulp (band), Pulp. Other major artists including Jeff Buckley and Thom Yorke have also been influenced by Morrissey. Colin Meloy of the Decemberists, who recorded a 2005 EP of Morrissey covers titled ''Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey'', acknowledged Morrissey's influence on his songwriting: "You could either bask in that glow of fatalistic narcissism, or you could think it was funny. I always thought that was an interesting dynamic in his songwriting, and I can only aspire to have that kind of dynamic in my songs". Brandon Flowers of the American rock band the Killers has revealed his admiration for Morrissey on several occasions and admits that his interest for writing songs about murder such as "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" and "Midnight Show" traces back to Morrissey singing about loving "the romance of crime" in the song "Sister I'm a Poet". Flowers was quoted as saying, "I studied that line a lot. And it's kind of embedded in me". Noel Gallagher called Morrissey "the best lyricist I've ever heard". A 2017 biopic of Morrissey's early years, titled ''England Is Mine'', was written and directed by Mark Gill and stars Jack Lowden. The film, which co-stars Jessica Brown Findlay, premiered at the closing gala of the Edinburgh Film Festival on 2 July 2017, and went into wide release in the UK and US in August 2017. In an April 2021 episode of ''The Simpsons'' titled "Panic on the Streets of Springfield", Morrissey inspired the parody character of Quilloughby. Voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, Quilloughby is portrayed as a romantic figment of Lisa Simpson's imagination. She has her dream shattered when she finds out that he has aged into a grey, meat-eating overweight frontman with anti-immigrant views. The episode was criticised by Morrissey as based on "complete ignorance".


Awards and nominations

Brit Awards , - , 1995 Brit Awards, 1995 , rowspan="2" , Himself , rowspan="2" , Best British Male , , - , 2005 Brit Awards, 2005 , GAFFA Awards , - , 2005 , rowspan=2, Himself , rowspan=2, Årets Udenlandske Sanger , , - , 2007 , Grammy Awards , - , 1993 Grammy Awards, 1993 , '' Your Arsenal'' , Best Alternative Music Album , Ivor Novello Awards , - , 1998 , Himself , Outstanding Contribution to British Music , Lunas del Auditorio , - , 2007 , Himself , Best Foreign Rock Artist , MOJO Awards , - , 2004 , rowspan="2" , Himself , Icon Award , , - , 2005 , Inspiration Award , Meteor Music Awards , - , 2005 , rowspan="2" , Himself , rowspan="2" , Best International Male , , - , 2010 , NME Awards , - , 1984 , rowspan=20, Himself , rowspan=2, Best Songwriter , , - , rowspan=4, 1985 , , - , Best Dressed , , - , Best Haircut , , - , rowspan=2, Best Male Singer , , - , rowspan=2, 1986 , , - , rowspan=2, Most Wonderful Human Being , , - , rowspan=3, 1987 , , - , Best Male Singer , , - , Safe Sex , , - , rowspan=3, 1988 , Favourite NME Cover Of 1988 , , - , Most Wonderful Human Being , , - , rowspan=6, Best Solo Artist , , - , 1989 , , - , 1990 , , - , 1991 , , - , 1992 , , - , rowspan="3" , 2005 , , - , Hero of the Year , , - , Hottest Man , , - , 2006 , ''Morrissey: Who Put the M in Manchester'' , Best Music DVD , PLUG Awards , - , 2006 , ''Morrissey: Who Put the M in Manchester'' , Best Music DVD of the Year , Pollstar Concert Industry Awards !Ref. , - , 1987 , The Smiths , Small Hall Tour of the Year , , Q Awards , - , 1994 , Himself , Q Songwriter Award , , - , 2004 , " Irish Blood, English Heart" , Best Track , Rober Awards Music Poll , - , 2013 , "Satellite of Love" , Best Cover Version , , - , 2014 , Himself , Comeback of the Year ,


Personnel

Current members * Jesse Tobias – guitar (2004–present) * Matt Walker (drummer), Matt Walker – drums (2007–2020, 2024–present) * Solomon Walker – bass (2007–2014, 2021, 2024–present) * Camila Grey – keyboards (2023–present) * Carmen Vandenberg – guitar (2023–present)


Discography


The Smiths

* ''
The Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
'' (1984) * '' Meat Is Murder'' (1985) * '' The Queen Is Dead'' (1986) * '' Strangeways, Here We Come'' (1987)


Solo

* '' Viva Hate'' (1988) * '' Kill Uncle'' (1991) * '' Your Arsenal'' (1992) * '' Vauxhall and I'' (1994) * '' Southpaw Grammar'' (1995) * '' Maladjusted'' (1997) * '' You Are the Quarry'' (2004) * '' Ringleader of the Tormentors'' (2006) * '' Years of Refusal'' (2009) * '' World Peace Is None of Your Business'' (2014) * '' Low in High School'' (2017) * '' California Son'' (2019) * '' I Am Not a Dog on a Chain'' (2020) * ''Without Music the World Dies'' (TBA) * ''Bonfire of Teenagers'' (unreleased)


Publications


Publications by Morrissey

* ''The New York Dolls''. by Steven Patrick Morrissey. ** Manchester: Babylon, 1981. ** Reprint. Manchester: Babylon, 1995. . * ''James Dean Is Not Dead'', Manchester: Babylon, 1983. . By Steven Patrick Morrissey. * ''Exit Smiling'', Manchester: Babylon, 1998. . Edition of 1000 copies. By Steven Patrick Morrissey. * . * '' List of the Lost''. London: Penguin, 2015. .


Publications with contributions by Morrissey

* ''Marc Bolan: Wilderness of the Mind''. London: Xanadu, 1992. . By John Willans and Caron Thomas. With an introduction by Morrissey. About Marc Bolan. * ''Cockney Reject''. John Black, 2005. . By Jeff Turner and Gary Bushell. With a foreword by Morrissey. About Cockney Rejects. * ''The Autobiography: Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy''. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. . By
Tony Visconti Anthony Edward Visconti (born April 24, 1944) is an American record producer, musician and singer. Since the late 1960s, he has worked with an array of performers. His first hit single was T. Rex's " Ride a White Swan" in 1970, the first of man ...
. With a foreword by Morrissey.


See also

* List of animal rights advocates


References


Citations


Sources

* * * * * * * *


Further reading

* Brown, Len, ''Meetings with Morrissey'', Omnibus, 2008. * Campbell, Sean and Coulter, Colin, eds., ''Why Pamper Life's Complexities? Essays on The Smiths'', Manchester University Press, 2010. * Devereux, Eoin; Dillane, Aileen; and Power, Martin J., eds., ''Morrissey: Fandom, Representations and Identities'', Intellect Books, 2011. * Simon Goddard, Goddard, Simon, ''Mozipedia: The Encyclopedia of Morrissey and The Smiths'', Ebury Press, 2009. * Greco, Nicholas P., ''Only If You Are Really Interested: Celebrity, Gender, Desire, and the World of MORRISSEY'', McFarland and Co., 2011. * Hingley, Martin; Leek, Sheena; Lindgreen, Adam
"Business relationships the Morrissey way"
''British Food Journal'', Vol. 110, No. 1, pp. 128–143, 2008. . * Hopps, Gavin, ''Morrissey: The Pageant of His Bleeding Heart'', Continuum, 2009. * Johnny Rogan, Rogan, Johnny, ''Morrissey'', self-published, 2007. * Rogan, Johnny, ''Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance'', Omnibus, 1993. * Linder Sterling, Sterling, Linder,
We Are Your Thoughts
, ''Linda Works: 1976–2006'', JRP Editions, 2006. * Sørensen, Jesper, ''Alle dage er som søndag'', Rosenkilde, 2009. * Woronzoff, Elizabeth
Because the Music That They Constantly Play, It Says Nothing to Me About My Life:' An Analysis of Youth's Appropriation of Morrissey's Sexuality, Gender, and Identity"
monograph, Simmons College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Studies, February 2009.


External links


Official The Smiths website

Morrissey
on BBC Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs'' * {{Authority control Morrissey, 1959 births 20th-century English LGBTQ people 20th-century English male singers 20th-century English male writers 20th-century English novelists 21st-century English LGBTQ people 21st-century English male singers 21st-century English male writers 21st-century English novelists Bisexual male musicians Bisexual male writers Bisexual novelists Bisexual singers Bisexual songwriters British activists with disabilities British alternative rock musicians British alternative rock singers British indie pop musicians British indie rock musicians British political music artists Critics of multiculturalism Decca Records artists English activists English animal rights activists English autobiographers English baritones English bisexual men English bisexual musicians English bisexual writers English Eurosceptics English expatriate musicians in the United States English LGBTQ novelists English LGBTQ singers English LGBTQ songwriters English lyricists English male singer-songwriters English people of Irish descent English people with disabilities English republicans English rock singers English veganism activists Far-right politics in the United Kingdom Harvest Records artists Island Records artists Ivor Novello Award winners LGBTQ conservatism LGBTQ musicians with disabilities LGBTQ-related controversies in music Liberty Records artists Living people Lost Highway Records artists Mercury Records artists Parlophone artists People from Old Trafford People with mood disorders Polydor Records artists RCA Records artists Rough Trade Records artists Singers from Manchester Sire Records artists The Smiths members Torch singers