Morrissey

Template:Infobox musical artist 2 Steven Patrick Morrissey (born May 22, 1959) is a singer and songwriter from Stretford, Manchester, England. He rose to prominence as the vocalist of the highly influential English group The Smiths. When the band broke up in 1987, Morrissey began a successful solo career and has had the distinction of charting top ten British singles in three separate decades.

Morrissey is often noted as one of the key pop lyricists of his generation, with many subsequent bands hailing his influence. Detractors usually describe his work as depressing, while fans point to the sardonic humour and acidic wit which underpins his songs' frequent references to alienation and failed love.

He does not shy from controversy in his songs, with themes including; child murder, gang violence, domestic violence, prostitution, racism, drug use, assassination, political protest, anti-religion, and terrorism. A celebration of the outsider is a constant theme in his work. He has been stereotyped as appealing to shy teenagers, and his work has been said to glorify working-class criminality.

Biography

Morrissey was born in Manchester, England, to Irish immigrants Peter Morrissey, a hospital porter, and Elizabeth Dwyer, a librarian. They had moved to England just before Morrissey's birth and brought him up, with his older sister Jackie, in the working-class area of Stretford. Morrissey has maintained a strong attachment to his mother throughout his life. However, his relationship with his father suffered much strain over the years and for the most-part, it was non-existent.

As a child Morrissey developed a number of interests and role models that marked him out among his peers, including '60s girl groups and female singers such as Sandie Shaw, Marianne Faithfull, Cilla Black and Timi Yuro. He was also interested in the Kitchen Sink dramas of the late 1950s / early 1960s, Coronation Street's Elsie Tanner, as well as the playwright, novelist and poet Oscar Wilde. The Moors Murders of the early 1960s had a large impact on him as a child, and he later responded with the controversially received debut album track "Suffer Little Children".

In adolescence, Morrissey's athletic ability saved him from bullying, though he has described this period as a time when was often lonely and depressed. As a teenager, he began taking prescription drugs to help combat a depression that would follow him throughout his life. He left school early after failing his O levels, and worked briefly for the Inland Revenue, but ultimately decided to "go on the dole," sequestering himself in his room in his mother's home to concentrate on writing, reading, and listening to music. Around this time Morrissey wrote novella-like publications around two of his greatest heroes: James Dean and The New York Dolls. He also formed the UK branch of the New York Dolls fan club.

An early convert to punk rock, Morrissey briefly fronted The Nosebleeds, writing several songs and garnering a New Musical Express review before the band broke up less than a year later. Billy Duffy, guitarist with The Nosebleeds, later found success with The Cult. In 1978, Morrissey briefly replaced Slaughter & the Dogs singer Wayne Barrett, recording four songs with the band before moving on (MOJO Classic Magazine, Volume 1 Issue 13, Page 22).

The Smiths

Main article: The Smiths

Morrissey formed The Smiths in 1982 with guitarist Johnny Marr. The Smiths are viewed by many as one of the most influential bands of the 1980s alternative rock movement. Morrissey's ambiguous sexuality and darkly witty lyrical compositions blended with guitarist Johnny Marr's highly melodic songwriting to garner critical acclaim. The band became a success in the UK, Ireland, and Australia, and grew into a cult phenomenon in the United States of America, where it did quite well on college radio charts with songs such as "How Soon Is Now?" and "Panic." The band broke up in 1987 after Marr and Morrissey had a falling-out. The band released four albums between 1984 and their breakup, including 1986's The Queen Is Dead, which has featured highly on a number of critical "Greatest Album" lists, more than once being placed as number 1.

Solo career

His first solo album came in 1988 in the form of Viva Hate. Morrissey teamed up with ex-Smiths producer Stephen Street as well as Vini Reilly of Durutti Column. The prevailing sound of the album is a jangle-pop similar to that of the Smiths, though Reilly's guitar works adds more abrasive and atmospheric elements to the work. Viva Hate struck number one upon release, supported by such strong singles as "Suedehead" and "Everyday Is Like Sunday". Bona Drag (1990) collected these early singles along with further non-album cuts such as "November Spawned A Monster" and "Ouija Board, Ouija Board", many of which are considered amongst his best work along with the sublime b-sides "Hairdresser On Fire" and "Sister I'm A Poet". Mark Nevin's songwriting services were employed for the studio follow-up to Viva Hate, entitled Kill Uncle. The album continued in a similar musical vein, though it is widely regarded as Morrissey's worst solo album.

The band Morrissey assembled for 1992's hit album Your Arsenal sharply renewed his sound and sales success with a fresh, American rockabilly sound. Composition duties were split between guitarists Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte, who have been the core of Morrissey's band ever since. Your Arsenal was produced by former David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson and it earned a Grammy nomination for best alternative album.

Mid 1990s

1994 brought Morrissey back to number one in the UK, with Vauxhall and I. One of the album's highlights, "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get," enjoyed chart success as a single, reaching number eight in the UK and number 46 in the US. The record endures as a fan favourite to this day. Further albums Southpaw Grammar and Maladjusted were less well received both critically and commercially due to their prog-rock elements. Fans remain split to this day about the quality of the albums. These albums do have their special moments though with great songs including "Reader Meet Author" and "Trouble Loves Me," which are both still occasionally included in live setlists on his current tour.

Morrissey relocated from his Dublin home to Los Angeles in the late 1990s, partially to escape the attention of the British music press. He enjoyed a surprise connection with the Hispanic community there, and supposedly cut himself off from the British isles as he built a new life for himself in California. However, as his 1931-built mansion (formerly owned by Clark Gable) is now on the market, it seems Morrissey has tired of American life. He currently resides in Rome and has left America for good.

Resurgence in the early 00s

Morrissey on the cover of his 2004 album You Are The Quarry

In June 2003, Sanctuary Records group announced a deal with Morrissey. He was given the one-time reggae label Attack Records as a platform to record new material and, reportedly, to sign new artists.

Morrissey's album You Are the Quarry was released on May 17, 2004 (one day later in the US). Guitarist Alain Whyte described the work as a mix between Your Arsenal and Vauxhall and I, and the album received strong reviews. The first single, "Irish Blood, English Heart," debuted on KROQ on March 22, 2004 and was released internationally on May 10, 2004. The single reached number three in its first week of sales in the UK singles chart. This was the highest placing chart position for Morrissey in his entire career as both a solo artist and the lead singer of The Smiths (the 2006 release "You Have Killed Me" also debuted at number three in its first week in the charts). Also, the album became his most successful one, solo or with The Smiths. It has sold over a million copies.

At a Dublin concert on June 5 2004, Morrissey caused global controversy by announcing the death of former US President, Ronald Reagan and stating that he would have preferred it if the current President, George W. Bush, had died. [13]

With the release of "I Have Forgiven Jesus" in December 2004, Morrissey along with McFly became the only artists to score 4 top-10 hits in the UK singles chart that year.

In August of 2004 Morrissey was slated to headline a week-long set of shows on Craig Kilborn's The Late Late Show. Morrissey did not perform every night of the weeklong series due to a throat illness. Morrissey did, however, perform the following week.

In 2005 a work of musical theatre based on The Smiths song "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" premiered at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith, London.

Morrissey's latest album is titled Ringleader of the Tormentors, which debuted at number one in the UK album charts. The album cover is an allusion to the iconic Deutsche Grammophon record cover logo and design, with Morrissey posing as a violinist after the classic photos of Jascha Heifetz or Yehudi Menuhin. Recorded in Rome, it was released internationally on April 3, 2006, and one day later in North America. The album was produced by Tony Visconti who also worked with T. Rex and David Bowie. The 2006 UK tour included three concerts at the London Palladium, where he played on three consecutive Sundays. Just prior to the album's release he was photographed in Rome by Bryan Adams for the cover of 'Zoo Magazine'.

Influence in popular culture

Douglas Coupland's book Girlfriend in a Coma is named after a Smiths song, and several barely concealed Smiths lyrics and song titles are scattered through the book. A choice quote is one of the characters saying something they didn't mean to, and exclaiming, "Bigmouth strikes again!" An identical device is used in Nick Hornby's novel A Long Way Down, which also references the song "William, It Was Really Nothing". In Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, "Asleep" is given as Charlie, the protagonist's, favorite song.

"The Wrong Boy" by Willy Russell is based on a teenager who is obsessed with the Smiths and throughout features letters to Morrissey. References to The Smiths feature heavily.

The British comedian Harry Hill paid tribute to Morrissey on a 1999 episode of the ITV television programme Stars In Their Eyes, with a slapstick performance of The Smiths' second single, "This Charming Man." Morrissey later voiced his displeasure upon watching the archive footage when he made an appearance on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross in May 2004. He also paid tribute to him on Harry Hill's TV Burp with a weekly feature "Ouija Board, Ouija Board," which featured the Morrissey song as its theme and again in 2006 by swapping the theme of Eastenders with "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now."

Swedish author Peter Birro claims that track "Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together" saved him from committing suicide.

Morrissey appears in (and has a significant amount of dialogue in) the 2004 movie New York Doll, a documentary about Arthur "Killer" Kane, bassist for the The New York Dolls.

Morrissey was regularly impersonated and parodied in the third series of BBC Radio 4's Mitch Benn's Crimes Against Music (broadcast June/July 2006). Robin Ince provided the impersonations.

Image and politics

Feuds within the music industry

Reputed to be uninterested in compromise or record company marketing principles, Morrissey has long suffered the consequences of operating as a quasi-outsider in the music industry. Though his large and loyal fan base follow his every move, his albums since 1996 had great trouble reaching a wider audience. Between 1999 and 2003, Morrissey was unable to find a record contract at all (at least one that satisfied his demands).

In 1996, The Smiths' drummer Mike Joyce sued Morrissey and Johnny Marr for outstanding royalties and won. The judge presiding over the case famously ruled that Morrissey was "devious, truculent and unreliable." As of April 2006, it is understood that Morrissey has paid none of the outstanding royalties to Joyce. Morrissey expressed bitter displeasure with the ruling on the track, "Sorrow Will Come in the End," from 1997's Maladjusted.

Morrissey has severely criticized fellow singers such as Madonna, David Bowie and George Michael. The Cure's Robert Smith has been quoted as saying, "If Morrissey says don't eat meat, then I'll eat meat, because I hate Morrissey". Morrissey also once openly wished that Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance author "Johnny Rogan ends his days very soon in an M3 pile-up".

Other targets of his disapproval have been Band Aid, rap, reggae (a criticism he later retracted, stating that he was being facetious and that he grew up partly on the classic singles released by the British reggae label Trojan in the early to mid-70's), rave and teenage pop stars.

Feuds with political leaders

Morrissey has always been politically outspoken and is not known for holding back when disparaging political leaders he does not approve of. His most famous enemies have been The British Royal Family, former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, current Prime Minister Tony Blair, and current US President George W. Bush. Morrissey's first solo album, “Viva Hate,” included a track entitled “Margaret on the Guillotine,” a Tongue-in-cheek jab at Prime Minister Thatcher. British police responded by searching Morrissey’s home and making him the subject of an official investigation. Many of the officers were said to be embarrassed at the absurdity of the situation, some even asking for Morrissey's autograph. Not to be outdone, Morrissey’s follow-up single included the B-side “Such a Little Thing Makes Such a Big Difference,” whose lyrics end with a caustic “Leave me alone, I was only singing/You have just proved again, most people keep their brains between their legs.”

In October 2004, Morrissey released a politically charged statement urging American voters to vote for John Kerry for President. Morrissey's statement was, "With all my heart I urge people to vote against George Bush. Jon Stewart would be ideal, but John Kerry is the logical and sane move. It does not need to be said yet again, but Bush has single-handedly turned the United States into the most neurotic and terror-obsessed country on the planet. For non-Americans, the United States is suddenly not a very nice place to visit because US immigration officers — under the rules of Bush — now conduct themselves with all the charm and unanswerable indignation of Hitler’s SS. Please bring sanity and intelligence back to the United States. Don’t forget to vote. Vote for John Kerry and get rid of George Bush!" This statement appeared on his official website and was accompanied by a photograph of him wearing a t-shirt that was designed and made by a fan and given to him before a concert on 22 October 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia.

In February 2006, Morrissey said he had been interviewed by the FBI and by British intelligence after having spoken out against the American and British governments. Morrissey was quoted as saying, "The FBI and the Special Branch have investigated me and I've been interviewed and taped and so forth. They were trying to determine if I was a threat to the government."

Racism accusations

Morrissey was maligned during much of the 1990s by accusations of racism. The accusations were derived from ambiguous lyrics in songs such as "Bengali In Platforms" and "National Front Disco". They also stemmed from Johnny Rogan's biography of the singer, which claimed he had once said "I don't hate Pakistanis, but I dislike them immensely" in his late teens (whilst acknowledging that one of his closest friends at the time was a black woman).

A trigger for much of the criticism was Morrissey's performance at the first Madness reunion show at Finsbury Park, London, where he appeared draped in the Union Jack. Coinciding with the event, he also stated in the press that he was "thrilled that many of his new fans were skinheads". At the concert however, the skinheads who constitute Madness' fanbase booed him off the stage, throwing objects and hurling verbal abuse. However, Scottish journalist Thomas Nimmo, leapt to the defense of the singer, and put forward the idea that "he was attempting to reclaim the flag from the far right."

The harshest attacks came from the NME music paper, who made him persona non grata for more than a decade. (Such had been the NME's fanatical love affair with Morrissey and The Smiths in the 1980s and early 1990s, the paper was jokingly called the New Morrissey Express.) Morrissey and the NME ended their feud in 2004.

Evidence against the racism allegations include his longstanding support for anti-racist organisations and causes, such as the Labour Party, Amnesty International, and anti-Apartheid . Morrissey himself remarked at the time "If I am racist then the Pope is female. Which he isn't" and "If the National Front were to hate anyone, it would be me. I would be top of the list."

One song cited by the NME as proof of Morrissey's racism was "Asian Rut" from 1991, which vividly describes the murder of an Asian man by white racists. However, with lines such as "it must be wrong/three against one?" Morrissey appears to be quite obviously sympathising with the victim in the song, not the perpetrators.

In 1999 he condemned the rise of Austrian far-right politician Jörg Haider, stating "This is sad. Sometimes I don't believe we live in an intelligent world."

In the song "Mexico," first performed in 2001, Morrissey explicitly supports Mexicans seeking to better their lives in the face of anti-immigration hatred, especially from Texas ("I could taste the hate, from the Lone Star State") It contains the lines, "If you're rich and you're white, you think you're so right. I just don't see why this should be so."

In 2004 he signed up to the explicitly anti-fascist Unite Against Fascism statement.

In the 2004 song "America Is Not the World" Morrissey sings "Where the president is never black, female or gay. Until that day, you've got nothing to say to me." From the same album, in "Irish Blood English Heart," an apparently biographical song, he also sings the following:

"I've been dreaming of a time when/To be English is not to be baneful/To be standing by the flag not feeling/Shameful, racist or partial."

In the 2006 song "I Will See You in Far Off Places" Morrissey appears to empathise with the Middle-Eastern victims of American bombing campaigns.

Animal rights

Morrissey has been a vegetarian since he was 11 years old. Morrissey explained his vegetarianism by saying "If you love animals, obviously it doesn't make sense to hurt them." Morrissey also remains an advocate for animal rights and a supporter of PETA. In recognition of his support, PETA honored him with the Linda McCartney Memorial Award at their 25th Anniversary Gala on September 10, 2005.

Morrissey has been accused of hypocrisy by vegan groups for wearing leather, in which he replied that leather is taken from animals already slaughtered for their meat, and because "there is simply no sensible alternative" to leather shoes. He further elaborated his position by saying, "I find shoes difficult to be ethical about - one just can't seem to avoid leather. One is trapped, ultimately." However, it was reported in the April 2006 issue of SPIN Magazine that Morrissey has relented due to pressure and occasionally wears fake leather shoes.

In January 2006, Morrissey gained controversy after stating he accepts the motives behind the terrorist tactics of the Animal Rights Militia, and claiming "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." [14].

Morrissey also attacked people who are involved in the promotion of eating meat, and specifically Jamie Oliver and Clarissa Dickson-Wright, the latter already being targeted by animal extremists 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.” Morrissey has also been criticized by British government officials, some of whom suggested that Morrissey should be investigated by the police for inciting violence. [15]

On March 27, 2006, Morrissey released a statement[16] that he will not include any dates in Canada on his current world tour as well as calling for a boycott of all Canadian goods in protest of the country's annual seal harvest, which he described as a "barbaric and cruel slaughter". This boycott has confounded many of his Canadian and non-Canadian fans alike who have accused him of hypocrisy, as his tour will travel to the United States, the world's largest slaughterer of animals for meat and fur (including an annual seal hunt in Alaska). Consensus amongst the singer's fans and critics is that the Canadian boycott is part of a larger publicity campaign to raise the profile of his new album. It is also reported that Morrissey did not have plans to tour Canada prior to the protest.

Morrissey has further raised the ire of Jewish and human rights groups by comparing the seal hunt to the Holocaust.

Sexuality

Many songs such as "This Charming Man", "How Soon is Now?", "Handsome Devil", "I Want the One I Can't Have", "Hand in Glove", "I Am Hated For Loving", "William, It Was Really Nothing", "Dear God Please Help Me", and "Speedway" can be interpreted as having lyrics that discuss gay longing and romance. Morrissey has always been reluctant to speak of his private life, but this has only served to fuel speculation. Journalist Richard Smith wrote that most Smiths' songs could only be read as homosexual, and urged Morrissey to come out of the closet. However, Morrissey himself said in an early 1990s Rolling Stone article, "I'm gay? Well, that's news to me." When asked to 'set the record straight' in the 2003 British Channel 4 Documentary "The Importance of Being Morrissey" he simply stated, "I don't see any 'crooked record'. People think they know, think they understand. I don't really care what people think -- it makes no difference to me. And I'm not hiding anything." He has remained tight-lipped on the issue, maintaining an enigma which has greatly contributed to his allure for over 20 years. However he did admit, in a 2006 NME interview, to no longer being celibate. "It's all within the songs," he has often claimed - the lyrics from 2006's Ringleader of the Tormentors indicated that "it's" also within the hips. He has also stated that he is in love with something, not someone - see the Uncut Magazine interview for more information.

Discography

• For details on Morrissey's releases, see Morrissey discography.
• For details on releases by The Smiths, see The Smiths.

Bibliography

Before gaining widespread recognition with The Smiths, Morrissey (then still with forename) wrote a number of booklets on his favourite cultural subjects, music and film.

• The New York Dolls (Babylon Books; 1981, 1995² ISBN 0-907188-50-8)
• James Dean Is Not Dead (Babylon Books; 1983, 1984², 1997³ ISBN 0-907188-06-0)
• Exit Smiling (Babylon Books; 1998 [written in 1980, discusses a number of Morrissey's favourite, obscure B-movie actors] ISBN 0-907188-47-8)

Other books by or about Morrissey

• Saint Morrissey: A Portrait of This Charming Man by an Alarming Fan by Mark Simpson (journalist)
• Morrissey: Scandal and Passion by David Bret
• The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life by Simon Goddard
• Morrissey's Manchester by Phill Gatenby
• Morrissey: In His Own Words by Morrissey and John Robertson
• Morrissey and Marr: The Severed Alliance by Johnny Rogan
• Morrissey by Pat Reid
• Morrissey Shot a book of photographs by Linder Sterling
• How Soon Is Never by Marc Spitz
• Peepholism: Into the Art of Morrissey by Jo Slee
• The Wrong Boy by Willy Russell

External links

• morrisseymusic.com – website run by Sanctuary Records
• True to You – online 'zine, endorsed by Morrissey
• Morrissey Solo – fansite with news updates
• Passions Just Like Mine – fansite with in-depth Morrissey and Smiths discographies
• Hiddenbyrags – Morrissey Resource