Music
Controversial cult figure of indie rock: Morrissey turns 65
British singer and former Smiths frontman Morrissey turns 65. Photo
© Robin Burns/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
He is famous for melancholic songs with witty lyrics, whether as the frontman of the Smiths or in his more than 30-year solo career. But Morrissey is not only attracting attention with music.
A few weeks ago, Morrissey announced two “special concerts” on his website and raised hopes among his fans. However, he has not yet given any specific dates for this. Ahead of his 65th birthday on May 22nd, there are many question marks surrounding the former Smiths frontman, who continues to cause controversy.
Cult band The Smiths
Steven Patrick Morrissey, born in 1959 as the son of Irish immigrants in the Greater Manchester area, caused a sensation as the singer of the influential indie band in the 1980s. The Smiths released four albums in four years: “The Smiths” (1984), “Meat Is Murder” (1985), “The Queen Is Dead” (1986) and “Strangeways, Here We Come” (1987). All of them are considered classics today and are characterized by their timeless sound and a certain melancholy.
Morrissey wrote the songs with his congenial partner, guitarist Johnny Marr. Bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce completed the band. In songs like “This Charming Man,” “How Soon Is Now?” or “Bigmouth Strikes Again”, the Smiths often dealt with socially critical topics and social taboos. In doing so, Morrissey cultivated the image of a sexually ambivalent and cynical outsider. Since then, Mozzer, as his fans call him, has been worshiped by many in a cult.
Successful solo career
His gentle baritone singing also stood in contrast to the sarcastic, witty lyrics in his subsequent solo career. Due to internal disputes, the Smiths broke up in 1987. A bitter legal dispute over the distribution of royalties followed, covered by the British tabloid press. Morrissey then made disparaging comments about Rourke and Joyce. Without him, they would have just performed in a shopping center, he said of his ex-colleagues. The frontman is still said to have this arrogance to this day.
After the band broke up, he started his solo career, which was just as successful. With albums like “Viva Hate” and “You Are The Quarry” he confirmed his reputation as a brilliant – and controversial – songwriter and singer. One of his classics is the song “Irish Blood, English Heart”. In it he deals with his childhood as the son of Irish immigrants in Thatcher-era England. He rails against the Conservatives, the Labor Party and the British royal family.
Militant vegan – and reputation as a grantler
One issue that is particularly close to Morrissey’s heart is animal rights. The militant vegan regularly rails against the meat and dairy industry. At his concerts he shows graphic videos to document animal cruelty. And in his song “The Bullfighter Dies” he sings: “The bullfighter dies and no one cries. Because we all want the bull to survive. (…) Hurray, hurray, the bullfighter dies.”
Morrissey is famous and notorious for expressing his opinions openly and clearly. His controversial statements about politics, culture and society are often the subject of media discussions. He often put his fans to the test with his comments. Recently he has increasingly appeared like a grump and was even confronted with accusations of racism. Some artists then distanced themselves from him.
He occasionally has public skirmishes with his former bandmate Marr. After the guitarist said in an interview in 2022 that he and Morrissey were not very close, the singer asked him in an open letter to stop mentioning him in interviews.
“A pitifully modest person”
A few months ago, Morrissey complained that British media had erased him from “the history and essence of the Smiths” and that he was a victim of cancel culture. “That’s a bit like saying that Mick Jagger had nothing to do with the Rolling Stones,” he wrote on his website and – in typical Morrissey style – highlighted his work. “I came up with the band name, the song titles, the album titles, the artwork, the vocal melodies – and all the lyrical feelings come from my heart.”
When he played four concerts in New York City last October as part of his “40 Years of Morrissey” tour, he gave a detailed interview to the TV station Fox 5. In it, the singer, who lives part of the time in Los Angeles, expressed his amazement at his long career. “At the beginning I really thought it would only last a year. And I said back then that I would be very happy even if it only lasted a year,” said Morrissey. Then he surprised people with his self-assessment: “I am a pathetically modest person.”