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{{Short description|British singer (born 1959)}}
{{otheruses}}
{{about|the singer}}
{{Infobox musical artist | <!-- See Misplaced Pages:WikiProject Musicians -->
{{redirect|Steven Morrissey|the footballer|Steven Morrissey (footballer)}}
| Name = Morrissey
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| Img = Mozz g-mex 02.png
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| Img_capt = Morrissey, Live 2007
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
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{{Infobox musical artist
| Background = solo_singer
| Birth_name = Andrew Donal Morrissey | image = Morrissey crop tie.jpg
<!-- NOTE: Do not replace Morrissey crop tie.jpg unless it is with a photo under a public domain or free license (meaning NOT fair use). Any fair use photos (i.e. 'promotional photos') violate the Fair Use Policy and will be deleted. See ] use criteria -->| alt = Morrissey at the premiere of the Alexander film in Dublin Ireland.
| Born = {{birth date and age|1959|5|22|df=yes}}<br>], ], ]
| death_date = | caption = Morrissey in 2005
| death_place = | birth_name = Steven Patrick Morrissey
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1959|05|22|df=y}}
| Genre = ]
| Instrument = ], ] | birth_place = ], Lancashire, England
| genre = {{hlist|]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/morrissey-mn0000597094/biography |title=Morrissey |work=] |access-date=3 January 2016 |author=Huey, Steve}}</ref>|{{nowrap|]}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/morrissey_working_on_new_album_novel |title=Morrissey Working on New Album and Novel |work=] |date=3 January 2014 |access-date=3 January 2016 |author=Hughes, Josiah}}</ref>|]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-apr-14-et-morrissey14-story.html |title=Morrissey and The Smiths' influence is apparent |newspaper=] |date=14 April 2009 |access-date=3 January 2016 |author=Timberg, Scott}}</ref>|]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/your-arsenal-mw0000081560 |title=Morrissey—Your Arsenal |work=AllMusic |access-date=3 January 2016 |author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas |author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine}}</ref>}}
| Occupation = ], ], ]
| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|author}}<!--Please do not add to this list without first discussing your proposal on the talk page. -->
| Years_active = 1978-Present
| years_active = 1976–present
| Label = 1982-1987: ] (UK), ] (US)<br>1988-1994: ]/] (UK), Sire (US)<br>1995: ] (UK), ] (US)<br>1997: ]<br>2003-2007: ]/]<br>2007- : ]
| label = {{hlist|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]|]}}
| Associated_acts = ]<br>]<br>]
| past_member_of = ]
| URL =
| website = {{URL|morrisseycentral.com}}
}} }}
'''Steven Patrick Morrissey''' ({{IPAEng|ˈmɒɹɪsiː}}; born ], ]), known primarily as '''Morrissey''', is a ] ] and ]. After a short stint in the ] band ] in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the ] band ]. The UK music magazine '']'' called him the "most influential artist ever" for his role in the band. When the band broke up in 1987, Morrissey began a solo career, in which he continued the ] sound of The Smiths. His solo albums have garnered ten ] singles in the ]. '''Steven Patrick Morrissey''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|ɒr|ɪ|s|i}} {{respell|MORR|iss|ee}}; born 22 May 1959), known ]ously as '''Morrissey''', is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band ], who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then, he has pursued a successful solo career. Morrissey's music is characterised by his ] 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 ], Lancashire, England; the family lived in Queen's Court near the Loreto convent in ] and his mother worked nearby at the ] bingo hall. They moved due to the 1960s demolitions of almost all the Victorian-era houses in Hulme, known as ']', and he grew up in nearby ].<ref name=":3" /> As a child, he developed a love of literature, ], and 1960s pop music. In the late 1970s, he fronted the ] band ] 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.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Peters |first=Daniel |date=2 December 2024 |title=Morrissey says he has 'no connection' with The Nosebleeds and Slaughter And The Dogs, despite claims on Misplaced Pages |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-says-no-connection-nosebleeds-slaughter-and-the-dogs-wikipedia-3817577 |access-date=2 December 2024 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref>) He formed the Smiths with ] in 1982 and the band soon attracted national recognition for ]. As the band's frontman, Morrissey attracted attention for his trademark ] 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—'']'', '']'', and '']''—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.
His sardonic, literate lyrics tend to be "dramatic...bleak, funny vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home." <ref>''The Times'', June 25, 2005
Morrissey: the musical
His glum odes could never be the stuff of music theatre. Or could they? Tom Gatti investigates http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article1080659.ece</reF> He sings with a ] voice, occasionally using a high ] voice for emphasis. His "forthright, often contrary opinions" led to a number of media controversies, such as his criticism of the ] hunger-relief effort and his statements against political leaders including ] and ]. He has also attracted media attention from his advocacy of ] and ].


In 1988, Morrissey launched his solo career with '']''. This album and its follow-ups—'']'' (1991), '']'' (1992), and '']'' (1994)—all did well on the UK Albums Chart and spawned multiple hit singles. He took on ] and ] 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 '']'' (1995) and '']'' (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, '']'', in 2004. Ensuing years saw the release of albums '']'' (2006), '']'' (2009), '']'' (2014), '']'' (2017), '']'' (2019), and '']'' (2020), as well as ] and his debut novel, '']'' (2015).
==Biography==
===Early life===


Highly influential, Morrissey has been credited as a seminal figure in the emergence of ], ], and ]. In a 2006 poll for the ]'s '']'', Morrissey was voted the second-greatest living ].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/music/morrissey-is-second-most-iconic-brit-1051578 |title=Morrissey is second most iconic Brit |date=15 February 2007 |work=] |access-date=25 May 2020}}</ref> His work has been the subject of academic study.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/mar/30/highereducation.popandrock |title=Morrissey: a suitable subject for academia |work=] |first=Leo |last=Benedictus |date=30 March 2005 |access-date=19 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/morrisseys-lyrics-are-there-wilde-and-larkin-claims-academic-2511620 |title=Morrissey's lyrics are up there with Wilde and Larkin, claims academic |work=The Scotsman |date=21 May 2009 |access-date=19 June 2020}}</ref> He has been a controversial figure throughout his music career due to his forthright opinions and outspoken nature, endorsing vegetarianism and ] and ] and prominent politicians. He has also supported far-right activism with regard to British heritage, and defended a particular vision of ] while critiquing the effects of immigration on the UK.<ref name=Jonze />
Steven Patrick Morrissey was born at Park Hospital (now known as Trafford General Hospital) in ], ] on ] ] to ] ] ].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/morrissey-blames-immigration-for-disappearance-of-british-identity-760825.html|title=Morrissey Blames immigration for 'disappearance' of British identity|last=Duff|first=Oliver|date=2007-11-29|publisher=Independent (UK)|accessdate=2008-06-13}}</ref> His father, Peter Morrissey, was a hospital ], and his mother, Elizabeth Dwyer, was a librarian. His parents had emigrated to England just before Morrissey's birth and, along with his only sibling (elder sister Jackie), Morrissey was raised in Harper Street in ], ]. In 1965, the family moved to Queens Square in Hulme near ]. The family moved to 384 Kings Road in the suburb of ] in 1969, when many of the old terraced streets were being demolished. He has maintained a strong attachment to his mother throughout his life. His relationship with his father, however, suffered much strain over the years.


== Early life ==
As a child, Morrissey developed a number of interests and role models that marked him out among his peers, including ] ], and female singers such as ], ] and ]. He was also interested in the "]"-style social realism of late 1950s and early 1960s ]s, '']'' ], actor ], as well as ]s ] and ]. The ] of the early 1960s, in which a couple raped and killed a number of Manchester-area children and teens, had a large impact on him as a child. He examined these memories in his 1982 song "]".
=== Childhood: 1959–1976 ===
{{Quote box
| width = 25em
| align = right
| quote = I lost myself in music at a very early age, and I remained there&nbsp;. . . I did fall in love with the voices I heard, whether they were male or female. I loved those people. I really, really did love those people. For what it was worth, I gave them my life&nbsp;. . . my youth. Beyond the perimeter of pop music there was a drop at the end of the world.
| source = — Morrissey, 1991.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=13|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=35}}
}}
]
Steven Patrick Morrissey was born on 22 May 1959{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=6|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=32}} at ] in ], Lancashire.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=6}} His parents, Elizabeth (''née'' Dwyer) and Peter Morrissey,{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=6}} were ]{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=33}} who had emigrated to ] from ] with his only sibling, elder sister Jacqueline, a year before his birth.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=6}} Morrissey claims he was named after American actor ],{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=6|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=21}} although he may instead have been named in honour of his father's brother who died in infancy, Patrick Steven Morrissey.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goddard |first1=Simon |title=Mozipedia : The encyclopedia of Morrissey and The Smiths |date=2010 |publisher=Plume |isbn=978-0-452-29667-1 |page= |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/mozipediaencyclo00godd_0/page/418 }}</ref> His earliest home was a ] at 17 Harper Street in the Queen's Square area of ], inner Manchester, since demolished.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=7|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=39}}<ref>{{Citation |title=1985: MORRISSEY on MANCHESTER {{!}} Oxford Road Show {{!}} Classic BBC Music {{!}} BBC Archive | date=September 2022 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYabx_Y_xjs |language=en |access-date=21 February 2023}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> Living in that area as a child, he was deeply affected by the ], 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 "]".{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=7|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2pp=43–44}} He also became aware of the ] in British society against ].{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=53}} In 1970, after the "]" of Victorian-era houses in Hulme, the family moved to another council house at 384 King's Road in ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=8}}


Following a primary education at St Wilfred's Primary School,{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=8}} Morrissey failed his ] exam{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=37}} and proceeded to St Mary's Secondary Modern School, an experience he found unpleasant.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=8|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2pp=37–38}} He excelled at athletics,{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=38}} though he was an unpopular ] at the school.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=17|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=38}} 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."{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=38}} He left school in 1975, having received no formal qualifications.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=18}} He continued his education at ],{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=18}} where he gained three ] in English literature, sociology, and the General Paper.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=18|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=76}} In 1975, he travelled to the U.S. to visit an aunt who lived in ].<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Morrissey |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/862788301 |title=Autobiography |date=2013 |isbn=978-0-399-17154-3 |location=New York |pages=117 |oclc=862788301}}</ref> The relationship between his parents was strained, and they ultimately separated in December 1976, with his father moving out of the family home.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=20|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2pp=37, 40|3a1=Goddard|3y=2006|3p=10}}
In adolescence, Morrissey's athletic ability saved him to a large degree from bullying. Nevertheless, he has described this period as a time when he was often lonely and depressed. As a teenager, he began taking prescription drugs to help combat the depression that would later follow him throughout his life.<ref>{{cite web | author= Simpson, Dave | year= 1998 | title="Manchester's Answer To The H-Bomb" | work= "Uncut" magazine | url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articles/uncut0898b.htm | accessmonthday= November 11 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> He attended St Mary's ] and Stretford ], where he passed Three ], including English Literature. He then worked briefly for the ], but ultimately decided to "go on the ]," sequestering himself in his room in his mother's home to concentrate on writing, reading, and listening to music. As of 1974, he regularly wrote letters (as Steve Morrissey)<ref></ref> to music magazines such as '']'' and the '']'',<ref></ref> giving his forthright opinions on various bands. Morrissey's letters to a penpal friend in 1981 surfaced online over 20 years later.<ref></ref>


Morrissey's librarian mother encouraged her son's interest in reading.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=39–40}} He took an interest in feminist literature,{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=42}} and particularly liked the Irish author ], whom he came to idolise.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1pp=12–13|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2pp=39–40}} The young Morrissey was a fan of the television soap opera '']'', which focused on working-class communities in Manchester; he sent proposed scripts and storylines to the show's production company, ], although all were rejected.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=7|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2pp=53–55}} He was also a fan of ]'s '']'' and its ], which was a drama focusing on working-class life in ].{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=55–58}} Many of his later songs directly quoted ''A Taste of Honey''.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=56–57}}
Morrissey would sometimes venture out to see bands at local Manchester venues; the first such occasion being ] at ] in 1972.<ref></ref><ref></ref> He was taken there by his father, fearing for his safety in the notoriously rough district. He chose to wear a purple satin jacket, not the best way of avoiding unwanted attention. Morrissey has described the occasion as "messianic and complete chaos".<ref></ref>


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."<ref name="NYT Holden">{{cite news |author=Holden, Stephen |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE0D7133CF934A25754C0A967958260 |title=The Pop Life: Out of the Mainstream |newspaper=] |date=17 July 1991 |access-date=18 November 2008}}</ref> He later revealed that the first record he purchased was ]'s 1965 single "]".{{sfnm|1a1=Simpson|1y=2004|1p=35|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=10}} He became a ] fan in the 1970s,{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=15|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=64|3a1=Goddard|3y=2006|3p=10}} enjoying the work of English artists like ], ] and ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=15|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=69|3a1=Goddard|3y=2006|3p=10}} He was also a fan of American glam rock artists such as ], ] and the ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1pp=15–18|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=10}} He formed a British fan club for the latter, attracting members through small adverts in the back pages of music magazines.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=10–11}} It was through the New York Dolls' interest in female pop singers from the 1960s that Morrissey too developed a fascination for such artists,{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=10}} including ], ], and ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=13–14}}
===First steps in popular culture===
{{seealso|The Nosebleeds|Slaughter & The Dogs}}


=== Early bands and published books: 1977–1981 ===
Throughout the 1970s, a teenage Morrissey acted as president of the UK branch of the ] fan club. He articulated his love for the group in a ]: "Some bands grab you and they never let you go and, no matter what they do, they can never let you down... the Dolls were that for me."<ref></ref>
] and published a book about him.]]
This New York Dolls influence made Morrissey an early convert to ]. Morrissey, then still with forename, briefly fronted ] in 1978, who by that time included ] on guitar (Duffy went on to form the ] band ]). They played a number of concerts, including one supporting ], which resulted in a '']'' review by ]. Morrissey also founded ] fan club, the Legion of The Cramped, with another enthusiast for their music, Lindsay Hutton, although he progressively scaled down his involvement in the club over time, due to the increasing amount of time he was devoting to his own musical career.<ref></ref>
Having left formal education, Morrissey proceeded through a series of jobs, as a clerk for the civil service and then the ],<ref name="Civil Service World">{{cite news |url=https://www.civilserviceworld.com/articles/culture/heaven-knows-he-was-miserable-then-morrissey-reflects-life-civil-servant |title=Heaven knows he was miserable then: Morrissey reflects on life as a civil servant |last=Dunton |first=Jim |date=22 May 2019 |work=] |access-date=24 May 2019}}</ref> as a salesperson in a ], and as a hospital porter, before abandoning employment and claiming ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1pp=20, 23, 24|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=76}} He used much of the money from these jobs to purchase tickets for gigs, attending performances by ], the ], and ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=20}} He regularly attended concerts, having a particular interest in the alternative and post-punk music scene.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=11}} Having met the guitarist ] in November 1977, Morrissey agreed to become the vocalist for Duffy's punk band ],{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=22}} though Morrissey later said, in 2024, that he "did not ever join" the band.<ref name=":4" /> Morrissey co-wrote a number of songs with the band{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=9}}—"Peppermint Heaven", "I Get Nervous" and "I Think I'm Ready for the Electric Chair"{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=22}}—and performed with them in support slots for ] and then ].{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=10}} The band soon disbanded.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=23}}


He came to be known as a minor figure within Manchester's punk community.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=12}} By 1981, he had become a close friend of ], the frontwoman of punk-jazz ensemble ]; her lyrics and style of singing both influenced him.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=23|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=12}} Through Sterling, he came to know ] and ].{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=12}} 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 ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=26–28}}
Morrissey wrote several songs with Duffy, such as "Peppermint Heaven", "I Get Nervous" and "(I Think) I'm Ready for the Electric Chair", but none were recorded during the band's short lifespan, which ended the same year.<ref name="rogan">{{cite book |last= Rogan |first= Johnny | title= Morrissey &amp; Marr: The Severed Alliance |publisher= Omnibus Press |year= 1993 |isbn=0-7119-3000-7}}</ref> After the Nosebleeds' split, Morrissey followed Duffy to join ], briefly replacing original singer Wayne Barrett. He recorded four songs with the band and they auditioned for a record deal in London. After the audition fell through, Slaughter & the Dogs became The Studio Sweethearts without Morrissey.<ref name="rogan" /><ref>''MOJO Classic Magazine'', Volume 1 Issue 13, Page 22</ref>


Wanting to become a professional writer,{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=77}} 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 '']''.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=11}} 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.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1pp=25–26|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=11}} This was followed by ''James Dean is Not Dead'', about the late American film star ].{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=11}} Morrissey had developed a love of Dean and had covered his bedroom with pictures of the dead film star.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=82—85}}
Morrissey for the time interrupted his music career, focusing instead on writing on popular culture. He published two works with Babylon Books: ''The New York Dolls'' (1981), about his favourite band; and ''James Dean Is Not Dead'' (1983), about ]'s brief career. A third book, ''Exit Smiling'', which was actually written first (in 1980) and which dealt with obscure ] actors, was initially rejected and remained unpublished until 1998, when Morrissey had become famous and Babylon decided to publish it.


===The Smiths=== == The Smiths ==
{{main|The Smiths}}
In 1982, Morrissey and guitarist ] formed The Smiths. They were consistently acclaimed by the music press, most infamously the '']'', whose seeming obsession with the band earned them the nickname the "New Morrissey Express". At the start of The Smiths, Morrissey decided to drop his forename, which he until then had used both in his publications and while a member of The Nosebleeds and Slaughter & the Dogs.


=== Establishing the Smiths: 1982–1984 ===
Signature themes of The Smiths' work include Morrissey's darkly witty lyrics and Marr's melodic and thickly-layered music. The band became a success in the ], ], and ], and grew into a ] in the ], where the band became known on ] charts with songs such as "]" and "]." The band broke up in 1987 after Marr and Morrissey fell out over musical differences.
{{Main|The Smiths}}


In August 1978, Morrissey was briefly introduced to the 14-year-old ] by mutual acquaintances at a ] gig held at Manchester's ].{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=9}} 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.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=32|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2pp=16–17}} Marr had been impressed that Morrissey had authored a book on the New York Dolls,{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=16}} and was inspired to turn up on his doorstep following the example of ], who had formed his working partnership with ] after turning up at the latter's door.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=32|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=16}} According to Morrissey: "We got on absolutely famously. We were very similar in drive."<ref name="DIDiscs">{{cite episode |title=Desert Island Discs with Morrissey |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/d8176a1c#b00p068y |series=Desert Island Discs |series-link=Desert Island Discs |network=] |station=] |airdate=29 November 2009}}</ref> The next day, Morrissey phoned Marr to confirm that he would be interested in forming a band with him.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=17}} Steve Pomfret—who had served as the band's first bassist—soon abandoned the band, to be replaced by Dale Hibbert.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=19, 21}} Around the time of the band's formation, Morrissey decided that he would be publicly known only by his surname,{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=34|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=42}} with Marr referring to him as "Mozzer" or "Moz".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=21}} In 1983, he forbade those around him from using the name "Steven", which he despised.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=21}} Morrissey was also responsible for choosing the band name of "the Smiths",{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=34|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=20}} 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".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=20}}
Morrissey grew even more rigid in his recording methods, often recording his vocals alone, after the music tracks had already been laid, a technique also used by ]. In 1989, in an interview with young fan ] (who later became a BBC journalist), Morrissey said that the lack of a managerial figure and business problems were to blame for the split.<ref></ref> The band released four proper studio albums and several compilations between 1984 and their breakup, including 1986's ''],'' which has been placed highly on a number of critical "Greatest Album" lists.<ref></ref> There have been many more compilations released since the group's demise. The group's back catalogue is now in the hands of Warners following Rough Trade's bankruptcy.


Alongside developing their own songs, they also developed a cover of ]' "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.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=35|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2pp=22–23}} In August 1982, they recorded their first demo at Manchester's Decibel Studios,{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=33|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2pp=22–23}} and Morrissey took the demo recording to ], but they weren't interested.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=26–27}}
===Solo career===
In late summer 1982, ] was adopted as the band's drummer after a successful audition.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=35|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2pp=25–26}} In October 1982, they then gave their first public performance, as a support act for ] at Manchester's ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1pp=34, 35|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=27}} 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 ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=36|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2pp=27–30}}
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Following The Smiths' split, Morrissey's first solo album, ''],'' was released in 1988. To create the album, Morrissey teamed up with former Smiths producer ], ] of ], and drummer ]. The prevailing sound of the album is ], similar to that of the Smiths, though Reilly's guitar work adds more abrasive and atmospheric elements to the work. ''Viva Hate'' reached number one upon release, supported by such singles as "]" and "]."


]]]
Morrissey initially planned to release a follow-up album entitled "]" after releasing a few holdover singles from the ''Viva Hate'' sessions. As such, he released "]", "]", and "]" over the course of 1989. The first two of these became top ten hits. However, by the end of 1989 it became apparent that he would not be able to put out an album of new material soon enough. Morrissey decided to scrap the idea of a full-length LP and release ''Bona Drag'' as a compilation of singles and B-sides instead. '']'' (1990) collected these early singles along with further non-album cuts such as "]" and "]," along with the B-side "Hairdresser on Fire".
After the record company ] turned them down,{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=31}} Morrissey and Marr visited London to hand a cassette of their recordings to ] of the ] ].{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=41–42}} Although not signing them to a contract straight away, he agreed to cut their song "]" as a single.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=42}} Morrissey chose a ] cover design in the form of a ] photograph.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=42–43}}
It was released in May 1983. The band soon generated controversy when ] of tabloid newspaper '']'' alleged that their B-side "Handsome Devil" was an endorsement of ].{{sfnm|1a1=Simpson|1y=2004|1p=108|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2pp=35–36}} The band denied this, with Morrissey stating that the song "has nothing to do with children, and certainly nothing to do with child molesting".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=37}} In the wake of their single, the band performed their first significant London gig, gained radio airplay with a ] session, and obtained their first interviews in music magazines '']'' and '']''.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=43}}


The follow-up singles "]" and "]" fared better when they reached numbers 25 and 12 respectively on the ].<ref name="guinness book">{{Cite book|editor-last=Roberts|editor-first=David |title=British Hit Singles & Albums|publisher=]|year=2006|edition=19th|pages=509–510|isbn=1-904994-10-5|title-link=Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums }}</ref> Aided by praise from the music press and a series of studio sessions for Peel and ] at ], the Smiths began to acquire a dedicated fan base. In February 1984 they released their debut album, '']'', which reached number 2 on the ].<ref name="guinness book" />
Mark Nevin's songwriting services were employed for the studio follow-up to ''Viva Hate,'' titled ''].'' The album is often cited as the weakest in Morrissey's back catalog and the two singles released in promotion of the album, ] and ] failed to break the Top 20 on the singles charts. The band Morrissey assembled in 1991 for his '']'' tour went on to record 1992's hit album ''].'' Composition duties were split between guitarists ] and ], who have been the core of Morrissey's band ever since. ''Your Arsenal'' was produced by former ] guitarist ], and earned a ] nomination for best alternative album. The album peaked at #4 on the UK charts, with two of its three singles, "]" and "]", both debuting in the Top 20 in the UK.


As frontman of the Smiths, Morrissey—described as "lanky, soft-spoken, bequiffed and bespectacled"{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=32}}—subverted many of the norms that were associated with pop and rock music.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=23–24}} The band's aesthetic simplicity was a reaction to the excess personified by the ]s,{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=101}} and while Morrissey adopted an androgynous appearance like the New Romantics or earlier glam rockers, his was far more subtle and understated.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=102}} According to one commentator, "he was bookish; he wore ] 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."{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=24}} In an ] on the band, Julian Stringer characterised the Smiths as "one of Britain's most overtly political groups",{{sfn|Stringer|1992|p=16}} while in his study of their work, Andrew Warns termed them "this most anti-capitalist of bands".{{sfn|Warnes|2008|p=143}} Morrissey had been particularly vocal in his criticism of then-Prime Minister ]; after the October 1984 ], he commented that "the only sorrow" of it was "that Thatcher escaped unscathed".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=111}} In 1988, he stated that ] "embodies Thatcher's very nature and her quite natural hatred".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=111}}
In 1994, Morrissey had a second number one album in the UK, with ''].'' One of the album's songs, "]," reached #8 in the UK and #46 in the US. That year, he also released a single "]" in duet with ] of ]. Following the success of ''Vauxhall and I'' Morrissey began work on '']'' in early 1995. When released in August, the album was a hit, peaking at #4 in the UK. However, both of its singles failed to chart in the Top 20. With the exception of the single "]" in that December it would be another year before Morrissey released a new album or single. Morrissey returned on a new record label in 1997 with the single "]" in promotion of his album ''].''


=== The Smiths' growing success: 1984–1987 ===
Though the album was hailed as a return to form for Morrissey the album only peaked at #8 and its further two singles, "]" and "]" peaked outside the UK Top 30. Having left his new record label and lost a court case over Smiths royalties with former band mate Mike Joyce, Morrissey relocated from his ] home to ] in the late 1990s; it would be another seven years before he released another single or studio album.
{{Quote box
| width = 25em
| align = left
| quote = The Smiths brought realism to their romance, and tempered their angst with the lightest of touches. The times were personified in their frontman: rejecting all taints of rock n' roll machismo, he played up the social awkwardness of the misfit and the outsider, his gently haunting vocals whooping suddenly upward into a falsetto, clothed in outsize women's shirts, sporting National Health specs or a huge Johnny Ray-style hearing aid. This charming young man was, in the vernacular of the time, the very antithesis of a "rockist"—always knowingly closer to the gentle ironicist ], or self-lacerating diarist ], than a licentious ] or drugged-out ].
| source = — Paul A. Woods, 2007.{{sfn|Woods|2007|p=5}}
}}


In 1984, the band released two non-album singles: "]" (their first UK top-ten hit) and "]". The year ended with the compilation album '']''. This collected singles, ] 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, '']'', which was their only studio album to top the UK charts. The single-only release "]" reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, though the only single taken from the album, "]", was less successful, barely making the top 50.<ref name="guinness book" /> "]" 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 '']''. Belatedly released as a single in the UK in 1985, "]" reached number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.
===Comeback===
], <br>July 2008]]
Though Morrissey had continued touring in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he did not have a record contract. In June 2003, ] group gave Morrissey the one-time reggae label ] to record new material and to sign new artists.<ref name="misfit">{{cite web |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,972439,00.html |title=Misfit Morrissey finds new niche by signing with reggae label |accessdate=2007-11-30 |format= |work=Guardian Unlimited Arts }}</ref>
Morrissey's album '']'' was released on ], ] (one day later in the US). ] ] described the work as a mix between '']'' and '']'', and the album received strong reviews. The first single, "]," was released internationally on ], ]. The single reached number three in its first week of sales in the ]. This was the highest placing chart position for Morrissey in his entire career as both a solo artist and the lead singer of ] (the 2006 release "You Have Killed Me" also debuted at number three in its first week in the charts). Also, it has sold over a million copies, making the album his most successful one, solo or with The Smiths.
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With the release of "I Have Forgiven Jesus" in December 2004, Morrissey along with ] became the only artists to score four 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 ]'s '']''. Morrissey did not perform every night of the weeklong series due to a throat illness. He did, however, perform the following week.


During 1985, the band undertook lengthy tours of the UK and the US while recording the next studio record, '']''. The album was released in June 1986, shortly after the single "]". The record reached number 2 in the UK charts.<ref name="guinness book" /> 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.<ref name="mainstream">Kelly, Danny. "Exile on Mainstream". ''NME''. 14 February 1987.</ref> Meanwhile, Rourke was fired in early 1986 for his use of heroin.<ref>{{cite web|author=Harris, John |title=The Smiths—Trouble at Mill/The Queen Is Dead and beyond: part 3 |url=http://www.johnharris.me.uk/arch/interview/Smiths/Smiths_pt3.htm |access-date=22 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311160128/http://www.johnharris.me.uk/arch/interview/smiths/smiths_pt3.htm |archive-date=11 March 2007 }}</ref> Rourke was temporarily replaced on bass guitar by ], but he was reinstated after only a fortnight. Gannon stayed in the band, switching to rhythm guitar. This five-piece recorded the singles "]" and "]" (with ] on backing vocals) which reached numbers 11 and 14 respectively on the UK Singles Chart,<ref name="guinness book" /> 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 ], which drew criticism from some of the band's fanbase.<ref name="mainstream" />
Morrissey's next album, '']'', debuted at number one in the UK album charts. The album cover is an allusion to the iconic ] record cover logo and design, with Morrissey posing as a violinist after the photos of ] or ]. Recorded in ], it was released internationally on ], ], and one day later in ]. The album was produced by ], who has also worked with ], ] and ]. The subsequent 2006 international tour included more than two dozen gigs in the UK, including concerts at the ]. Just prior to the album's release, Morrissey was photographed in Rome by Bryan Adams for the cover of ']'.


In early 1987, the single "]" was released and reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="guinness book" /> It was followed by a second compilation album, '']'', which reached number 2 in the charts<ref name="guinness book" />—and the single "]", the band's second (and last during the band's lifetime) UK top-10 hit.<ref name="guinness book" /> 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.
Morrissey was scheduled to appear at the 2005 Benicassim festival in Spain but pulled out at the last minute. On 9th January 2007, the ] confirmed that it was in talks with Morrissey for him to write a song for the 2007 ]. The video for the single'' ]'' may be an affectionate homage to the style of the contest during the 1970s. If an agreement could be made, Morrissey would be writing the song for someone else, rather than performing it himself, a BBC spokesperson claimed.<ref></ref> On ] ] the BBC ruled this out, and stated Morrissey would not be part of Britain's Eurovision entry.<ref>, BBC News, 23 February 2007</ref><ref></ref>


By the time that the band's fourth album '']'' 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 ].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.morrissey-solo.com/content/interview/greenscene/index4.html|title="Meat Is Murder" (from "Greenscene", 1989), page 4|website=Morrissey-solo.com|access-date=30 September 2021}}</ref> ''Strangeways'' peaked at number 2 in the UK, but was only a minor US hit,<ref name="guinness book" /><ref>{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=the smiths|chart=all}}|title=Artist Chart History—The Smiths: Albums|magazine=Billboard|access-date=13 August 2008}}</ref> though it was more successful there than the band's previous albums.
===2008===


== Solo career ==
In an interview on ] with ], the producer stated that his new project would be "]", though that this would not be forthcoming for at least a year. However, in an interview with the BBC News website in October 2007, he said that the album is already written and ready for a possible September 2008 release and that his deal with ] had come to an end. A possible deal with Warner Music had been tentatively made.<ref></ref> In December he signed a new deal with ], which included a '']'' album and a newly-recorded album to follow in autumn 2008. <ref></ref> In a reaction to the NME story, Morrissey pointed out that he would rather not be signed to a label<ref></ref>.
=== Early solo work: 1988–1991 ===
]
Several months before the Smiths dissolved, Morrissey enlisted ] as his personal producer and new songwriting partner, with whom he could begin his solo career.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=102}} By September 1987, he had begun work on his first solo album, '']'', at Wool Hall Studios near ];{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=102}} it was recorded with the musicians ] and ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=102–103}} 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 ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=106}} In February 1988, EMI released the first single from this album, "]", which reached number 5 on the British singles chart, a higher position than any Smiths single had achieved.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=104}} The second single from the album, "]", was released in June and reached number 9.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=109}} The album reached number 1 on the UK album charts.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=106}} The album's final song, "Margaret on the Guillotine", featured descriptions of Thatcher being executed; in response, the Conservative Member of Parliament ] accused Morrissey of being involved in a terrorist network and police ] conducted a search of his Manchester home.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=113–114}}
New songs slated for appearance on Morrissey's next album include "]", "]", "]" and "]", which were performed at recent US and European live appearances. In August 2007, it was reported that Morrissey's residencies at ] and ] would be the last live shows he would perform for the "foreseeable future",<ref>, NME.com, 23 August 2007</ref> but Morrissey denied these comments.<ref> Morrissey-Solo.com, 28 August 2007</ref> While a NME article claimed that Morrissey turned down a near £40 M offer to reunite with ] on a 50 date world tour<ref>{{cite web | author=Anon| year=2007| title=Morrissey rejects fresh attempt at Smiths reunion | format=http | work=NME.com | url=http://www.nme.com/news/the-smiths/30599 | accessmonthday=August 23 | accessyear=2007}}</ref>, Morrissey called the reunion tour a hoax<ref></ref>.


Morrissey's first solo performance took place at ]'s Civic Hall in December 1988.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=119}} 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".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=120}} Following ''Viva Hate'', Morrissey put out two new singles; "]" was about the ], gangsters who operated in London's East End, and reached number 6 on the UK singles chart.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=122–126}} This was followed by "]", which reached number 9.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=125}} After his songwriting partnership with Street ended and was replaced by ] and ],{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=127}} he recorded "]", released as a single in November 1989; it reached number 18.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=127}} Christian spokespeople and tabloid newspapers condemned the song, claiming that it promoted ], to which Morrissey responded that "the only contact I ever made with the dead was when I spoke to a journalist from ''The Sun''."{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=128}}
In January of 2008, Morrissey planned to play six consecutive shows at ] in London, but he had to cancel the final dates due to illness. Despite lukewarm reviews, especially in the ], the lack of airplay on British radio (except on ]), and even the incredulity of fan sites, "That's How People Grow Up" reached the Top 15, reaching the 14th place of British charts and the 25th place in Germany. In early 2008, Morrissey released his third '']'' album. Reviews were very mixed; reviewers noted that the album only includes songs which reached the Top 15 in the charts, putting the emphasis onto new songs, making the CD more suitable for new listeners than for old fans.{} The album charted fifth in the British album chart on its week of release. A limited edition of the "''Greatest Hits''" album features an eight-track live CD which was recorded at the ] in 2007.


]
For the recent single, "]", Morrissey recorded two B-sides with Academy Award-winning Argentinian film composer, ]. Santaolalla recorded two tracks, "]" and "]" in Los Angeles. Morrissey also performed on Santaolalla's album of modern tango music. On 29 May 2008, Morrissey parted ways with his manager of five years, Merck Mercuriadis, in favour of a new contract with ], whose clients include ].<ref> Morrissey Parts with Manager 29 May 2008</ref> On 30 May 2008, true-to-you.net stated that Morrissey's new studio album, "'']''", has 12 tracks and is produced by Jerry Finn. <ref></ref> On 5 August 2008 it was reported that, although originally due in September, "Years of Refusal" has been postponed until February 2009.


With Winstanley and Langer he began work on his first compilation album, '']'', although only recorded six new songs for it, the rest of the album comprising his recent singles and B-sides.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=133–134}} The album reached number 9 on the UK album chart.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=138}} Two of the newly recorded ''Bona Drag'' tracks were released as singles: "]", 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.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=134–135}} The second, "]", referenced London ] and featured terms from the ] gay slang. Released in November 1990, it reached number 19 in the charts.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=135}} 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;{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=137–138}} in an interview the previous year he had nevertheless acknowledged his attraction to both men and women.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=129–130}}
On August 15, 2008 Warner Music Entertainment announced the upcoming release of ], a ] documenting the live performance that took place at the historic ] in Los Angeles, CA, on June 8th, 2007 on the first leg of Morrissey's 2007/2008 'Greatest Hits' tour.<ref></ref>


Adopting ] as his new songwriting partner,{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=139}} Morrissey created his second solo album, '']''; released in March 1991, it peaked at number 8 on the album chart.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=139}} The two singles released in promotion of the album, "]" and "]", failed to break the Top 20 on the singles charts, reaching number 26 and 33 respectively.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=139}}<ref name="guinness book solo">{{Cite book|editor-last=Roberts|editor-first=David |title=British Hit Singles & Albums|publisher=HIT Entertainment|year=2006|edition=19th|pages=379–380|isbn=1-904994-10-5}}</ref> Another of the album's tracks, "Found, Found, Found", alluded to Morrissey's friendship with ], the lead singer of American indie rock band ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=140}}
Morrissey greeted news of the DVD's release with the following comment on fanzine True-To-You.net:
Planning his first solo tour, Morrissey assembled several musicians with a background in ] for his new backing group, including the guitarist ], ] and Spencer Cobrin.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=143}} Morrissey began the ''Kill Uncle'' tour in Europe; he brought ] as his ] and decorated the stage of each performance with a large image of ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=146–147}} On the US leg of his tour, he sold out Los Angeles' 18,000 seat ] in fifteen minutes, faster than ] or ] had done.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=156}} During the performance, ] joined him onstage for a rendition of T. Rex's "]".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=156}} In the US, he sold out 25 of his 26 other performances;{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=156}} one Texan appearance was filmed by ] for release as the ] ''Live in Dallas''.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=159}} 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.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=162–166}}


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.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=145}} In some cases, this involved the press spreading misinformation, such as the claim that he and Phranc were recording a cover of "]";{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=155}} others, such as those of Barbara Ellen in '']'', were closer to personal attack than musical review.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=167}} ''NME'' claimed that his cancelled performances reflected a disrespect towards his fans.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=188–189}} He became increasingly reticent in talking to British music journalists,{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=171}} expressing frustration at how they constantly compared his solo work with that of the Smiths; "my past is almost denying me a future".{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=152–153}} He told one interviewer that the band he was then working with were technically better musicians than the Smiths had ever been.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=152–153}}
{{cquote|The slapdash release of Morrissey live at the Hollywood Bowl is done by Warner without any consultation to me whatsoever, and is in breach of their terms as laid out by themselves in an agreement made for the film between Warner and my ex-manager. Being Warner, predictably the sleeve art is appalling. It is the work of cash-hounds, and I urge people NOT to buy it. I am not signed to Warner, and no royalties from this dvd will come to me. Please spend your money elsewhere. <br/>thank you, MORRISSEY.|}}<ref></ref>


== Image and politics == === Changing image: 1992–1995 ===
In July 1992, Morrissey released the album '']'', which peaked at number 2 in the album chart.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=174}} It was the final release from producer ]; Morrissey related that working with Ronson had been "the greatest privilege of my life".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=173}} ''Your Arsenal'' reflected Morrissey's lament for what he regarded as the decline of British culture in the face of increasing Americanisation.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=175}} 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".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=175}} A number of the tracks on the album, most notably "]" and "The National Front Disco", dealt with the lives and experiences of tough, working-class youths.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=145–146}} ''Your Arsenal'' was critically well received,{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=174|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=144}} and often described as his best album since ''Viva Hate''.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=174}} The first single, "]", had been released in April 1992 and peaked at number 17;{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=172}} this was followed by "]", which reached number 19 and "Certain People I Know", which reached number 34.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=177}} From September to December, Morrissey embarked on a 53-date ''Your Arsenal'' tour in which he varyingly decorated the stage with backdrops of ] girls,<ref>{{cite book |first=Len|last=Brown|title=Meetings with Morrissey|publisher= Omnibus|year=2009|isbn=978-1-84772-987-3}}</ref> ], ], and ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=190–191, 199}} One of the performances was recorded and released as '']'' (1993).{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=200}}
=== Music industry feuds ===
In 1996, The Smiths' drummer ] sued Morrissey and ] for outstanding royalties and won. Morrissey expressed bitter displeasure with the ruling on the track, "Sorrow Will Come in the End," from 1997's ''Maladjusted''. The judge presiding over the case ruled that Morrissey was "devious, truculent and unreliable."<ref></ref> However, the judges in the Court of Appeal stressed there was no suggestion that Morrissey had been dishonest.<ref></ref>


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)".{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=144}} According to Woods, Morrissey developed an air of "quietly assured masculinity", representing "a more robust, burlier, beefier version of himself",{{sfn|Woods|2007|p=7}} while the poet and Morrissey fan ] 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".<ref>{{cite web |title=Morrissey interview: Big mouth strikes again |author=Simon Armitage |website=The Guardian |date=3 September 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/03/morrissey-simon-armitage-interview}}</ref> 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.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=144}}
Morrissey has criticized singers such as ], ], ] and ], generally claiming that their lyrics are pointless and are more interested in being ] than in their music. He has also had disagreements with ]'s ], who stated "If Morrissey says 'don't eat meat', then I'll eat meat, because I hate Morrissey".<ref>{{cite web | author= | year= 1997 | title="morrissey-solo.com" | work= morrissey-solo.com | url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/people/robertsmith.htm | accessmonthday= November 30 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> ], another founding member of The Cure, has claimed that he likes Morrissey's music, however, he also said that Smith was justified in his ire as their feud began when Morrissey allegedly made "a very uncalled for remark concerning Robert in the English press."<ref>http://www.levinhurst.com/cgi/Blah/Blah.pl?b=cc,m=1122314484</ref> Morrissey also once openly wished that ''Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance'' author ] "ends his days very soon in an ] pile-up".
] of the ] co-wrote two songs inspired by Morrissey's public stereotyping as miserable and unloveable ("]" and "Miserablism"). <ref> "" ''Absolutely Pet Shop Boys''. Retrieved on ], ].</ref> In the April 2004 edition of ''GQ'', Morrissey stated that singer-songwriter ] is "not the person he was. He is no longer David Bowie at all. Now he gives people what he thinks will make them happy, and they're yawning their heads off. And by doing that, he is not relevant. He was only relevant by accident." <ref></ref>


]
Reputed to be uninterested in compromise or record company marketing principles, Morrissey operated as a quasi-outsider in the music industry. Though his large and loyal fan base follow his every move, his albums '']'' and '']'' had great trouble reaching a wider audience. Between 1999 and 2003, Morrissey was unable to find a record contract.


In mid-1993, Morrissey co-wrote his fifth album, '']'', with Whyte and Boorer; it was produced by ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1pp=202, 204|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=154}} Morrissey described the album as "the best I've ever made",{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=204}} and at the time believed it would be either his final or penultimate work.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=201}} It was both a critical and commercial success,{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=205|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=151}} topping the UK album chart in March 1994.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=205}} The album had been named after ], a district of South West London famous for the ] gay pub.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=204}} One of the album's songs, "]", was released as a single at the time and reached number 8 in the UK.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=204}} The single's sleeve featured images of Jake Walters, a skinhead in his twenties, who was living with Morrissey at the time.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=204–205}} Walters had introduced Morrissey to ], a boxing venue in ], part of London's ], with the singer spending an increasing amount of time there.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=214}}
In 1994 Morrissey was criticized by ]' bassist and lyricist ], in regards to comments that Morrissey had made about the ]. Other targets of his disapproval have been ], ], ] (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 ] in the early to mid-1970s<ref name="misfit"/>), ] and teenage ]s.


That year, he also released a non-album single, "]", a duet with ]: the track was a cover of a ] song. The record was published under the banner "Morrissey & Siouxsie"; due to record company issues, "Interlude" was only available on import outside Europe.<ref>{{cite book|author=Morrissey|title=Autobiography|publisher=London: Penguin Classics|date=2013|isbn=978-0-14-139481-7|pages=268–273}}<br />{{cite book |last=Paytress |first=Mark |title=Siouxsie & the Banshees: The Authorised Biography |publisher=Sanctuary |year=2003 |isbn=1-86074-375-7|page=216}}</ref>
=== Political leaders ===
Morrissey has always been politically outspoken, and the figures he has criticized include ], the ], former ] ], former Prime Minister ], and ] ]. He has criticised both the two main ] political parties of the ], the ] and the ].


In the autumn of 1994, Morrissey recorded five songs at South London's ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=216}} In January 1995 the single "]" was released, reaching number 23 on the singles chart.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=217}} In February 1995, he embarked on the ''Boxers'' tour, supported by the band ] and featuring a backdrop depiction of the boxer ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=219}} One of these performances was filmed by ] and released as the VHS ''Introducing Morrissey''.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=221}} In December 1995, the song "]" 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.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=216}} In 1995 the compilation album '']'' was released, containing largely B-sides.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=219, 220}}
In a 1984 interview, Morrissey criticized the then Conservative Prime Minister, ], stating that "She is only one person. She can be destroyed. It is the only remedy for this country at the moment." Morrissey’s song "Such a Little Thing Makes Such a Big Difference" 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". Morrissey's first solo album, ''Viva Hate'', included a track entitled "Margaret on the Guillotine", a ] jab at Prime Minister Thatcher, which referred to her being executed on a ]. <ref>British police responded by searching Morrissey's home and carrying out an official investigation. while ], who had interviewed Morrissey for '']'', was even questioned about the ''tone'' in which Morrissey had made certain remarks about Thatcher. It has been said that many of the officers were embarrassed at the absurdity of the situation, some even asking for Morrissey's autograph.<{{cite web |url=http://www.oz.net/~moz/lyrics/bonadrag/heknowsi.htm |title=LASID - He Knows I'd Love To See Him |accessdate=2007-07-13}}</ref>A controversial etching on the 12" vinyl record for ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' stated "] was a genius." Fawkes was infamous for the 1605 ], in which he attempted to blow up the British Parliament.<ref></ref>


=== Move to Los Angeles: 1995–2003 ===
At a ] concert on ] ], Morrissey caused controversy by announcing the death of former ], ] and stating that he would have preferred it if the current President, ], had died.<ref></ref> In October 2004, Morrissey released a statement urging ] voters to vote for ] candidate ] for President, calling this vote a "logical and sane move" and a way to get rid of the then ] President George W. Bush. Morrissey argued that "Bush has single-handedly turned the United States into the most neurotic and terror-obsessed country on the planet."<ref></ref>


After his contract with EMI expired, Morrissey signed to ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=224}} On this label he recorded his next album, '']'', at the ] in southern France before releasing it in August 1995.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=224, 226}} Its cover art featured an image of the boxer ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=226}} It reached number 4 in the UK album charts,{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=226}} but made little impact compared to its two predecessors.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=159}}
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 said "the FBI and the ] 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, it didn't take them long to realise that I am not."<ref></ref> During a January 2008 concert Morrissey remarked "God Bless ]" and ranted against "Billary Clinton" (a pun on ]). The anti-Clintons rant followed a performance of "The World Is Full of Crashing Bores",<ref></ref> in reference to the 2008 ] campaign to become presidential candidate in the US.
In September 1995, Morrissey served as the support act for the British leg of Bowie's ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=233}} Backstage at the ] gig, Morrissey was taken ill and taken to hospital; he did not return for the rest of the tour.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=237–238}} Later referring to the tour critically, he said that when you become involved with Bowie, "you have to worship at the Temple of David".{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=262–263}}


In December 1996, a legal case against Morrissey and Marr brought by Smiths' drummer Mike Joyce arrived at the ]. 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&nbsp;million in damages and 25% of all future Smiths album sales. After a seven-day hearing, the judge ruled in favour of Joyce.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=240–243}}<ref>{{cite web| work=BBC News | date=11 December 1996 | title=Rock band drummer awarded £1m payout | format=http | publisher=BBC |quote=cited at Cemetrygates.com | url=http://www.cemetrygates.com/vault/news/court.html | access-date =22 April 2007| author-link=BBC News }}</ref> 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.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1pp=243–244|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2pp=161–162}} Marr paid the money legally owed to Joyce but Morrissey launched an appeal against the ruling.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=244|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=162}} 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.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=245}} Morrissey lost his appeal in July 1998, although he launched another soon after;{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=245}} this too was unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite web| year=1998| title=Joyce vs. Morrissey and Others | format=http | work=England and Wales Court of Appeal (Civil Division) Decisions | url=http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/1998/1711.html | access-date=16 February 2007}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url =http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_051130_01|title =Statement from Morrissey|author =Morrissey|website =True To You|date =30 November 2005|quote =In legal fees alone, Joyce has cost me 600 thousand pounds—this is quite apart from any payments made to him, and is quite apart from any money seized by him. In total, Joyce has cost me 1 million, 515 thousand pounds. This is an approximate figure—it could even be higher.|access-date =7 December 2007|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20120510054040/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_051130_01|archive-date =10 May 2012|url-status=dead|df =dmy-all}}</ref>
]


Morrissey returned on ] in 1997, releasing the single "]" in July,{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} followed by his next album '']'' in August.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=247}}
=== Accusations of racism ===
The album peaked at number 8 in the UK album charts. Its further two singles, "]" and "]", both peaked outside the top 30 on the UK singles chart.<ref name="guinness book solo" /> 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.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=275}}


'']'' reported in 1998 that Morrissey no longer had a record deal.<ref>{{cite journal|
Morrissey was accused of ] during part of the 1980s and much of 1990s, in part due to the ambiguous lyrics in songs such as "]", "]" and "]". They also stemmed from ]'s biography of the singer, which claimed that in his late teens, the singer wrote "I don't hate ]is, but I dislike them immensely"; Rogan does not provide a substantiating source. In 2006, Liz Hoggard from ''The Independent'' argued that "Morrissey didn't help his case with an uneasy flirtation with gangster imagery: he took up boxing and was accompanied everywhere by a skinhead, Jake." She claimed that the "man who abhorred violence became strangely fascinated by it."<ref name="autogenerated3">Morrissey: The Alan Bennett of pop: Viciously vegetarian, aloofly sensual, the troublesome singer is both national treasure and scourge. By Liz Hoggard. Sunday, 4 June 2006 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/morrissey-the-alan-bennett-of-pop-480979.html</ref>''Encyclopedia Britannica'' argues that Morrissey's 1990s albums, including ''Your Arsenal'' (1992), ''Vauxhall and I'' (1994), ''Southpaw Grammar'' (1995) and ''Maladjusted''(1997) "... testified to a growing homoerotic obsession with criminals, skinheads, and boxers, a change paralleled by a shift in the singer’s image from wilting wallflower to would-be thug sporting sideburns and gold bracelets."<reF>Simon C.W. Reynolds. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/549957/the-Smiths#ref=ref666407&tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=the%20Smiths%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia</ref>
author=Simpson, Dave |title=Manshester's Answer to the H-BomB|journal=Uncut |issue=August 1998}}</ref> The following year, he embarked on the ''Oye Esteban Tour'', and was one of the headliners of the ] in California.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Interview |author=Bracewell, Michael |journal=The Times Magazine |issue= 6 November 1999}}</ref>


{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote=The England that I have loved, and I have sung about, and whose death I have sung about, I felt had finally slipped away. And so I was no longer saying, "England is dying." I was beginning to say, "Well, yes, it has died and here's the carcass"—so why hang around?|source=— Morrissey, on his move to Los Angeles.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=5}} }}
A trigger for much of the criticism was Morrissey's performance at the first ] '']'' reunion concert at ], ], in 1992, in which he appeared on stage draped in the ], a symbol often associated with ] and hence with ] groups in Britain. As a backdrop for this performance, he chose a photograph of two female ]s. The British music magazine '']'' responded to this performance with a lengthy examination of Morrissey's attitudes to race, claiming that the singer had "left himself in a position where accusations that he's toying with far-right/fascist imagery, and even of racism itself, can no longer just be laughed off with a knowing quip".<ref>''New Musical Express'', 22 August 1992</ref>


Leaving Britain, Morrissey purchased a house in ]. It had formerly been the residence of ] and had been re-designed by ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=256}} Over the next few years he rarely returned to Britain.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=256}}
In the early days of ], Morrissey stated that "all ] is vile", leading to the first reports of his alleged racism. He later explained that this was a tongue-in-cheek answer to "wind up the right-on 1980s NME" and that he grew up partly on the classic singles released by the British reggae label ] in the early to mid-1970s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/fridayreview/story/0,12102,1188235,00.html |title='Somebody has to be me' |accessdate=2007-11-30 |format= |work=Guardian Unlimited Arts }}</ref><ref name="misfit"/> ]' "]", released in July 1986, fades out with the refrain "hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ..." Rogan's biography reports that initial critical response to this content was interpreted as distaste for the increasing influence of rap and R&B over popular music at the time.
In 2002, Morrissey returned with a world tour, culminating in two sold-out nights at the ], during which he played as-yet unreleased songs.<ref>{{cite journal |title=And Don't Forget The Songs&nbsp;... |journal=City Life |issue= 2–9 July 2003}}</ref> Outside the US and Europe, concerts also took place in Australia and Japan.<ref>{{cite web|author=David Tseng |url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news2002.html |title=Morrissey-solo News Archive—2002 |publisher=Morrissey-solo.com |date=2 November 2002 |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> During this time, ] 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.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=116}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/features/03/06/07/2026219.shtml |title="The Importance of Being Morrissey" (documentary aired on Channel 4,&nbsp;June&nbsp;8, 2003)—reports |publisher=Morrissey-solo |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> He told interviewers that he was working on an autobiography,{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=258}} and expressed criticism of reality television music shows like '']'' which were then in their infancy.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=256, 257}}


=== Comeback: 2004–2009 ===
Critics of the racism allegations point to Morrissey’s involvement in organizations such as ] and almost performing at an anti-] concert.<ref></ref><ref></ref>
In 2003, Morrissey signed to ], where he was given the defunct ] label ] to use for his next project.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=259}}<ref name="misfit">{{cite news |url=http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,972439,00.html |title=Misfit Morrissey finds new niche by signing with reggae label |access-date=30 November 2007 |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |first=Jeevan |last=Vasagar |date=7 June 2003}}</ref> Produced by ] and recorded in both Los Angeles and ], Morrissey's seventh solo album was '']''; it was released in May 2004.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=264, 278}} The album's cover art featured an image of Morrissey carrying a ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=278}} It peaked at number 2 on the UK album chart and number 11 on the U.S. Billboard album chart.<ref name="guinness book solo" /> The first single, "]", reached number 3 in the UK singles chart, the highest ranked single of his career.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=276}} Promoting the album, he made appearances on both '']'' and '']'',{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=283}} and gave his first television interview in 17 years on '']''; Morrissey was visibly uncomfortable with ]' questions.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=276–277}} 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".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=271}}
Morrissey has also been quoted as saying "If I am racist then the Pope is female. Which he isn't," and "If the ] were to hate anyone, it would be me. I would be top of the list." He qualified that by saying that far-right rage "is simply their anger at being ignored in what is supposed to be a democratic society."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~moz/quotes/glove.htm |title=IMAET interviews - Select, 1994 |year=1994 |publisher=Select |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20060427063108/http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~moz/quotes/glove.htm |archivedate=2006-04-27}}</ref> In the 2002 documentary, "The Importance of Being Morrissey", he posits the question, "Why on earth would I be racist? What would I be trying to achieve?" In the film, he also takes issue with those who fail to discern the subtlety of his supposedly racist lyrics, stating that "Not everybody is absolutely stupid."


]
In 1999 Morrissey commented on the rise of Austrian far-right politician ], stating "This is sad. Sometimes I don't believe we live in an intelligent world."<ref></ref> In 2004 he signed the explicitly anti-fascist ] statement,<ref></ref> and in 2008 he made a personal donation to the organisers of the ] concert in London after the withdrawal of a sponsor left the event facing a financial shortfall.<ref></ref>


To promote the album, Morrissey embarked on a world tour from April to November.<ref>{{cite web|author=David Tseng |url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news2004.html |title=Morrissey-solo News Archive—2004 |publisher=Morrissey-solo.com |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> He marked his 45th birthday with a concert at the ], supported by ];{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=267, 284–285}} it was recorded for release as the DVD '']''.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}}
In 2007 ''NME'' printed an interview with Morrissey where he was quoted as saying, "Britain's a terribly negative place. And it hammers people down and it pulls you back and it prevents you. Also, with the issue of immigration, it's very difficult because although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears." In the same article, he called racism "silly" and "beyond reason", and said he would be "pilloried" for his comments. <ref></ref> The interview was conducted by Tim Jonze. Jonze asked to have his name removed from the article, saying he was unhappy with how it had been "rewritten" by the ], but also stating he had found Morrissey's comments "offensive" and disapproved of them. <ref name="autogenerated1"></ref>
Morrissey was also invited to curate that year's ] festival at London's ]. Among the acts he secured were ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and playwright ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=267–268}} He had unsuccessfully attempted to secure appearances from ] and ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=267}} That year he also performed at several UK music festivals, including ], ], and ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=268}}


Morrissey's eighth studio album, '']'', 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.<ref name="chart_stats">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artists/|title=Morrissey|publisher=]|access-date=18 November 2008}}</ref><ref name="billboard_solo_albums">{{cite magazine|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=morrissey|chart=all}}|title=Artist Chart History—Morrissey: Albums|magazine=Billboard |access-date=18 November 2008}}</ref> The album yielded four singles: "]", "]", "]", and "]".{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} The album was produced by ]; Morrissey called the album "the most beautiful—perhaps the most gentle—so far". '']'' described the album as showcasing "a thicker, more rock-driven sound".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/60120/morrissey-rocks-revels-in-rome-on-new-album |title=Morrissey Rocks, Revels in Rome on New Album |magazine=Billboard |date=6 January 2006 |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref>
Morrissey's lawyers are now pressing legal action against ''NME'' for defamation, with the magazine declining to print a retraction or apology. <ref name="autogenerated1" /> Within days of issuing the writ against NME, Morrissey also released a detailed explanation of his side of the story via an online fanzine. The statement included a firmly worded rebuttal against the accusations of racism, a condemnation of racism itself and an exposition on his belief that NME's editor had deliberately staged and scandalised the outcome of the interview in an orchestrated attempt to boost the paper's "dwindling circulation". <ref></ref>In 2008, Word magazine was forced to apologise in court for an article by ] that accused Morrissey of being a racist and a hypocrite. <ref></ref>


] in 2006]]
In 2008, Morrissey donated £75,000 to support the ] festival in London's Victoria Park.<ref></ref>


In December 2007, Morrissey signed a new deal with ], which included a '']'' album and a new studio album.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7124463.stm |work=] |title=Morrissey switches record labels |date=3 December 2007 |access-date=13 May 2010}}</ref> ''Greatest Hits'' charted at number 5 in the UK album chart.<ref name="chart_stats" /> "]" was the first single from ''Greatest Hits'', reaching number 14 in the UK charts.<ref name="chart_stats" /> A second single from the album, "]", followed.
=== Animal rights ===
Morrissey has been ] since he was 11 years old. Morrissey explained his ] by saying "If you love animals, obviously it doesn't make sense to hurt them."<ref></ref> Morrissey is an advocate for ] and a supporter of ] (PETA). In recognition of his support, PETA honoured him with the ] Memorial Award at their 25th Anniversary Gala on September 10, 2005.<ref></ref>Morrissey has been known to wear ], stating in 1986 that "there is simply no sensible alternative" to leather shoes. He has also said "I find shoes difficult to be ethical about - one just can't seem to avoid leather. One is trapped, ultimately."<ref></ref> Morrissey notably named one of his songs "]", which shared its name with the album it was featured on. It was the second studio album (and third overall album) of ].


His ninth studio album, '']'', originally due in September, was postponed until February 2009, as a result of the death of producer ],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_080530_01 |title=New album information |publisher=True-to-you.net |date=30 May 2008 |access-date=13 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141210154921/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_080530_01 |archive-date=10 December 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and the lack of an American label to distribute the album.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=22221 |title=Morrissey, Punk Producer Jerry Finn Passes Away at 39 |work=All About Jazz |access-date=24 September 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109075924/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=22221 |archive-date=9 January 2009}}</ref> When released by the Universal Music Group, it reached number 3 in the UK Albums Chart<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/archive/official-albums-chart/|title=Years of Refusal|publisher=]|access-date=25 February 2009}}</ref> and 11 in the US ''Billboard'' 200.<ref>{{cite news |first=Keith |last=Caulfield |title='Slumdog' Barks While Taylor Swift Nets 10th Week at No. 1 |url=http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/charts/chart_alert/e3i03e9df1ef7d2112bf801391a4a8ba398 |magazine=Billboard |date=25 February 2009 |access-date=25 February 2009}}</ref> The record was widely acclaimed by critics,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/years-of-refusal/morrissey/critic-reviews |title=Morrissey: Years of Refusal (2009) |publisher=Metacritic |date=17 February 2009 |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> with comparisons made to ''Your Arsenal''<ref>{{cite web |first=Keith |last=Phillips |website=] |url=https://www.avclub.com/morrissey-years-of-refusal-1798205682 |title=Morrissey: Years of Refusal |date=17 February 2009 |access-date=8 March 2012}}</ref> and ''Vauxhall and I''.<ref name="ewing">{{cite web |first=Tom |last=Ewing |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/12640-years-of-refusal/ |work=Pitchfork |title=Years of Refusal |date=3 February 2009 |access-date=8 March 2012}}</ref> A review from ] 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".<ref name="ewing" /> "]" and "]" were released as the record's singles. The song "Black Cloud" features the guitar playing of ]. 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tour.morrissey-solo.com/ |title=Morrissey-solo: Tour |publisher=Tour.morrissey-solo.com |date=9 March 2010 |access-date=13 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100124032428/http://tour.morrissey-solo.com/ |archive-date=24 January 2010}}</ref>
In January 2006, Morrissey attracted criticism after stating he accepts the motives behind the militant tactics of the ], 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."<ref></ref>


In October 2009, '']'', a B-sides collection of material released between 2004 and 2009, was released.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_091026_01 |title=Swords: Album released today in the UK |publisher=True To You |date=26 October 2009 |access-date=13 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805102931/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_091026_01 |archive-date=5 August 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It peaked at 55 on the UK albums chart, and Morrissey later called it "a meek disaster".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_091216_01 |title=Statement from Morrissey to True-to-you |publisher=True To You |date=16 December 2009 |access-date=13 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612061931/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_091216_01 |archive-date=12 June 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> On the second date of the UK tour to promote ''Swords'', Morrissey collapsed onstage in ],<ref>{{cite news|author=James Orr |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/24/morrissey-the-smiths-collapse-swindon |title=Morrissey in hospital after on stage collapse |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=24 October 2009 |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> and was briefly hospitalised.<ref>{{cite news |author=Alexandra Topping |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/oct/25/morrissey-discharged-hospital-swindon |title=Morrissey out of hospital after collapsing on stage in Swindon |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date= 25 October 2009|access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> Following the ''Swords'' tour, Morrissey had fulfilled his contractual obligation to Universal Records and was without a record company.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_091104_01 |title=Record company information |publisher=True To You |date=4 November 2009 |access-date=13 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100805103026/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_091104_01 |archive-date=5 August 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Morrissey has criticised people who are involved in the promotion of eating meat, specifically ] and ] — the latter already targeted by some animal rights activists for her stance on ]. 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.” The ] MP ] criticised these comments, though his party leader ] is well known to be a Smiths fan.<ref></ref> On ], ], Morrissey released a statement that he would not include any concert dates in ] on his world tour that year — and that he supported a ] of all Canadian goods — in protest of the country's annual ], which he described as a "barbaric and cruel slaughter".<ref></ref>

=== Further studio albums and literary work: 2010–2019 ===
In April 2011, EMI issued a new compilation, '']'', for which the singer had chosen the track list and artwork.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/content/51-The-Very-Best-of-Morrissey-with-Bonus-DVD-Glamorous-Glue-single-with-previously-unreleased-songs-true-to-you.net-(Apr.-25)|title="The Very Best of Morrissey" with Bonus DVD; "Glamorous Glue" single with previously unreleased songs—true-to-you.net (25 Apr.)|publisher=Morrissey-Solo.com|date=22 February 2011 |access-date=7 March 2011}}</ref> In March 2011, Morrissey took Ron Laffitte as his manager.<ref name="true-to-you1">{{cite web|url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_110304_01|title=Morrissey to headline at Hop Farm Music Festival; Damien Dempsey looks likely to be added; Morrissey now managed by Ron Laffitte|publisher=True-To-You.net|date=4 March 2011|access-date=7 March 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110308184539/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_110304_01|archive-date=8 March 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> In June and July 2011, Morrissey played a UK tour;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/content/78-UK-tour-dates-confirmed-on-true-to-you.net?s=69c236316c9eaca88c171ca71961ac43|title=UK tour dates confirmed on true-to-you.net|publisher=Morrissey-solo.com|date=9 March 2011 |access-date=17 March 2011}}</ref> during his 2011 performance at ], Morrissey criticised UK Prime Minister ] for attempting to prevent a ban on wild animals performing in circuses, calling him a "silly twit".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2011/06/25/morrissey-glastonbury-u2-david-cameron |title=Morrissey Gets Mouthy at David Cameron and U2 at Glastonbury—Spinner UK |publisher=Spinnermusic.co.uk |date=25 June 2011 |access-date=11 August 2011 |archive-date=5 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805131659/http://www.spinnermusic.co.uk/2011/06/25/morrissey-glastonbury-u2-david-cameron |url-status=dead }}</ref> This was followed by several dates elsewhere in Europe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_events|title=European and European festival tour dates confirmed on true-to-you.net|publisher=True To You Net|date=26 May 2011|access-date=26 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525070330/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_events|archive-date=25 May 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://observer.com/2012/09/hang-on-to-your-friends-this-charming-man-morrissey-saves-woman-at-the-strand/|title=Hang on to Your Friends: This Charming Man, Morrissey, Saves Woman at the Strand|work=The New York Observer|date=26 September 2012}}</ref> Between January and March 2013, Morrissey toured 32 North American cities, beginning in Greenvale, New York and ending in Portland, Oregon.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nymn.com/morrissey-announces-rescheduled-tourdates-new-york-music-news/|publisher=New York Music News |date=16 August 2012 |title=Morrissey Announces Rescheduled TourDates | access-date=16 November 2012}}</ref> ] and her band were special guests at the ] concert in Los Angeles, and Kristeen Young opened on all nights.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/content/978-Morrissey-announces-rescheduled-tour-dates-including-additional-cities-TTY |title=Morrissey announces rescheduled tour dates including additional cities|date=11 November 2012 |publisher=Morrissey-solo.com |access-date=20 November 2012}}</ref>

]
In January 2013, Morrissey was diagnosed with a bleeding ulcer and several engagements were rescheduled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2013/02/morrissey-recovering-from-bleeding-ulcer-palladium-ballroom-concert-will-be-rescheduled.html/ |title=Morrissey recovering from bleeding ulcer |access-date=14 February 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130212061646/http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2013/02/morrissey-recovering-from-bleeding-ulcer-palladium-ballroom-concert-will-be-rescheduled.html/ |archive-date=12 February 2013}}</ref> On 7 March, Morrissey was hospitalised again, this time with pneumonia in both lungs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130310_01 |date=10 March 2013 |title=U.S. tour 10 March 2013 |publisher=Truetoyou |access-date=22 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318022750/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130310_01 |archive-date=18 March 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> One week later, the rest of the tour was cancelled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130316_01 |date=16 March 2013 |title=U.S. tour 16 March 2013 |publisher=Truetoyou |access-date=22 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319070417/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130316_01 |archive-date=19 March 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> During his rehabilitation he spent time in Ireland, where he watched ] play a match against ] in the company of his cousin ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.joe.ie/football/football-news/picture-robbie-keane-brought-cousin-morrissey-along-to-the-aviva-this-evening-0035863-1 |date=26 March 2013 |title=Robbie Keane brought cousin Morrissey along to the Aviva this evening |publisher=JOE.ie |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.breakingnews.ie/discover/heaven-knows-were-miserable-now-589323.html |date=27 March 2013 |title=Heaven Knows We're Miserable Now |publisher=Breaking News |access-date=27 March 2013}}</ref>

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.<ref name="True">{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130205_01 |title=Press release: The Last Of The Famous International Playboys: Special Edition single; Kill Uncle: Album remastered |publisher=True to You |date=5 February 2013 |access-date=7 February 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130208014039/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130205_01 |archive-date=8 February 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Starting in June, Morrissey performed in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130330_01 |date=30 March 2013 |title=June and July |publisher=Truetoyou |access-date=22 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130423162715/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130330_01 |archive-date=23 April 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In August, Morrissey's concert at Hollywood High School on 2 March 2013, had a worldwide cinema release.{{clarify|date=June 2019}} ] marks Morrissey's 25th year as a solo artist, and was the first authorised live Morrissey DVD in nine years.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130622_02 |date=30 March 2013 |title=June and July |publisher=Truetoyou |access-date=22 April 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130701022332/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_130622_02 |archive-date=1 July 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-23403035 |title=Morrissey cancels South America tour |work=BBC News |date=22 July 2013 |access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref>

In October 2013, Morrissey's autobiography, titled '']'', was released after a "content dispute" had delayed it from the initial release date of 16 September 2013.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nme.com/news/morrissey/72641 | title=Morrissey autobiography pulled at last minute following 'content disagreement' | work=NME | access-date=16 September 2013| date=13 September 2013 }}</ref> The book's release caused controversy as it was published as a "contemporary classic" under the ] label at Morrissey's request, which some critics felt devalued the Penguin Classics label.<ref>{{cite news |work=Reuters |title=Morrissey's 'Autobiography' a classic before it's even been read |last=Sandle |first=Paul |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-morrissey-autobiography-idUKBRE99F0Q720131016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306162322/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-morrissey-autobiography-idUKBRE99F0Q720131016 |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 March 2016 |date=16 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Smiths bidding war hinges on 'classic' status |last=Sherwin |first=Adam |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/smiths-bidding-war-hinges-on-classic-status-2272620.html |newspaper=] |date=22 April 2011 |access-date=29 December 2011 |location=London}}</ref> Morrissey had completed the 660-page book in 2011,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010dqgd |title="Front Row" BBC Radio Four, London 20 April 2011 |publisher=BBC |access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref> before shopping it to publishers such as ]<ref>{{cite news |title=Penguin Books: 'Morrissey's autobiography is a classic in the making' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/morrissey/56282 |work=NME |date=22 April 2011 |access-date=29 December 2011}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite news |title=Faber editor bids to woo Morrissey to 'the House of Eliot' |last=Flood |first=Alison |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/feb/02/faber-editor-morrissey |newspaper=The Guardian |date=2 February 2010 |access-date=29 December 2011 |location=London}}</ref> The book received divergent reviews: '']'' giving it a five-star review that described it as "the best written musical autobiography since ]'s ]", while '']'' criticised the book's "droning ]" as well as its status as a Penguin Classic.<ref>{{cite news |work=The Independent |location=London |title=Autobiography by Morrissey—Droning narcissism and the whine of self-pity |date=17 October 2013 |access-date=17 October 2013 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/book-review-autobiography-by-morrissey--droning-narcissism-and-the-whine-of-selfpity-8887301.html}}</ref> The book entered the UK book charts at number 1, nearly 35,000 copies being sold in its first week.<ref>{{cite news |author=Bury, Liz |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/23/morrissey-autobiography-first-week-sales-record |title=Morrissey Autobiography breaks first-week sales records |newspaper=] |location=London |access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> In December, a 2011 live cover version of ]'s "]", was released as a single.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/morrissey-to-release-cover-of-lou-reeds-satellite-of-love-20131111|title=Morrissey to release cover of Lou Reed|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=19 September 2014|date=11 November 2013}}</ref>

In January 2014, Morrissey signed a two-record deal with ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_140115_01|title=Morrissey has signed a two-album deal with Capitol Music|access-date=19 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012021211/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_140115_01|archive-date=12 October 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> His tenth studio album, '']'', was released in July.<ref name="Nancy">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/55173-morrissey-shares-nancy-sinatra-featuring-video-for-world-peace-is-none-of-your-business/ |title=Morrissey Shares Nancy Sinatra-Featuring Video for "World Peace Is None of Your Business" |work=Pitchfork |date=12 May 2014 |access-date=4 June 2014}}</ref> Prior to its release, he embarked on a US tour in May,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/53611-morrissey-announces-us-tour/ |title=Morrissey Announces U.S. Tour |work=Pitchfork |date=13 February 2014 |access-date=4 June 2014}}</ref> but was hospitalised in Boston in early June, cancelling the remaining nine tour dates.<ref>{{cite web |first=Molly |last=Beauchemin |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/55534-morrissey-cancels-the-remainder-of-us-tour/ |title=Morrissey Cancels Remainder of US Tour |work=Pitchfork |date=10 June 2014 |access-date=11 June 2014 |archive-date=12 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140612093222/http://pitchfork.com/news/55534-morrissey-cancels-the-remainder-of-us-tour/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> 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 ] at ].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/rock/6523980/morrissey-us-tour-2015-dates-blondie-amanda-palmer|date=3 April 2015|title=Morrissey 'Announces 2015 U.S. Tour Dates With Two Special Guests'|magazine=]|access-date=4 April 2015}}</ref> In July 2015, he publicly claimed that an airport security guard had groped him at ]. He filed a sexual assault complaint; the ] found no supporting evidence to act on the allegation.<ref name="King" /> In August, Capitol Music and Harvest Records ended their contracts with Morrissey.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Morrissey Dropped by Record Label |author=Miriam Coleman |date=10 August 2014 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/morrissey-dropped-by-record-label-20140810 |magazine=Rolling Stone |access-date=10 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150116084939/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/morrissey-dropped-by-record-label-20140810 |archive-date=16 January 2015 }}</ref> In October, he disclosed he had received treatment for ].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29524966 |date=7 October 2014 |title=Morrissey 'reveals cancer treatment' |access-date=7 October 2014 |publisher=BBC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011071504/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-29524966 |archive-date=11 October 2014 }}</ref><ref name="King" />

] in March 2018]]

In September 2015, ] published Morrissey's first novel, '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/60952-morrissey-reveals-novel-list-of-the-lost-cover-and-release-date/|date=26 August 2015|last=Camp|first=Zoe|title=Morrissey Reveals Novel List of the Lost Cover and Release Date|work=Pitchfork|access-date=26 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6671248/morrissey-to-release-first-novel-next-month|date=26 August 2015|last=Brandle|first=Lars|title=Morrissey to Release First Novel Next Month|magazine=Billboard|access-date=26 August 2015}}</ref>

In November 2017, his eleventh studio album, '']'', was released through ] and Morrissey's own Etienne record label.<ref name="lowhs">{{cite magazine|last1=Leight|first1=Elias|title=Morrissey Announces New Album 'Low in High School'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/morrissey-announces-new-album-low-in-high-school-w498857|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=22 August 2017|date=22 August 2017}}</ref> That same month, Morrissey attracted press attention and criticism for comments made in an interview with '']'': 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",<ref name="spiegel" /><ref name="spiegelaudio" /><ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.telegraaf.nl/entertainment/1306809/morrissey-angela-merkel-verwoest-de-duitse-identiteit|title =Morrissey: Angela Merkel verwoest de Duitse identiteit|author =Staff writer(s)|website =De Telegraaf|date =20 November 2017|language =nl}}</ref> and that some individuals claiming victimhood as part of the ] were not genuine victims of sexual assault but were "simply disappointed".<ref name="spiegel" /><ref name="Hollywood Reporter">{{cite magazine |first=Scott |last=Roxbrough |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/morrissey-defends-kevin-spacey-harvey-weinstein-1060172 |title=Morrissey Defends Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein |magazine=] |location=Los Angeles |date=20 November 2017 |access-date=10 December 2018}}</ref> Morrissey accused ''Der Spiegel'' of misquoting him and said it would be his last print interview.<ref>{{cite web |first=James |last=Rettig |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1975045/morrissey-shares-statement-saying-der-spiegel-misquoted-him-about-kevin-spacey-donald-trump/news/ |title=Morrissey Shares Statement Saying Der Spiegel Misquoted Him About Kevin Spacey, Donald Trump |website=] |publisher=Valence Media |location=Beverley Hills, CA |date=11 December 2017 |access-date=11 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/morrissey-print-interview-kevin-spacey-morrissey-sexual-abuse-victims-assault-hollywood-album-a8079446.html |title=Morrissey says he will never do another print interview after Weinstein and Spacey remarks |first=Roisin |last=O'Connor |website=The Independent |date=28 November 2017}}</ref> He played two shows at Los Angeles' ] in November.<ref>{{cite web |first=Matt |last=Fernandez|url=https://variety.com/2017/music/news/morrissey-hollywood-bowl-freeway-sign-announces-new-show-1202539330/ |title=Morrissey's Name Added to L.A. Freeway Sign After Announcement of Hollywood Bowl Concert |work=Variety |access-date=11 September 2017 |date=25 August 2017}}</ref> Morrissey's first UK tour since 2015 began in Aberdeen and concluded in London.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-announces-massive-uk-tour-2018-2153888 |title=Tickets to Morrissey's 2018 UK tour on sale now |date=3 November 2017 |work=NME |access-date=9 November 2017}}</ref>

In November 2018, Morrissey released a cover of ]' "]",<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Grow |first1=Kory |title=Morrissey Covers the Pretenders' 'Back on the Chain Gang,' Talks 'Pop Classic' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/morrissey-pretenders-back-on-the-chain-gang-cover-748605/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=1 November 2018 |access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref> performing it on '']''.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Brooke|last=Bajgrowicz|magazine=Billboard|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/television/8483907/late-late-show-morrissey-back-on-the-chain-gang-pretenders-watch|date=7 November 2018|title=Morrissey Pumps Up 'Late Late Show' With Lively Rendition of Pretenders' 'Back on the Chain Gang': Watch|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref> In May 2019, Morrissey played a seven-night residency at the ] on ],<ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.forbes.com/sites/leeseymour/2019/05/13/morrissey-follows-springsteen-to-broadway-box-office-lucre/|title =Morrissey Follows Springsteen To Broadway Box Office Lucre|first =Lee|last =Seymour|website =Forbes|date =13 May 2019}}</ref> prior to the release of his twelfth studio album, a ] titled '' ]''.

=== Two more studio albums, unreleased album and ''Without Music the World Dies'': 2020–present ===
]
Morrissey released an 11-track album '']'' in late March 2020. The lead single, "Bobby, Don't You Think They Know?" featuring ] soul singer ], was also made available on streaming sites.<ref name="dog">{{Cite web |title=Morrissey announces new album 'I Am Not a Dog on a Chain' |url=https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Music/2020/01/10/Morrissey-announces-new-album-I-Am-Not-a-Dog-on-a-Chain/3321578669306/ |access-date=10 January 2020 |work=United Press International |language=en}}</ref>

In November 2020, Morrissey's deal with BMG expired and was not renewed.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last1=Grow|first1=Kory|date=17 November 2020|title=Morrissey Is Splitting From His Record Label With 'Galvanic Horror'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/pro/news/morrissey-bmg-split-1091192/|access-date=25 November 2020|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US}}</ref> Morrissey completed a ] residency in July 2022 titled "Viva Moz Vegas" for the second year in a row.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Young |first1=Alex |title=Morrissey Announces Las Vegas Residency |url=https://consequence.net/2022/03/morrissey-las-vegas-residency/ |publisher=consequence.net|date=21 March 2022|access-date=18 May 2022}}</ref> He completed tour dates in the UK and Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thestar.co.uk/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/morrissey-announces-full-uk-2022-tour-including-south-yorkshire-concert-date-3726998|title=Morrissey announces full UK 2022 tour – including South Yorkshire concert date|date=11 June 2022 |publisher=Thestar.co.uk|access-date=14 July 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hotpress.com/culture/tickets-go-on-sale-for-morrisseys-only-irish-show-of-the-year-tomorrow-22913094|title=Morrissey's only Irish show of the year |work=Hot Press |access-date=14 July 2022}}</ref>

On 29 October 2022, it was announced that Morrissey would be releasing his fourteenth solo album '']'' in February 2023 on ] in the US, although he did not sign with a label for a UK release.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richards |first=Will |date=30 October 2022 |title=Morrissey's new album 'Bonfire Of Teenagers' to feature Miley Cyrus, Iggy Pop, Flea and more |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrisseys-new-album-bonfire-of-teenagers-to-feature-miley-cyrus-iggy-pop-flea-and-more-3338982 |access-date=10 November 2022 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref> The album has eleven songs produced by ] and features ] members ] and ] alongside their former bandmate ]. Guests also included singers ] and ] who contributed backing vocals.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Young |first=Alex |date=30 October 2022 |title=Morrissey announces new album Bonfire of Teenagers, and it's loaded with A-list adults |url=https://consequence.net/2022/10/morrissey-bonfire-of-teenagers-album/ |access-date=10 November 2022 |website=Consequence |language=en-US}}</ref> In addition, Capitol planned to re-issue several of Morrissey's albums released between 1995 and 2014, with the exception of ''Maladjusted''.<ref name="Release">{{cite web|url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/release|title=Release|date=29 October 2022|access-date=29 October 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/bonfire-unlit|title=Bonfire Unlit|date=14 November 2022|access-date=17 November 2022}}</ref>

On 25 November 2022, the album's lead single, "Rebels Without Applause", was released by Capitol Records worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/rebels-without-applause|title=Rebels Without Applause|date=25 November 2022|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref> On 23 and 24 December, Morrissey announced that he had voluntarily parted ways with his current management companies, ] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/roll-on-2023|title=Roll on 2023|date=23 December 2022|access-date=25 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/371780-miley-is-a-punk-rocker|title=Miley Is a Punk Rocker|date=24 December 2022|access-date=25 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=25 December 2022 |title=Morrissey Says Miley Cyrus Wants Off His Next Album, and He's Split With Label and Management, Too |url=https://variety.com/2022/music/news/morrissey-miley-cyrus-wants-off-album-split-label-capitol-1235472792/ |access-date=26 December 2022 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=24 December 2022 |title=Morrissey Album Likely Delayed Again as Miley Cyrus Wants Guest Spot Taken Off |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/morrissey-album-delayed-miley-cyrus-capitol-records-split-1234652851/ |access-date=26 December 2022 |magazine=Rolling Stone |language=en-US}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wilkes |first=Emma |date=7 February 2023 |title=Morrissey is 'quickly coming around to that belief' that Capitol is "sabotaging" his new album |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-is-quickly-coming-around-to-that-belief-that-capitol-is-sabotaging-his-new-album-3394087 |access-date=7 February 2023 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref>

On 8 December 2022, Morrissey announced that in January and February 2023, he would record a new album, titled '']''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/morrissey-2023|title=Morrissey 2023|date=8 December 2022|access-date=15 December 2022}}</ref> On 20 February 2023, he announced the album had been completed and unveiled its tracklist, before offering the album to any record labels or ] who would be willing to distribute it.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Richards |first=Will |date=21 February 2023 |title=Morrissey has recorded a new album called 'Without Music The World Dies' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-has-recorded-a-new-album-called-without-music-the-world-dies-3401844 |access-date=21 February 2023 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2024, "Interlude", Morrissey's duet with Siouxsie, was re-released on 12-inch gold vinyl for ] on 20 April 2024; it was available in the UK and other parts of Europe only.<ref>{{cite web |title="Interlude" RSD 1994- UK |url=https://www.recordstoreday.co.uk/record/Interlude |publisher=Recordstoreday.co.uk |access-date=3 March 2024 |archive-date=20 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420123251/https://recordstoreday.co.uk/record/Interlude |url-status=dead }}<br />{{cite web |title="Interlude" Reissue 2024 |url=https://www.disquaireday.fr/produit/morrissey-siouxsie-interlude/ |website=disquaireday.fr |access-date=3 March 2024 |archive-date=3 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240303021308/https://www.disquaireday.fr/produit/morrissey-siouxsie-interlude/ |url-status=dead }}<br />{{cite web |title=Record Store Day Germany 2024 - Releases |url=https://www.recordstoredaygermany.de/exklusive-releases/releases-2024/ |website=Recordstoredaygermany.de |access-date=3 March 2024 }}</ref>

In August 2024, Morrissey claimed in a post on his website that he and Marr had received a "lucrative offer" to tour as the Smiths in 2025.<ref name="moz central 2024">{{cite web |last1=Morrissey |title=WAR IS OLD, ART IS YOUNG |url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/war-is-old-art-is-young |website=Morrissey Central |access-date=2 September 2024}}</ref> The singer claims he accepted the invitation, but Marr did not respond. Marr did not publicly comment, but had then-recently posted a picture of right wing British politician ] to rebuke calls to reunite in the aftermath of ]'s reunion. Marr previously claimed in 2016 that Morrissey's politics aligned with Farage's, joking that any potential Smiths reunion would feature the politician as their replacement guitarist.<ref name="bbc reunion 2024">{{cite web |last1=Long |first1=Chris |title=Morrissey claims Johnny Marr 'ignored' 2025 Smiths reunion offer |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp352111wyxo |website=] |access-date=2 September 2024}}</ref>

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".<ref>{{cite web | title=MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY | website=MORRISSEY CENTRAL | date=16 September 2024 | url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/the-plot-thickens | access-date=22 September 2024}}</ref> 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.<ref name="Marr Variety">{{cite web|last=Aswad|first=Jem|title=Johnny Marr Responds to Morrissey's Claims About Smiths Reunion Tour, Name Ownership: 'It Was Left to Me to Protect the Legacy'|work=Variety|date=17 September 2024|url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/smiths-johnny-marr-responds-to-morrissey-reunion-tour-1236147686/|access-date=22 September 2024}}</ref>

== Artistry ==
=== Lyrics ===

] 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".{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=10, 11}} Music journalist and biographer ] stated that Morrissey's œuvre seems based on "endlessly re-examining a lost, painful past".{{sfn|Rogan|1992|p=15}} Morrissey's lyrics have been described as "dramatic, bleak, funny ] about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home".<ref name="gatti">{{cite news|author=Gatti, Tom |url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article1080659.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080708224920/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article1080659.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 July 2008 |title=Morrissey: the musical |newspaper=] |date=25 June 2005 |access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> According to Mark Simpson, there is a common feeling that his music's emphasis on the sadness of life is depressing.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=127}}

]

His lyrics are characterised by their usage of black humour, self-deprecation, and the pop vernacular.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=48–49}}
Many of his lyrics avoid mentioning the gender of the narrator, and thus provide both male and female listeners with multiple points of identification.{{sfnm|1a1=Stringer|1y=1992|1p=24|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=61}} Simpson felt that his lyrics often highlighted "the essential absurdity of gender".{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=103}} Discussing the Smiths' lyrics in 1992, Stringer highlighted that they placed great emphasis on the concept of Englishness, but added that unlike the contemporary ] and ] movements, they focused on white England rather than exploring its multi-cultural counterpart.{{sfn|Stringer|1992|p=20}} 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".{{sfn|Stringer|1992|p=20}}

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.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=99}} 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.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=10–101}} 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".{{sfn|Stringer|1992|p=22}}
Male homoerotic elements can be found in many of the Smiths' lyrics,{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=106}} but these also included sexualised descriptions featuring women.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=107–208}}

Morrissey has described having "a macabre fascination" with violence.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=232}} 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 ] in both "Ask" and "Everyday is Like Sunday".{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=131}} More broadly, Morrissey had a longstanding interest in thuggery, whether that be murderers, gangsters, rough trade, or skinheads.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=226}}

=== Performance style ===
]

Morrissey's vocals have been cited as having a particularly distinctive quality.{{sfnm|1a1=Stringer|1y=1992|1p=20|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=48}} 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 ].{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=49–50}} In this he was strongly influenced by the Northern singer ], who had a successful career as a pop music singer in the 1960s,{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=50}} as well as ], who similarly earned fame during that decade.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=50}} Other female singers from that decade who have been cited as an influence on Morrissey have been the Scottish ],{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=50}} and the Essexer ].{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=52–53}} 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".{{sfn|Stringer|1992|p=19}} He is also noted for his unusual ] vocal style (though he sometimes uses ]).<ref name="greatestsingers">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-19691231/morrissey-20101202 |title=The 100 Greatest Singers of All Time—92: Morrissey |magazine=] |date=3 December 2010 |access-date=20 September 2014}}</ref>

When performing onstage, he often whips his microphone cord about, particularly during his up-tempo tracks.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=3|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=131}} 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".{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=132}} 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".{{sfn|Rogan|1992|p=15}}

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 ] concert as part of the ''Your Arsenal'' tour he stopped his performance to rebuke bouncers for hitting fans.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=193–194}}

On 12 November 2022, while playing a live show in Los Angeles at the ], he finished the set just after 9 songs and left without notice, upsetting many fans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garvey |first=Marianne |date=15 November 2022 |title=Morrissey upsets crowd after ending concert 30 minutes in |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/15/entertainment/morrissey-concert-ends-abrupt-music/index.html |access-date=16 November 2022 |publisher=CNN |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 November 2022 |title=Fans upset after Morrissey cancels Los Angeles show after just 30 minutes |url=https://ktla.com/entertainment/morrissey-cancels-l-a-show-after-30-minutes-fans-are-left-upset/ |access-date=16 November 2022 |publisher=KTLA |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Personal life ==
Throughout his career, Morrissey has retained an intensely private personal life.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=vii}} A longtime resident of Los Angeles in the US, he also has homes in Italy, Switzerland, and the UK.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/03/morrissey-simon-armitage-interview |title=Morrissey interview: Big mouth strikes again |author=Simon Armitage |newspaper=The Guardian |date=3 September 2010 |access-date=17 February 2013 |location=London|author-link=Simon Armitage }}</ref> In 2017, Los Angeles declared 10 November "Morrissey Day".<ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-entertainment-news-updates-morrissey-day-in-l-a-on-nov-10-1510182992-htmlstory.html|title =L.A. declares Friday 'Morrissey Day' timed to singer's Hollywood Bowl shows|first =Randy|last =Lewis|website =Los Angeles Times|date =9 November 2017}}</ref> Friends refer to him as "Morrissey",{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=263}} and he dislikes the nickname "Moz", telling one interviewer that "it's like something you'd squirt on the kitchen floor".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=263}} His mother, Elizabeth Anne Dwyer, died in August 2020 at the age of 82 from ].<ref>{{cite web |title=Singer Morrisey, Devastated by the Loss of His Influential Mom, Claims Doctors Missed Her Cancer After Three Separate Exams |newspaper=survivornet |date=24 August 2020 |access-date=9 July 2021 |url=https://www.survivornet.com/articles/singer-morrisey-devastated-by-the-loss-of-his-influential-mom-claims-doctors-missed-her-cancer-after-three-separate-exams/}}</ref>

Morrissey has described himself a ]{{sfn|Woods|2007|p=6}} and has criticised the ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=250}} In 1991, he said that he believed in an ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=128}} Morrissey is a cousin of Irish footballer ] and once said, "To watch on the pitch—pacing like a lion, as weightless as an astronaut, is pure therapy."<ref>{{cite news |first=Luke |last=Byrne |url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/heaven-knows-im-happy-now-says-robbies-cousin-morrissey-29087104.html |title=Heaven knows I'm happy now, says Robbie's cousin Morrissey |newspaper=Irish Independent |date=22 February 2013 |access-date=22 February 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Robbie Keane: Profile |url=http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/7832/robbie-keane?cc=5739 |publisher=ESPN |access-date=19 October 2013}}</ref> He is also a fan of boxing.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=122}} Morrissey has described having clinical depression, for which he has pursued professional help.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=195}}

=== 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".{{sfn|Stringer|1992|p=16}} 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".{{sfn|Stringer|1992|p=17}} Similarly, Morrissey biographer ] described him as being "quintessentially English",{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=vii}} while Mark Simpson termed him a ].{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=147}} Morrissey is known for his criticism of the British music press, royalty, politicians and people who eat meat.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=117}} According to Bret, his "withering attacks" on those he disliked are typically delivered in a "laid-back" manner.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=116}}

During the 1980s, interviewer ] stated that Morrissey "sets out to be a decent man and he succeeds because that is what he is".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=118}} Eddie Sanderson, who interviewed Morrissey for '']'' 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".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=183}} Having photographed him in 2004, Mischa Richter described Morrissey as "genuinely lovely".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=266}}

=== Animal rights advocacy ===
A vocal advocate of ] and ] issues,{{sfn|Woods|2007|p=6}} Morrissey has been a vegetarian since the age of 11.<ref>{{cite web|title=Morrissey Interview|url=http://www.peta2.com/heroes/morrissey-interview/|publisher=Peta2.com|access-date=10 November 2013|date=21 July 2011}}</ref> He has explained his vegetarianism by saying that "if you love animals, obviously it doesn't make sense to hurt them".<ref>{{cite web|last=Tennis |first=Cary |url=http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2002/10/21/peta/?sid=1116215 |title="Cut class, not frogs"—|work=Salon.com |date=21 October 2002 |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> Morrissey announced in 2015 that he is a ]. He spoke of difficulties transitioning from vegetarianism to veganism.<ref>{{cite news|url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/artists/rocks-vegan-fundamentalist-morrissey-ahead-time/|title =Rock's vegan fundamentalist: why Morrissey was ahead of his time|first =Adam|last =White|newspaper =The Telegraph|date =10 January 2019}}</ref> In a 2018 interview, Morrissey stated that he "refuse 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/blogs/it-could-increase-stress-and-aggression-we-asked-a-dietician-to-assess-morrisseys-weird-diet-2334520|title=We asked a dietician to assess Morrissey's weird diet. She said "it could increase stress and aggression..."|author=Jordan Bassett|website=]|date=7 June 2018}}</ref>

Morrissey is a supporter of ] (PETA). In recognition of his support, PETA honoured him with the ] Memorial Award at their 25th Anniversary Gala on 10 September 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.peta25.com/gala-morrissey.asp?c=00m |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060405155735/http://www.peta25.com/gala-morrissey.asp?c=00m |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 April 2006 |title=PETA 25th Anniversary Gala |publisher=PETA25.com |access-date=13 August 2010 }}</ref> He appeared in a PETA advert in 2012, encouraging people to have their dogs and cats ] to help reduce the number of homeless pets.<ref>Amy Jamieson, "", ''People'' (peoplepets.com), 24 July 2012.</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Cartoon That Broke Morrissey's Heart|url=http://www.peta.org/features/morrissey-opening-act/|website=PETA|date=13 May 2014}}</ref>

In January 2006, Morrissey attracted criticism when he stated that he accepts the motives behind the militant tactics of the ], 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."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/questions_with_answers_from_morrissey |title=View questions and answers |publisher=True To You |access-date=13 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626114539/http://true-to-you.net/questions_with_answers_from_morrissey |archive-date=26 June 2010}}</ref> He has criticised people who are involved in the promotion of eating meat, including ]<ref>{{cite web|title=Message from Morrissey|url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_101204_01|website=True-to-you.net|access-date=19 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120615041823/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_101204_01|archive-date=15 June 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite web|title=Questions answered|url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_060104_01|website=True-to-you.net|access-date=19 June 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120716191758/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_060104_01|archive-date=16 July 2012}}</ref> The latter had already been targeted by some animal rights activists for her stance on ]. 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."<ref>{{cite news|title=Morrissey supports animal rights violence|url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/sitesearch.do?querystring=morrissey+dickson&p=tto&pf=all&bl=on|access-date=19 June 2012|newspaper=The Sunday Times|date=15 January 2006}}</ref> Conservative MP ] criticised Morrissey's comments, saying that "any incitement to violence is obviously wrong in a civilised society and should be investigated by the police".<ref>{{Cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article788698.ece | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604123411/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article788698.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=4 June 2011 |newspaper=] |location=London | title=Morrissey supports animal rights violence | first=Jason | last=Allardyce | date=15 January 2006 | access-date=13 May 2010}}</ref> Morrissey has also criticised the ] for their involvement in fox hunting.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=117}}

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 ], which he described as a "barbaric and cruel slaughter".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_060327_02 |title=Statement from Morrissey |publisher=True To You |date=27 March 2006 |access-date=13 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100810175434/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_060327_02 |archive-date=10 August 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/207973-canada|title=Messages from Morrissey: Canada|website=Morrissey Central|date=20 September 2018|access-date=24 November 2018}}</ref>

During an interview with ] in 2010, Morrissey said that "you can't help but feel that the Chinese are a subspecies" due to their "horrific" ].<ref>{{cite web|url =https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-239-1302485|title =Morrissey: 'The Chinese are a subspecies'|first =Jamie|last =Fullerton|website =NME|date =4 September 2010}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web|url =http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/morrissey-chinese-people-subspecies-lack-animal-protection-laws-article-1.442501|title =Morrissey: Chinese people are 'a subspecies' for their lack of animal-protection laws|first =Anthony|last =Benigno|website =Daily News|location=New York|date =7 September 2010}}</ref>

At a concert in ] on 24 July 2011, Morrissey stated, "We all live in a murderous world, as the events in Norway have shown, with 97 {{sic}} dead. Though that is nothing compared to what happens in ] and ] every day."<ref name="Morrissey compares Norway to Fast Food Industry">{{cite web | url=http://www.upvenue.com/article/1435-morissey-norway-nothing-compared-to-fast-food-industry.html | title=Morrissey: Norway 'Nothing' Compared to Fast Food Industry | date=28 July 2011 | access-date=28 July 2011 | work=UpVenue | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127120044/http://www.upvenue.com/article/1435-morissey-norway-nothing-compared-to-fast-food-industry.html | archive-date=27 November 2011 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> His comments, referencing the ] that resulted in the killing of 77 people, were described as crude and insensitive by ''NME''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-227-1278559|work=NME |date=28 July 2011 |title=NME.COM users react angrily to Morrissey's 'sickening' comments on Norway tragedy|access-date=28 July 2011}}</ref> 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 ']'."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/43367-morrissey-elaborates-on-norway-comments/ |work=Pitchfork |date=29 July 2011 |title= Morrissey Elaborates on Norway Comments |access-date=1 August 2012}}</ref>

In February 2013, after much speculation,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Staples Center in Los Angeles Is Not Actually Going All Vegetarian for Morrissey|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/49640-the-staples-center-in-los-angeles-is-not-actually-going-all-vegetarian-for-morrissey/|publisher=PitchforkMedia|access-date=21 February 2013|author=Jenn Pelly|author2=Amy Phillips|date=20 February 2013}}</ref> it was reported that the ] 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 ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Pelly|first=Jenn|title=Morrissey Reponds: No, The Staples Center Really Will Be Meat-Free for His Show|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/49654-morrissey-reponds-no-the-staples-center-really-will-be-meat-free-for-his-show/|work=Pitchfork|access-date=21 February 2013|date=21 February 2013|archive-date=24 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130224045324/http://pitchfork.com/news/49654-morrissey-reponds-no-the-staples-center-really-will-be-meat-free-for-his-show/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Minsker|first=Evan|title=Staples Center in Los Angeles to Go All Vegetarian for Morrissey Concert|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/49611-staples-center-in-los-angeles-to-go-vegetarian-for-morrissey-concert/|publisher=PitchforkMedia|access-date=21 February 2013|date=18 February 2013|archive-date=20 February 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130220195855/http://pitchfork.com/news/49611-staples-center-in-los-angeles-to-go-vegetarian-for-morrissey-concert/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite these reports, the Staples Center retained some meat vendors while closing down McDonald's.<ref>{{cite news|title=Staples Center Wasn't 100% Vegetarian for Last Night's Morrissey Concert|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/49755-staples-center-wasnt-100-vegetarian-for-last-nights-morrissey-concert/|access-date=8 March 2013|newspaper=PitchforkMedia|date=2 March 2013}}</ref> Later in February, Morrissey cancelled an appearance on '']'' after learning that the guests for that night also included the cast of '']'', a reality show about a family who create duck calls for use in hunting. Morrissey referred to them as "animal serial killers".<ref>{{cite news |title=Jimmy Kimmel Responds to Morrissey's 'Duck Dynasty' Boycott in Monologue |date=27 February 2013 |first=Kimberly |last=Nordyke |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jimmy-kimmel-responds-morrisseys-duck-425046 |access-date=28 March 2013}}</ref>

In 2014, Morrissey stated that he believed there is "no difference between eating animals and paedophilia. They are both rape, violence, murder."<ref>{{cite news |title=Morrissey compares eating meat to pedophilia, calls it 'rape, violence, murder' |date=6 January 2014 |publisher=Fox News|url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/morrissey-compares-eating-meat-to-pedophilia-calls-it-rape-violence-murder/ |access-date=7 January 2014}}</ref> In September 2015, he expressed his revulsion at the "]" scandal, saying that if Prime Minister ] 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".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://radio.com/2015/09/21/morrissey-peta-prime-minister/ |title=Morrissey and PETA Call for Resignation of British Prime Minister |access-date=22 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150922113207/http://radio.com/2015/09/21/morrissey-peta-prime-minister/ |archive-date=22 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="inquisitr">{{cite web|url=https://www.inquisitr.com/2437924/morrissey-blasts-david-cameron-pig-gate-sex-scandal-no-boys-wont-be-boys/|title=Morrissey Blasts David Cameron Pig Gate Sex Scandal: 'No, Boys Won't Be Boys'|website=Inquisitr.com|date=21 September 2015|access-date=24 May 2019}}</ref> Also in September, he called Australian politician ]'s campaign to cull 2 million invasive cats "idiocy", describing the cats as smaller versions of ].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/sep/02/morrissey-attacks-australian-plan-to-cull-2-million-feral-cats|title=Morrissey attacks Australian plan to cull two million feral cats|last=Milman|first=Oliver|date=1 September 2015|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=6 June 2017|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Morrissey came under controversy in 2019 when he banned all meat products from a venue he was performing at in ]. Musicians Josh A and ] called out Morrissey and criticised the ban, cancelling their show in protest.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Clarke |first=Patrick |date=29 October 2019 |title="I'm not bowing down to this fuckhead" - Rapper Jake Hill cancels show in protest over Morrissey's meat ban at the venue |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/rapper-jake-hill-cancels-show-in-protest-over-morrisseys-meat-ban-at-the-venue-2562362 |access-date=28 August 2023 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |date=30 October 2019 |title=Alabama rapper Jake Hill cancels show due to Morrissey's venue-wide meat ban |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/alabama-rapper-jake-hill-cancels-show-due-to-morrisseys-venue-wide-meat-ban/ |access-date=28 August 2023 |website=BrooklynVegan |language=en-US}}</ref> The duo eventually released a ] on him in October 2019, titled ''Lowlife''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EH6n9PNyyBY|title=Jake Hill & Josh A - Lowlife|date=30 October 2019 |via=YouTube}}</ref>


=== Sexuality === === Sexuality ===
]]]
Morrissey's sexuality has been a matter of debate, and this has been fuelled by many conflicting statements from the singer, in none of which he has explicitly stated his sexual orientation. ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' argues that he created a "compellingly conflicted persona (loudly proclaimed celibacy offset by coy hints of closeted homosexuality)" which " made him a peculiar heartthrob". <ref></ref> "Morrissey has always taken great pains to maintain the ‘undecidable’ nature of his sexuality." In 1983 he claimed to be "a kind of prophet for the fourth sex", on the grounds that he was "bored with men and ...bored with women." In 1984, he stated that he refused "to recognise the terms hetero-, bi-, and homo-sexual" because "everybody has exactly the same sexual needs." <ref name="autogenerated2"> http://www.geocities.com/thisisyourcomputerspeaking/cast7.html 'On Suffering Morrissey and the Romantic Hero'] - article with comprehensive analysis of Morrissey's life and work</ref>A 1984 Smiths article in '']'' stated that Morrissey "admits he's ]" but Morrissey replied that it was news to him and the article used the term "fourth-gender" in its title.<ref></ref>
Morrissey's sexuality has been the subject of much speculation and coverage in the British press during his career,{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=vii}} with claims varyingly being made that he was celibate, a frustrated heterosexual, or bisexual.{{sfn|Woods|2007|p=6}} In a 1980 letter he described both himself and his "girlfriend" as bisexual, although adding that he "hate sex".{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=25|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=24}} The '']'' 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".<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/549957/the-Smiths&tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=the%20Smiths%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia |title=The Smiths—Britannica Online Encyclopaedia |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> 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 ], his lyrics flirted with every kind of gay subculture."<ref name="autogenerated3">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/morrissey-the-alan-bennett-of-pop-480979.html |title=Morrissey: The Alan Bennett of pop |newspaper=The Independent |first=Liz |last=Hoggard |date=4 June 2006 |access-date=8 March 2012 |location=London}}</ref>


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.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=114}} Marr said in a 1984 interview that Morrissey "doesn't participate in sex at the moment and hasn't done so for a while".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cemetrygates.com/vault/smiths/record.html |title=Record Mirror: 9&nbsp;June 1984 |publisher=Cemetrygates.com |date=9 June 1984 |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> Repeatedly, interviewers asked Morrissey if he was gay, which he denied.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=117}} 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."{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=117}} As his career developed, there was increased pressure placed on him to ],{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=119}} although he presented himself as a non-practising bisexual.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=130}} 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".{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=129–130}} 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."<ref>{{cite web |date=19 October 2013 |title=Statement |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_131019_01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020101020/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_131019_01 |archive-date=20 October 2013 |access-date=10 November 2013 |publisher=True To You |url-status=live }}</ref>
The speculation was further fuelled by the references to gay subculture and slang in his lyrics. In 2006, Liz Hoggard from ''The Independent'' noted that "...nly 15 years after homosexuality had been decriminalised, his lyrics flirted with every kind of gay subculture"; for example, she claims that "This Charming Man" "is about age-gap, gay sex"<ref name="autogenerated3" />Reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine claims that lyrics to The Smiths single "Hand in Glove" have "veiled references to homosexuality".<ref></ref>As well, fans noted "Morrissey's admiration for gay icons such as ] and ], and his references to gay culture (as in the picture of bisexual ] star ] on the cover of The Smiths' debut album..."<ref></ref>


In 1997, Morrissey said that he had abandoned celibacy and that he had a relationship with a Cockney boxer.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=121}} That person was revealed in his autobiography to be Jake Walters. Their relationship began in 1994, and they lived together until 1996.<ref name="BBCautobio">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24562454 |title=Morrissey opens up in autobiography |date=17 October 2013 |access-date=17 October 2013 |work=BBC News}}</ref> In a March 2013 interview, Walters said, "Morrissey and I have been friends for a long time, probably around 20 years."<ref>{{cite journal |title=Fanny the Cat and Morrissey |url=http://www.anothermag.com/current/view/2587/Fanny_the_Cat_and_Morrissey |journal=] |date=27 March 2013|access-date=19 October 2013}}</ref> Morrissey was later attached to Tina Dehghani. He discussed having a child with Dehghani, with whom he described having an "uncluttered commitment".<ref name="BBCautobio" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Wyatt |first=Daisy |title=Morrissey autobiography: Singer had first relationship at 35 with male photographer |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/news/morrissey-autobiography-singer-had-first-relationship-at-35-with-male-photographer-8886135.html |access-date=18 October 2013 |newspaper=The Independent |date=17 October 2013 |location=London}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Harris |first=John |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/17/morrissey-autobiography-triumph-mired-moaning-review |title=Morrissey's Autobiography is nearly a triumph, but ends up mired in moaning |newspaper=The Guardian |date=17 October 2013 |access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Autobiography |year=2013 |publisher=Penguin Classics |isbn=978-0-14-139481-7}}</ref>
Throughout much of his career, he maintained in interviews that he was ] and ]. ] stated in a 1984 interview that "Morrissey doesn't participate in sex at the moment and hasn't done so for a while, he's had a lot of girlfriends in the past and quite a few men friends".<ref></ref> In 1986, Morrissey claimed that he was "dramatically, supernaturally, non-sexual." In a 1994 interview, he claimed that "sex is actually never in my life", and as such, he argued that "I have no sexuality." In 1995, he claimed "I’d like to have a sex life, if possible." <ref name="autogenerated2" />In a 1997 interview he revealed he had been in a relationship with someone for two years but that it had ended and the person in question had just stopped loving him. He did not reveal the gender of his partner or whether it was a sexual relationship. However, he did admit to caring deeply and he stated that he had hoped that they had shared similar feelings.<ref></ref>In a 2006 ''NME'' interview, he stated that he was no longer celibate, but he did not give any additional details. A 2006 article in UK paper ''The Independent'' stated that the singer "...has even hinted at a late-blooming sex life."
<ref name="autogenerated3" />


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."<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.nme.com/features/morrissey-talks-sex-stalkers-and-the-smiths-in-classic-nme-interview-756834| title=Morrissey Talks Sex, Stalkers And The Smiths In Classic NME Interview| work=NME| date= 20 July 2015}}</ref>
Morrissey frequently tells interviewers who ask him about his sexuality that the question is irrelevant to his music, or he gives an evasive or ambiguous response. While the debate over Morrissey's sexuality has become widespread on fan websites, including attempts to analyze the meaning of his ambiguous song lyrics, their attempts are often stymied, because, as ''The Times'' critic Tom Gatti puts it, "Morrissey’s music offers infinite capacity for interpretation" because "they are too flexible, too rich, too textured.”<ref>The Times June 25, 2005
Morrissey: the musical
His glum odes could never be the stuff of music theatre. Or could they? Tom Gatti investigates http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article1080659.ece</reF>


=== Political opinions ===
==Solo discography==
==== British politics ====
{{main|Morrissey discography}}
In an ] on the Smiths, Julian Stringer characterised the band as "one of Britain's most overtly political groups",{{sfn|Stringer|1992|p=16}} while Andrew Warns termed them the "most ] of bands".{{sfn|Warnes|2008|p=143}} Simon Goddard described Morrissey as being "pro-working class, anti-elite and anti-institution. That includes all political parties, parliament itself, all ], 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 ]. If anything, he's a professional ]."<ref>{{cite news |author=Dorian Lynskey |title=When did Charming become Cranky? Why a Middle-Ages Morrissey is so Hard to Love |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/jul/23/morrissey-when-did-charming-become-cranky-smiths-england-is-mine |date=23 July 2017 |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 December 2017}}</ref>


Morrissey has exhibited enduring anti-royalist views from his teenage years and has fiercely criticised the ].{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=21}} In a 1985 interview with ], he stated that he had always "despised royalty" and that royalist sentiment is a "false devotion".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://foreverill.com/interviews/1985/charming.htm |title=No SEX No DRUGS No ROCK 'N' ROLL and Definitely No ROYALTY! (1985) |publisher=Foreverill.com |access-date=22 July 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130526222643/http://foreverill.com/interviews/1985/charming.htm |archive-date=26 May 2013}}</ref> In a 2011 interview, he publicly identified as a ], stating that he regarded the ] as "benefit scroungers and nothing else".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clashmusic.com/news/morrissey-slates-royal-family |title=Morrissey Slates Royal Family |author=Murray, Robin |website=Clash (magazine) |date=27 April 2011 |access-date=22 July 2013}}</ref> In a 2012 interview with ], he spoke out against the ], stating: "It was a celebration of what? 60 years of dictatorship. She's not . I'm not a subject."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2012/10/11/morrissey_hates_british_royal_family_c |title=Morrissey 'Hates' British Royal Family, Calls Them 'Absolutely Horrible People' |publisher=Starpulse.com |date=11 October 2012 |access-date=22 July 2013 |archive-date=19 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719235904/http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2012/10/11/morrissey_hates_british_royal_family_c |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*'']'' (1988)
*'']'' (1990)
*'']'' (1991)
*'']'' (1992)
*'']'' (1994)
*'']'' (1995)
*'']'' (1997)
*'']'' (2004)
*'']'' (2006)
*'']'' (2009)


Morrissey's first solo album, ''Viva Hate'', included a track entitled "Margaret on the Guillotine", a jab at ]. The London ] investigated Morrissey as a result of the song's lyrics.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rich |first=Bryn |date=9 June 2016 |title=The Smiths' The Queen Is Dead Turns 30 |url=https://consequence.net/2016/06/the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead-turns-30/ |access-date=9 September 2022 |website=Consequence |language=en-US}}</ref> Following ] in 2013, Morrissey called her "a terror without an atom of humanity" and said "every move she made was charged by negativity".<ref>{{cite news | url= http://www.3news.co.nz/Morrissey-slams-barbaric-Thatcher-after-her-death/tabid/418/articleID/293530/Default.aspx | work= 3 News NZ | title= Morrissey slams 'barbaric' Thatcher | date= 9 April 2013 | access-date= 9 April 2013 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131022211727/http://www.3news.co.nz/Morrissey-slams-barbaric-Thatcher-after-her-death/tabid/418/articleID/293530/Default.aspx | archive-date= 22 October 2013 | url-status=dead }}</ref> He described Thatcher's successor, ], as "no one's idea of a Prime Minister . . . a terrible human mistake".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=115}} 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",<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goddard |first1=Simon |title=Mozipedia : The Encyclopedia of Morrissey and the Smiths |publisher=Penguin |location=New York |isbn=978-0-452-29667-1}}</ref> with lyrics denouncing the Tories, the Labour party, royalism, and the prominent historical British politician ].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Future |first1=Andrew |title=Irish Blood, English Heart |url=https://drownedinsound.com/releases/6198/reviews/9457- |website=Drowned in Sound |access-date=13 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Canosa |first1=Sandra |title=Irish Blood, English Heart: Morrissey and the Marginalized |url=https://www.highbrowmagazine.com/2141-irish-blood-english-heart-morrissey-and-marginalized |website=Highbrow Magazine |access-date=13 December 2024}}</ref> During the ], he described ] and ] as "insufferable, egotistical insane despots".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=116}} In February 2006, Morrissey stated he had been interviewed by the ] and by ] 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".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/morrissey%20quizzed%20by%20fbi_23_02_2006 |title=Interviewed by the FBI |publisher=Contactmusic.com |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> In 2010, he endorsed Marr's statement that Prime Minister ] was forbidden to like the Smiths, criticising the Prime Minister's hobby of ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Sean |last=Michaels|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/dec/06/morrissey-johnny-marr-david-cameron |title=Morrissey supports Johnny Marr in David Cameron row |newspaper=]|location=London, England|date=6 December 2010|access-date=8 March 2012 }}</ref> In response to the ] in May 2017, Morrissey criticised Prime Minister ], Mayor of London ], Mayor of Greater Manchester ], and Elizabeth II for their statements regarding the bombing.<ref>{{cite web|first=Noah|last=Yoo|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/73725-morrissey-speaks-out-on-manchester-attack-condemns-theresa-may-the-queen-sadiq-khan/|title=Morrissey Speaks Out on Manchester Attack, Condemns Theresa May, the Queen, Sadiq Khan|website=]|location=New York City|date=23 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Kevin|last=Rawlinson|title=Morrissey attacks politicians and the Queen over Manchester terrorism response|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/23/morrissey-attacks-politicians-and-the-queen-over-manchester-terrorism-response|newspaper=]|location=London, England|date=23 May 2017|access-date=28 August 2017}}</ref>
== Notes and references ==

{{reflist|2}}
==== European Union ====

In 2013, Morrissey said that he "nearly voted" for the ], expressing his admiration for party leader ] and endorsing Farage's ] regarding UK membership of the ].<ref>{{cite web |author=Alice Philipson |title=I nearly voted for Ukip, says Morrissey |website=The Telegraph |date=10 January 2013 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/9792730/I-nearly-voted-for-Ukip-says-Morrissey.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/9792730/I-nearly-voted-for-Ukip-says-Morrissey.html |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=8 January 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=James |last=Legge |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/morrissey-i-nearly-voted-for-ukip-i-like-nigel-farage-a-great-deal-8446651.html |title=Morrissey: I nearly voted for Ukip. I like Nigel Farage a great deal |newspaper=] |date=10 January 2013 |access-date=10 July 2014}}</ref> In 2019, Morrissey said: "It's obvious that "he would make a good prime minister—if any of us can actually remember what a good prime minister is."<ref name="standard.co.uk">{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/morrissey-says-nigel-farage-would-make-a-good-prime-minister-and-voices-support-for-rightwing-group-for-britain-a4175706.html|title = Morrissey says Nigel Farage 'would make a good prime minister'|date = 25 June 2019}}</ref>

In October 2016, he praised the ] as "magnificent" and said the BBC had "persistently denigrated" supporters of the ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Alice |last=Vincent |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/morrissey-brexit-was-magnificent/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/morrissey-brexit-was-magnificent/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Morrissey: 'Brexit was magnificent' |newspaper=] |date=25 October 2016}}{{cbignore}}</ref> 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."<ref name="standard.co.uk" />

==== 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,<ref name=Jonze>{{cite news |title=Bigmouth strikes again and again: why Morrissey fans feel so betrayed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/may/30/bigmouth-strikes-again-morrissey-songs-loneliness-shyness-misfits-far-right-party-tonight-show-jimmy-fallon |first=Tim|last=Jonze |work=] |date=30 May 2019 |access-date= 21 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2019-10-24/morrissey-anti-immigrant-white-nationalist-hollywood-bowl |work=Los Angeles Times |title=Morrissey is anti-immigrant and backs a white nationalist political party. Why don't fans care? |first=Randall|last=Roberts |date=24 October 2019 |access-date= 21 July 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Rights group urges Morrissey boycott over 'racist' views |url=https://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2019/09/05/rights-group-urges-morrissey-boycott-over-racist-views.html |work=] |date=5 September 2019 |access-date= 21 July 2019}}</ref> 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 '']'', a British music magazine, saying: "We do not believe is a racist."<ref name=NMEapologyBBC>{{cite news |title=NME apologises to singer Morrissey over article |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18410933 |work=BBC News |access-date=12 June 2012 |date=13 June 2012}}</ref>

{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote=The ones who listen to the entire song, the way I sing it, and my vocal expression know only too well that I'm no racist and glorifier of xenophobia. The phrase "England for the English" is in quotes, so those who call the song racist are not listening. The song tells of the sadness and regret that I feel for anyone joining such a movement .|source=— Morrissey, on "The National Front Disco" (quoted in 2004).{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=190|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=147}} }}

Various sources accused Morrissey of racism for making reference to the ], 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.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=176|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=147}} According to Bret, these and other allegations of racism typically entailed decontextualising lyrics from Morrissey songs such as "]" and "Asian Rut".{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=185–186, 188}} ''NME'' also accused Morrissey of racism on the basis of the imagery he employed during his 1992 performance at the ''Madstock'' festival at ] in north London; Morrissey included images of ] girls as a backdrop, and wrapped himself in a ].{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1pp=184, 187|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2pp=147–149}} Conversely, these actions resulted in Morrissey being booed off stage by a group of ] skinheads in the audience, who believed that he was appropriating skinhead culture.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=189}}

Morrissey sued ''NME'' for ] over a 2007 article that criticised Morrissey after he allegedly told a reporter that British identity had disappeared because of immigration.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7118412.stm |work=] |title=Morrissey to sue NME over story |date=29 November 2007 |access-date=13 May 2010}}</ref> He was quoted as saying: "It's very difficult because, although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears.{{nbsp}}... the gates of England are flooded. The country's been thrown away."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jun/12/morrissey-receive-apology-from-nme |title=Morrissey to receive apology from NME |first=Alexandra |last=Topping |website=The Guardian |date=12 June 2012}}</ref><ref name=NMEapologyBBC /> His manager described the article as a "]".<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref>{{cite book |last=Goddard |first=Simon |title=Mozipedia: The Encyclopedia of Morrissey and The Smiths |publisher=Ebury Press |edition=Kindle |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-4070-2884-2 |page=Kindle location 11049}}</ref> In 2008, '']'' apologised in court for a piece written by ], which commented on the 2007 ''NME'' article and suggested Morrissey was a racist. Morrissey accepted ''The Word''{{'}}s apology.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7328135.stm |work=BBC News |title=Magazine says sorry to Morrissey |date=3 April 2008 |access-date=13 May 2010}}</ref> The legal suit against ''NME'' began in October 2011 after Morrissey won a pre-trial hearing.<ref>{{cite news |title=Morrissey libel claim 'not genuine' |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1017/breaking49.html |access-date=17 October 2011 |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=20 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020113239/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1017/breaking49.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Morrissey's case against ''NME'' editor ] and publisher ] was due to have been heard in July 2012.<ref name="court case">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/46565-morrisseys-case-against-nme-set-for-july/ |title=Morrissey's Case Against NME Set for July |work=Pitchfork |first=Jenn |last=Pellyon |date=18 May 2012 |access-date=20 May 2012}}</ref> 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.{{nbsp}}... The ''NME'' apology in itself is settlement enough and it closes the case."<ref name=NMEapologyBBC />

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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=3 September 2010 |title=Morrissey reignites racism row by calling Chinese a 'subspecies' |url=http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/sep/03/morrissey-china-subspecies-racism |access-date=9 September 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=8 September 2010 |title=Morrissey calls the Chinese 'a subspecies' |url=https://www.avclub.com/morrissey-calls-the-chinese-a-subspecies-1798221557 |access-date=9 September 2022 |website=The A.V. Club |language=en-us}}</ref>

In October 2017, he expressed the view that the ] had been rigged against ] activist ].<ref>{{cite news |first=Hannah |last=Ellis-Petersen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2017/oct/02/morrissey-claims-ukip-rigged-leadership-vote-stop-anti-islam-activist |title=Morrissey claims Ukip rigged leadership vote to stop anti-Islam activist |newspaper=] |date=2 October 2017 |access-date=4 October 2017}}</ref> In April 2018 he endorsed Waters' new far-right party, ],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/morrissey-tackles-brexit-hitler-hard-to-find-eggs-bizarre-self/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/news/morrissey-tackles-brexit-hitler-hard-to-find-eggs-bizarre-self/ |archive-date=11 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Morrissey tackles Brexit, Hitler and hard-to-find eggs in bizarre self-published interview|newspaper=]|location=London, England|date=17 April 2018|access-date=11 December 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref> subsequently wearing a party badge during several performances in New York City in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Connor |first=Roisin |title=Morrissey praised by far-right party leader for 'support' after wearing badge at New York gig |newspaper=] |date=21 May 2019 |access-date=21 May 2019 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/morrissey-for-britain-badge-far-right-anne-marie-waters-video-a8923791.html}}</ref> Morrissey's apparent support for the For Britain party saw adverts of his album '']'' withdrawn from ] stations,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/merseyrail-orders-removal-morrissey-posters-16321633|title=Commuter offended by Morrissey posters plastered across Merseyrail stations|last=Bona|first=Emilia|date=23 May 2019|work=]|access-date=20 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/how-people-reacted-merseyrails-decision-16329536|title=This is how people reacted to Merseyrail's decision to remove Morrissey poster from train station|last=Kirkham|first=Jenny|date=24 May 2019|work=]|access-date=20 January 2020}}</ref> and several record stores refusing to stock the album.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/morrissey-smiths-record-shop-banned-16313914 |title=Glasgow's Monorail Records bans new Morrissey album |last=Wilson |first=Caroline |date=14 January 2020 |work=] |access-date=20 January 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/18159307.morrissey-banned-glasgow-record-shop/ |title=Spillers Records bans Morrissey music over his support for the far right |last=Owens |first=David |date=22 May 2019 |work=] |access-date=20 January 2020}}</ref> 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 ], and said: "It's very obvious that Labour or the Tories do not believe in free speech{{nbsp}}... I mean, look at the shocking treatment of Tommy Robinson."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-elaborates-support-britain-party-says-media-treatment-tommy-robinson-shameful-2333438|title=Morrissey elaborates on support of For Britain party, says treatment of EDL founder Tommy Robinson is 'shocking'|website=]|date=6 June 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jun/07/morrissey-expresses-sympathy-for-jailed-edl-founder-tommy-robinson|title = Morrissey expresses sympathy for jailed EDL founder Tommy Robinson|newspaper = ]|date = 7 June 2018}}</ref>

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?"<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/morrissey-interview-far-right-for-britain-racist-brexit-nigel-farage-a8973276.html |title=Morrissey reafirms support for far-right party and claims 'everyone prefers their own race' |work=] |first=Roisin |last=O'Connor |date=25 June 2019 |access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref> In response to his recent political comments, fellow singer-songwriter ] accused Morrissey of dragging the legacy of Johnny Marr and the Smiths "through the dirt".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/morrissey-race-comments-billy-bragg-the-smiths-johnny-marr-nigel-farage-a8978706.html |title=Billy Bragg says he's 'heartbroken' for fans of The Smiths after latest Morrissey outburst |work=] |first=Roisin |last=O'Connor |date=28 June 2019 |access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref> ] 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/nick-cave-questions-morrisseys-politics-defends-his-music-and-free-speech-in-open-letter/|title=Nick Cave Questions Morrissey's Politics, Defends His Music and Free Speech in Open Letter |work=] |first=Noah |last=Yoo |date=28 June 2019 |access-date=31 July 2019}}</ref>

In January 2023, in response to rumours that ] had decided to pull her vocals from the song "I Am Veronica" from his album '']'' over his political views, Morrissey published a statement on his website rejecting claims that he was far-right, and further clarified his political stance;<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=6 January 2023 |title=When You Are the Quarry |url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/when-you-are-the-quarry |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230119110215/https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/when-you-are-the-quarry |archive-date=19 January 2023 |access-date=19 January 2023 |website=morrisseycentral.com}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Hajjaji |first=Danya |date=7 January 2023 |title=Morrissey says Miley Cyrus album exit was nothing to do with his politics |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/07/morrissey-says-miley-cyrus-exit-was-nothing-to-do-with-his-politics |access-date=19 January 2023 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref>{{blockquote|My politics are straightforward: I recognize realities. Some realities horrify me, and some do not, but I accept that I was not created so that others might gratify me and delight me with all that they think and do – what a turgid life that would be. I've been offended all of my life, and it has strengthened me, and I am glad. I wouldn't have the journey any other way. Only by hearing the opinions of others can we form truly rational views, and therefore we must never accept a beehive society that refuses to reflect a variety of views.}}

==== American politics ====
At a Dublin concert in June 2004, Morrissey commented on the ] of ], saying that he would have preferred if ] had died instead.<ref>{{cite web|date=9 June 2004|title=Morrissey comments spark Bush fire|url=http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/119/119298_morrissey_comments_spark_bush_fire.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041013214721/http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/119/119298_morrissey_comments_spark_bush_fire.html|archive-date=13 October 2004|access-date=13 August 2010|website=Manchesteronline.co.uk}}</ref> Morrissey openly criticised the ] 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 ].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Morrissey |first=Steven |title=Autobiography |publisher=] |year=2013 |pages=357}}</ref>

During a January 2008 concert, Morrissey remarked "God Bless ]" and criticised ], naming her "Billary Clinton".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://music.guardian.co.uk/live/story/0,,2247492,00.html |title=Heaven knows he's flexible now |author=Kitty Empire |newspaper=] |date= 27 January 2008 |access-date=13 August 2010 |author-link=Kitty Empire}}</ref> In 2015, he accused Obama of not doing enough to tackle ], stating he could not "see him doing anything at all for the black community except warning them that they must respect the security forces."<ref>. '']''. Retrieved 3 January 2018</ref> He endorsed Clinton in the ],<ref name="King">{{cite web |title=Morrissey speaks to Larry King about cancer, depression and Barack Obama |author=Nadia Khomami |website=] |date=19 August 2015 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/19/morrissey-interview-larry-king-cancer-depression-barack-obama |access-date=8 January 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150823053716/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/19/morrissey-interview-larry-king-cancer-depression-barack-obama |archive-date=23 August 2015 }}</ref> although he later criticised her as "the face and voice of pooled money" and praised ] as "sane and intelligent", accusing the US media of paying insufficient attention to his campaign. Morrissey called ] "Donald Thump" and accused him of not having any sympathy for the victims of the ] in ].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-16-1200365 |title=Morrissey criticises Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, praises Bernie Sanders |work=] |access-date=16 March 2017}}</ref> 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."<ref name="spiegel">{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/morrissey-ueber-brexit-kevin-spacey-und-merkels-fluechtlingspolitik-a-1178545.html |title=Morrissey über Brexit, Kevin Spacey und Merkels Flüchtlingspolitik |first=Juliane |last=Liebert |website=Der Spiegel |date=18 November 2017 |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Blake |first1=Andrew |title=Morrissey supports killing Donald Trump 'for the safety of humanity' |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/nov/25/morrissey-supports-killing-donald-trump-interview/ |website=The Washington Times |access-date=26 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="spiegelaudio">{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/from-the-editors-the-audio-of-our-interview-with-morrissey-a-1183075.html |title=From the Editors: The Audio of DER SPIEGEL's Interview with Morrissey |author=Staff writer(s) |website=Der Spiegel |date=13 December 2017}}</ref> He later said the ] questioned him over his comments on Trump.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/dec/19/morrissey-says-secret-service-questioned-singer-fo/ |title=Morrissey says Secret Service questioned him following comment about killing Donald Trump |first=Andrew |last=Blake |website=] |date=19 December 2017}}</ref>

== Impact and legacy ==
Biographer ] 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.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=vii}} The press termed him the "Pope of Mope".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=vii}}

=== 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.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=11}} Morrissey's fans have been described as being among the most dedicated of pop and rock fans.<ref>{{cite news |author=Chuck Klosterman |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/may/17/popandrock1 |title=Wanna be in my gang? Meet the uber-fans |newspaper=The Guardian |access-date=10 November 2013 |location=London |date=18 May 2008}}</ref> Music magazine '']'' 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."<ref>{{cite news |last=Sturges |first=Fiona |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/these-charming-men-making-it-as-morrissey-780877.html |title=This Charming Man: Making It As Morrissey |newspaper=The Independent |date=18 February 2007 |access-date=23 August 2009 |location=London}}</ref> According to Bret, Morrissey's fanbase "religiously followed his every pitfall and triumph".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=vii}} Simpson highlighted an example during the US leg of Morrissey's 1996 ''Maladjusted'' tour in which young men asked the singer to ] their necks, which they subsequently had permanently tattooed into their skin.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=137}} Rogan compared Morrissey to Wilde's character ] "in reverse; while he slowly ages, his audience remains young".{{sfn|Rogan|1992|p=15}} Rogan also noted that while onstage, Morrissey "revels in the messianic adoration" of his fans.{{sfn|Rogan|1992|p=15}}

Soon after achieving national fame, Morrissey became a gay icon,{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=35}}<ref>{{cite web |title=The ten gay icons |website=The Guardian |date=12 November 2006 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/nov/12/popandrock.rufuswainwright}}</ref> with Bret noting that by the start of his solo career, Morrissey already had a "massive gay following".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=111}} This development was influenced by the speculation around his own sexual orientation, his lyrics that dealt with such subjects as age-gap sex and ]s, as well as the Smiths' heavy use of gay and camp imagery on their record covers.{{sfn|Bret|2004|pp=35–36}} Morrissey's gay following was not restricted to Western countries, for he remained popular within the Japanese gay community as well.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=162}}

Morrissey also has a significant Hispanic fanbase, particularly in Mexico and among ] (]s) in the western United States.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Why do Mexican Americans love Morrissey so much? |language=en-US |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/10/08/why-do-mexican-americans-love-morrissey-so-much/ |access-date=16 August 2022 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> His music has resonated with these communities because of its similarities to the traditional Mexican music genre of ], which revolves around romance, morose metaphors and slow ballads.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The love affair between Mexican Americans and Morrissey isn't that surprising |url=https://theworld.org/stories/2014-10-30/love-affair-between-mexican-americans-and-morrissey-isnt-surprising |access-date=16 August 2022 |website=The World from PRX |date=24 October 2014 |language=en}}</ref> Morrissey's popularity among Hispanics became widespread knowledge after he toured Latin America for the first time in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hood |first=Bryan |title=Mexico's Cult of Morrissey Comes to Brooklyn |url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/05/mexicos-cult-of-morrissey-comes-to-brooklyn.html |access-date=16 August 2022 |website=Vulture |date=7 May 2015 |language=en-us}}</ref> ], in a 2002 profile for ] that analysed Morrissey's relationship with the Latino community, theorised that Morrissey's rockabilly influences were seen as a nod to the ] culture popular among Latinos and that his status as the son of Irish immigrants in England resonated with immigrant families in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Klosterman |first=Chuck |date=August 2002 |title=Viva Morrissey |pages=88–92 |work=Spin (magazine)}}</ref>

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 ].<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 March 2016 |title=Morrissey and Mexico fit together like hand in glove. Is that really so strange? {{!}} Raf Noboa y Rivera |url=http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/07/morrissey-popularity-mexicans-smiths-chicanos-california |access-date=16 August 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> The film ''25 Live'' evidences a particularly strong following among the singer's Latino/Chicano fans.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Deveruex |first1=Eoin |last2=Hidalgo |first2=Melissa |date=November 2015 |title='You're gonna need someone on your side': Morrissey's Latino/a and Chicano/a fans |url=http://www.participations.org/Volume%2012/Issue%202/12.pdf |journal=Participations |volume=12 |issue=1 |page=197 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601205232/http://participations.org/Volume%2012/Issue%202/12.pdf |archive-date=1 June 2016}}</ref> A tribute band named ] performs Morrissey covers live translated in Spanish.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McKinney |first=Jorge Corona and Kelsey |date=12 May 2015 |title=Inside the Mexrrissey show with the Mexicans who love Morrissey |url=https://splinternews.com/inside-the-mexrrissey-show-with-the-mexicans-who-love-m-1793847727 |access-date=16 August 2022 |website=Splinter |language=en-us}}</ref> The 2018 ] film '']'' 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 ] noted that it was a "funny, really specific true-to-life detail".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Patches |first=Matt |date=7 July 2018 |title=Ant-Man and the Wasp's director on half-size Paul Rudd & Morrissey references |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/7/17532460/ant-man-and-the-wasp-director-peyton-reed-interview |access-date=16 August 2022 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}}</ref>

Several Morrissey ]s 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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Goddard |first=Simon |title=Mozipedia: The Encyclopaedia of Morrissey and The Smiths |year=2012 |publisher=Ebury Press |location=London |page=273}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metro.co.uk/music/869438-morrissey-fansite-owner-refused-entry-to-gig-and-banned-for-life |title=Morrissey fansite owner refused entry to gig and banned for life |work=Metro News |date=15 July 2011 |access-date=10 November 2013}}</ref> Another fansite, True-To-You, enjoys a close relationship with Morrissey and functioned as his official website for statements until May 2017.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_120323_01 |title=March 2012 statement from Morrissey |work=True To You |date=23 March 2012 |access-date=10 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022212010/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_120323_01 |archive-date=22 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In April 2018, Morrissey launched his own website, Morrissey Central.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-hits-back-newspaper-hate-piece-2280143 |title=Morrissey hits back at newspaper 'hate piece' and says he is "neither Loony Left nor Far Right" |last=Morgan Britton |first=Luke |date=3 April 2018 |work=NME}}</ref>

=== Influence ===
{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote=Bookish, reclusive-but-pugnacious—avowedly ''celibate''—with an almost Puritan disdain for cheap glamour and armed with a deeply unhealthy interest in language, wit and ideas Morrissey succeeded in perverting pop music for a while and making it that most absurd of things, ''literary''. Some were moved to talk of how much Morrissey owed that blousy Anglo-Irish nineteenth-century torch-singer and stand-up comedian Oscar Wilde, the "first pop star". Arguably, poor Oscar was merely an early failed and somewhat overweight prototype for Morrissey.|source=— Mark Simpson, 2004.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=11}} }}

Morrissey is routinely referred to as an influential artist, both in his solo career and with the Smiths. The ] has referred to him as "one of the most influential figures in the history of British pop",<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8062610.stm |title=The 'Pope of Mope' turns 50 |work=BBC News |date=22 May 2009 |access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> and '']'' named the Smiths the "most influential artist ever" in a 2002 poll, even topping ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articles/02/04/15/2040257.shtml |work=Morrissey-Solo |title=The Smiths: most influential artist ever—NME |date=15 April 2002 |access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref> ''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".<ref name="greatestsingers" /> Morrissey's enduring influence has been ascribed to his wit, the "infinite capacity for interpretation" in his lyrics,<ref name="gatti" /> and his appeal to the "constant navel gazing, reflection, solipsism" of generations of "disenfranchised youth", offering unusually intimate "companionship" to broad demographics.<ref name="anderman" /> 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".{{sfn|Woods|2007|p=5}} Bret described him as "probably the most intellectually gifted and imaginative lyricist of his generation",{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=3}} listing him alongside ], ], and ] as being one of "the ''monstres sacrés''".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=286}}

Journalist ] 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."{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=13}} Simpson also argues that "After Morrissey there could be no more pop stars. His was an impossible act to follow . . . 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".<ref>{{cite news |last=Simpson |first=Mark |title=The man who murdered pop |newspaper=The Guardian |date=5 November 1999}}</ref>

In 2006, Morrissey was voted the second greatest living British icon in a poll held by the BBC's '']''.<ref>{{cite web |author=culture show |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/livingicons/vote/ |title=BBC—Culture Show—Living Icons |work=BBC News |access-date=13 August 2010}}</ref> The ''] Guide to Rock'' asserts that Morrissey's "lyrical preoccupations", particularly themes dealing with English identity, proved extremely influential on subsequent artists.<ref>Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, '''', via Google Books, pg. 1346.</ref> Journalist ] also described him as a major influence on modern music and "the best British lyricist in living memory".<ref>{{cite news |last=Collins |first=Philip |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6894116.ece |title=Pop music can't do politics any more |newspaper=The Times |location=UK |date=29 October 2009 |access-date=29 October 2009}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In 1998, he received an ] for Outstanding Contribution to British Music from the ].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theivors.com/archive/1990-1999/the-ivors-1998/ |title=The Ivors 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813023728/http://theivors.com/archive/1990-1999/the-ivors-1998/ |archive-date=13 August 2018 |website=TheIvors.com |access-date=3 January 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2002, ''NME'', by this point a critic of Morrissey, nevertheless considered him to be the "most influential artist ever".{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=12}} In 2004, ''Q'' gave him its best songwriter award.{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=223}}

]

In November 2008, '']'' 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 ], ] and ], who were asked to name their 20 favourite vocalists.<ref name="greatestsingers" />

Other scholars have responded favourably to Morrissey's work, including academic ] at various universities including ]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=09/03/04/1818214 |work=Morrissey-solo |title=Morrissey symposium in Limerick, Ireland |date=4 March 2009 |access-date=13 March 2012}}</ref> and ].<ref>{{cite news |last=Taylor |first=Paul |url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/153/153978_morrissey_under_the_microscope.html |title=Morrissey under the microscope |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=8 April 2005 |access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> Gavin Hopps, a research fellow and literary scholar at the ], wrote a full-length academic study of Morrissey's work, calling him comparable to ], ], and ], and noting similarities between Morrissey and ].<ref>{{cite web|last=Wade |first=Mike |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/morrissey-50-today-and-a-first-rank-romantic-hero-mpnlhbhzp98 |title=Morrissey: 50 today and a first-rank Romantic hero |work=] |date=21 May 2009 |access-date=23 August 2009 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

The ''British Food Journal'' featured an article in 2008 that applied Morrissey's lyrics to building positive business relationships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8197859 |title=Heaven knows I'm teaching now |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506120516/http://entertainment.uk.msn.com/news/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8197859 |archive-date=6 May 2008 |url-status=dead |website=MSN UK Entertainment |date=29 April 2008 |access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/books/view-Book,id=4753/ |title=Intellect Ltd |publisher=Intellectbooks.co.uk |access-date=11 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714121702/http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/books/view-Book,id=4753/ |archive-date=14 July 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He is regarded as an important innovator in the ] scene;<ref name="anderman">{{cite news |last=Anderman |first= Joan |url=https://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2004/10/03/this_charming_man/ |title=This charming man |newspaper=] |date=3 October 2004 |access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> while in 2004, ] called him "one of the most singular figures in Western popular culture from the last 20 years."<ref>{{cite web |last=DiCrescenzo |first=Brent |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/5437-you-are-the-quarry/ |title=You Are the Quarry album review |work=Pitchfork Media |date=19 May 2004 |access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref>
A ''Los Angeles Times'' critic wrote that Morrissey "patented the template for modern ]" and that many bands playing at the ] "would not be there—or at least, would not sound the same—were it not for him".<ref name="coachella">Timberg, Scott. "Coachella: Morrissey and The Smiths' influence is apparent". ''Los Angeles Times''. 13 April 2009</ref> Similarly, the critic ] called Morrissey "the man who more or less invented indie" and an artist "who more than anybody else personifies" indie culture.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wells |first=Steven |url=http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/big_mouth_strikes_again-38463039.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908075815/http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/arts-and-culture/big_mouth_strikes_again-38463039.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 September 2012 |title=Big Mouth Strikes Again |newspaper=] |date=12 December 2007 |access-date=23 August 2009 }}</ref> ] of Allmusic writes that the Smiths and Morrissey "inspired every band of note" in the ] era, including ], ], ], and ].<ref>{{cite web |last=Erlewine |first=Stephen Thomas |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/r684089 |title=You Are the Quarry review |work=] |access-date=23 August 2009}}</ref> Other major artists including ]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/jeff-buckley/28559 |title=Jeff Buckley revealed as massive Smiths fan |work=] |date=25 May 2007 |access-date=23 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080401033051/https://www.nme.com/news/jeff-buckley/28559}}</ref> and ]<ref name="greatestsingers" /> have also been influenced by Morrissey.

] of ], who recorded a 2005 EP of Morrissey covers titled '']'', acknowledged Morrissey's influence on his songwriting: "You could either bask in that glow of fatalistic ], 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".<ref>{{cite web|last=Robinson |first=Tasha |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-decemberists-colin-meloy-1798216134 |title=The Decemberists' Colin Meloy |website=] |date=31 March 2009 |access-date=23 August 2009 |url-status=live |archive-date=16 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100116094512/https://www.avclub.com/articles/the-decemberists-colin-meloy,25944/}}</ref> ] of the American rock band ] has revealed his admiration for Morrissey on several occasions and admits that his interest for writing songs about murder such as "]" and "Midnight Show" traces back to Morrissey singing about loving "the romance of crime" in the song "]". Flowers was quoted as saying, "I studied that line a lot. And it's kind of embedded in me".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2006/sep/24/popandrock.killers |title=Songs of praise |author=McLean, Craig |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref> ] called Morrissey "the best lyricist I've ever heard".{{sfn|Bret|2004|p=261}}

A 2017 biopic of Morrissey's early years, titled '']'', was written and directed by ] and stars ].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/03/unauthorized-morrissey-biopic-now-titled-england-is-mine.html |title=Unauthorized Morrissey Biopic Now Titled England Is Mine |access-date=20 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616105525/http://www.vulture.com/2017/03/unauthorized-morrissey-biopic-now-titled-england-is-mine.html |archive-date=16 June 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3717804/|title=England Is Mine|access-date=24 May 2019|publisher=IMDb|date=25 August 2017}}</ref> The film, which co-stars ], premiered at the closing gala of the ] on 2 July 2017, and went into wide release in the UK and US in August 2017.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/jun/15/summer-2017-best-movies|title=Summer 2017's best movies: from Scarlett Johansson's hen night to Morrissey's teen years|first1=Gwilym|last1=Mumford|first2=Andrew|last2=Pulver|first3=Peter|last3=Bradshaw|date=15 June 2017|access-date=24 May 2019|website=The Guardian}}</ref>

In an April 2021 episode of '']'' titled "]", Morrissey inspired the parody character of Quilloughby. Voiced by ], Quilloughby is portrayed as a romantic figment of ]'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".<ref>{{cite news |title=Morrissey hits back at The Simpsons over parody: 'Complete ignorance' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/apr/19/morrissey-the-simpsons-parody-panic-on-the-streets-of-springfield |work=The Guardian |date=20 April 2021 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=HELLO HELL – MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY – MORRISSEY CENTRAL – HELLO HELL |url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/hello-hell |website=MORRISSEY CENTRAL}}</ref>

== Awards and nominations ==
'''Brit Awards'''

{{award table}}
|-
| ]
| rowspan="2" | Himself
| rowspan="2" | Best British Male
| {{nom}}
|-
| ]
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

'''GAFFA Awards'''
{{award table}}
|-
| 2005
| rowspan=2|Himself
| rowspan=2|Årets Udenlandske Sanger
| {{won}}
|-
| 2007
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

'''Grammy Awards'''

{{award table}}
|-
| ]
| '']''
| Best Alternative Music Album
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

'''Ivor Novello Awards'''

{{award table}}
|-
| 1998
| Himself
| Outstanding Contribution to British Music
| {{won}}
{{end}}

'''Lunas del Auditorio'''
{{award table}}
|-
| 2007
| Himself
| Best Foreign Rock Artist
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

'''MOJO Awards'''

{{award table}}
|-
| 2004
| rowspan="2" | Himself
| Icon Award
| {{won}}
|-
| 2005
| Inspiration Award
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

'''Meteor Music Awards'''

{{award table}}
|-
| 2005
| rowspan="2" | Himself
| rowspan="2" | Best International Male
| {{won}}
|-
| 2010
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

'''NME Awards'''

{{award table}}
|-
| 1984
| rowspan=20|Himself
| rowspan=2|Best Songwriter
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=4|1985
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Dressed
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Haircut
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2|Best Male Singer
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2|1986
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=2|Most Wonderful Human Being
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=3|1987
| {{won}}
|-
| Best Male Singer
| {{won}}
|-
| Safe Sex
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=3|1988
| Favourite NME Cover Of 1988
| {{won}}
|-
| Most Wonderful Human Being
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan=6|Best Solo Artist
| {{won}}
|-
| 1989
| {{won}}
|-
| 1990
| {{won}}
|-
| 1991
| {{won}}
|-
| 1992
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2005
| {{nom}}
|-
| Hero of the Year
| {{nom}}
|-
| Hottest Man
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2006
| ''Morrissey: Who Put the M in Manchester''
| Best Music DVD
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

'''PLUG Awards'''
{{award table}}
|-
| 2006
| ''Morrissey: Who Put the M in Manchester''
| Best Music DVD of the Year
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

'''Pollstar Concert Industry Awards'''
{{award table}}
!Ref.
|-
| 1987
| ]
| Small Hall Tour of the Year
| {{nom}}
|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.pollstarpro.com/PCIA-Static/awards1986.htm |title=Pollstar Awards Archive - 1986 |website=pollstarpro.com |access-date=25 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320043538/http://www.pollstarpro.com/PCIA-Static/awards1986.htm |archive-date=20 March 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{end}}

'''Q Awards'''

{{award table}}
|-
| 1994
| Himself
| Q Songwriter Award
| {{won}}
|-
| 2004
| "]"
| Best Track
| {{nom}}
{{end}}

'''Rober Awards Music Poll'''
{{award table}}
|-
| 2013
| "]"
| Best Cover Version
| {{nom}}
|-
| 2014
| Himself
| Comeback of the Year
| {{won}}
{{end}}

== Personnel ==
{{Main|List of Morrissey band members}}

'''Current members'''
* ]&nbsp;– guitar <small>(2004–present)</small>
* ]&nbsp;– drums <small>(2007–2020, 2024–present)</small>
* ]&nbsp;– bass <small>(2007–2014, 2021, 2024–present)</small>
* ]&nbsp;– keyboards <small>(2023–present)</small>
* Carmen Vandenberg&nbsp;– guitar <small>(2023–present)</small>

== Discography ==

=== The Smiths ===
{{Main|The Smiths discography}}
* '']'' (1984)
* '']'' (1985)
* '']'' (1986)
* '']'' (1987)

=== Solo ===
{{Main|Morrissey discography}}
* '']'' (1988)
* '']'' (1991)
* '']'' (1992)
* '']'' (1994)
* '']'' (1995)
* '']'' (1997)
* '']'' (2004)
* '']'' (2006)
* '']'' (2009)
* '']'' (2014)
* '']'' (2017)
* '']'' (2019)
* '']'' (2020)
* '']'' (TBA)<ref>{{Cite news |last=Krol |first=Charlotte |date=12 December 2022 |title=Morrissey announces recording of new album 'Without Music The World Dies' |language=en-GB |work=NME |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/morrissey-announces-recording-of-new-album-without-music-the-world-dies-3365486 |access-date=4 January 2023}}</ref>
* '']'' (unreleased)

== Publications ==

=== Publications by Morrissey ===
* ''The New York Dolls''. by Steven Patrick Morrissey.
** Manchester: Babylon, 1981.
** Reprint. Manchester: Babylon, 1995. {{ISBN|978-0-907188-50-6}}.
* ''James Dean Is Not Dead'', Manchester: Babylon, 1983. {{ISBN|978-0-907188-06-3}}. By Steven Patrick Morrissey.
* ''Exit Smiling'', Manchester: Babylon, 1998. {{ISBN|978-0-907188-47-6}}. Edition of 1000 copies. By Steven Patrick Morrissey.
* {{cite book|author=Morrissey|title=Autobiography|publisher= London: Penguin Classic |year=2013|isbn=978-0-14-139481-7|title-link=Autobiography (Morrissey)}}.
* '']''. London: Penguin, 2015. {{ISBN|978-0-14-198296-0}}.

=== Publications with contributions by Morrissey ===
* ''Marc Bolan: Wilderness of the Mind''. London: Xanadu, 1992. {{ISBN|978-1-85480-155-5}}. By John Willans and Caron Thomas. With an introduction by Morrissey. About ].
* ''Cockney Reject''. John Black, 2005. {{ISBN|978-1-84454-881-1}}. By Jeff Turner and ]. With a foreword by Morrissey. About ].
* ''The Autobiography: Bowie, Bolan and the Brooklyn Boy''. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-00-722945-1}}. By ]. With a foreword by Morrissey.

== See also ==
* ]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{Refbegin|30em|indent=yes}}
* {{cite journal |last=Bannister |first=Matthew |title='Loaded': Indie Guitar Rock, Canonism, White Masculinities |journal=Popular Music |volume=25 |number=1 |year=2006 |pages=77–95 |jstor=3877544 |ref=none |doi=10.1017/s026114300500070x|s2cid=192182923 |issn = 0261-1430}}
* {{cite book |last=Bret |first=David |title=Morrissey: Scandal and Passion |year=2004 |location=London |publisher=Robson Books |isbn=978-1-86105-787-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Goddard |first=Simon |title=The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life |edition=revised |location=London |publisher=Reynolds and Hearn |year=2006 |isbn=978-1-905287-96-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Rogan |first=Johnny |year=1992 |title=Morrissey and Marr: The Severed Alliance |publisher=Omnibus Press |location=London |isbn=978-0-7119-1838-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Simpson |first=Mark |title=Saint Morrissey |location=London |publisher=SAF Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=0-946719-65-9}}
* {{cite journal |last=Stringer |first=Julian |title=The Smiths: Repressed (But Remarkably Dressed) |journal=Popular Music |volume=11 |number=1 |pages=15–26 |year=1992 |doi= 10.1017/s0261143000004815|jstor=853224|s2cid=194017413 }}
* {{cite journal |last=Warnes |first=Andrew |title=Black, White and Blue: The Racial Antagonism of the Smiths' Record Sleeve |journal=Popular Music |volume=27 |number=1 |year=2008 |pages=135–149 |jstor=40212448|doi=10.1017/s0261143008001463|s2cid=161956592 }}
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Woods |first=Paul A. |contribution=Morrissey Needs No Introduction |title=Morrissey in Conversation: The Essential Interviews |others=Paul A. Woods (ed.) |location=London |publisher=Plexus |year=2007 |pages=5–8 |isbn=978-0-85965-394-7}}
{{Refend}}

== 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.
* ], ''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, , ''British Food Journal'', Vol. 110, No. 1, pp.&nbsp;128–143, 2008. {{doi|10.1108/00070700810844821}}.
* Hopps, Gavin, ''Morrissey: The Pageant of His Bleeding Heart'', Continuum, 2009.
* ], ''Morrissey'', self-published, 2007.
* Rogan, Johnny, ''Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance'', Omnibus, 1993.
* ], "", ''Linda Works: 1976–2006'', JRP Editions, 2006.
* Sørensen, Jesper, ''Alle dage er som søndag'', Rosenkilde, 2009.
* Woronzoff, Elizabeth, , monograph, Simmons College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Studies, February 2009.


== External links == == External links ==
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{{wikiquotepar|Morrissey}}<!--official site, True to You, Morrissey Solo and Passions Just Like Mine all pass criteria for External links inclusion. please take to talk page if you disagree//-->
* *
* on ]'s '']''
* &ndash; the official Morrissey Myspace page
* {{IMDb name|id=0973541|name=Morrissey}}
* Complete Morrissey/Smiths-Discography
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Latest revision as of 21:08, 28 December 2024

British singer (born 1959) This article is about the singer. For other uses, see Morrissey (disambiguation). "Steven Morrissey" redirects here. For the footballer, see Steven Morrissey (footballer).

Morrissey
Morrissey at the premiere of the Alexander film in Dublin Ireland.Morrissey in 2005
Background information
Birth nameSteven Patrick Morrissey
Born (1959-05-22) 22 May 1959 (age 65)
Davyhulme, Lancashire, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • author
Years active1976–present
Labels
Formerly ofThe Smiths
Websitemorrisseycentral.com
Musical artist

Steven Patrick Morrissey (/ˈmɒrɪsi/ MORR-iss-ee; 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, who were active from 1982 to 1987. Since then, he has pursued a successful solo career. Morrissey's music is characterised by his baritone 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 Davyhulme, 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', and he grew up in nearby Stretford. As a child, he developed a love of literature, kitchen sink realism, and 1960s pop music. In the late 1970s, he fronted the punk rock 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 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 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 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 rock, and Britpop. In a 2006 poll for the BBC'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 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 while critiquing the effects of immigration on the UK.

Early life

Childhood: 1959–1976

I lost myself in music at a very early age, and I remained there . . . I did fall in love with the voices I heard, whether they were male or female. I loved those people. I really, really did love those people. For what it was worth, I gave them my life . . . my youth. Beyond the perimeter of pop music there was a drop at the end of the world.

— Morrissey, 1991.
Morrissey's family home (second from left) in Queens Square, Hulme, which was demolished in the 1960s. His aunt lived beside them in the end property

Steven Patrick Morrissey was born on 22 May 1959 at Park Hospital in Davyhulme, Lancashire. His parents, Elizabeth (née Dwyer) and Peter Morrissey, were Irish Catholics who had emigrated to Manchester from Dublin 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 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, 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 in British society against Irish immigrants to Britain. In 1970, after the "slum clearances" of Victorian-era houses in Hulme, the family moved to another council house at 384 King's Road in Stretford.

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 at the school. 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 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 1975, he travelled to the U.S. to visit an aunt who lived in Staten Island. 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, and particularly liked the Irish author Oscar Wilde, whom he came to idolise. The young Morrissey was a fan of the television soap opera Coronation Street, which focused on working-class communities in Manchester; he sent proposed scripts and storylines to the show's production company, Granada Television, 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. 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's 1965 single "Come and Stay With Me". He became a glam rock fan in the 1970s, enjoying the work of English artists like T. Rex, David Bowie and Roxy Music. He was also a fan of American glam rock artists such as Sparks, Jobriath and the New York Dolls. 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, and Dusty Springfield.

Early bands and published books: 1977–1981

Morrissey idolised American film actor James Dean and published a book about him.

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, and as a hospital porter, before abandoning employment and claiming unemployment benefits. He used much of the money from these jobs to purchase tickets for gigs, attending performances by Talking Heads, the Ramones, and Blondie. He regularly attended concerts, having a particular interest in the alternative and post-punk music scene. Having met the guitarist Billy Duffy 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. 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 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. 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. Morrissey had developed a love of Dean and had covered his bedroom with pictures of the dead film star.

The Smiths

Establishing the Smiths: 1982–1984

Main article: The Smiths

In August 1978, Morrissey was briefly introduced to the 14-year-old Johnny Marr by mutual acquaintances at a Patti Smith 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 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, 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 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.

A typical shirt worn on stage by Morrissey in the 1980s, on display at the Barcelona Hard Rock Café

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 Rough Trade Records. 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 of tabloid newspaper The Sun alleged that their B-side "Handsome Devil" was an endorsement of paedophilia. 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 session, and obtained their first interviews in music magazines NME and Sounds.

The follow-up singles "This Charming Man" 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, the Smiths began to acquire a dedicated fan base. In February 1984 they released their debut album, The Smiths, which reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart.

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 Romantics, 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 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 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; 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".

The Smiths' growing success: 1984–1987

The Smiths brought realism to their romance, and tempered their angst with the lightest of touches. The times were personified in their frontman: rejecting all taints of rock n' roll machismo, he played up the social awkwardness of the misfit and the outsider, his gently haunting vocals whooping suddenly upward into a falsetto, clothed in outsize women's shirts, sporting National Health specs or a huge Johnny Ray-style hearing aid. This charming young man was, in the vernacular of the time, the very antithesis of a "rockist"—always knowingly closer to the gentle ironicist Alan Bennett, or self-lacerating diarist Kenneth Williams, than a licentious Mick Jagger or drugged-out Jim Morrison.

— Paul A. Woods, 2007.

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. 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

Early solo work: 1988–1991

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; 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 conducted a search of his Manchester home.

Morrissey's first solo performance took place at Wolverhampton'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 and Clive Langer, 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, to which Morrissey responded that "the only contact I ever made with the dead was when I spoke to a journalist from The Sun."

In the 1990s Morrissey sold out The Forum in Los Angeles in fifteen minutes

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 and featured terms from the polari 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, the lead singer of American indie rock band REM. Planning his first solo tour, Morrissey assembled several musicians with a background in rockabilly 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 as his support act 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 or Madonna had done. During the performance, David Bowie 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"; others, such as those of Barbara Ellen in NME, 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.

Changing image: 1992–1995

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; 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 girls, Diana Dors, Elvis Presley, 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.

The York Hall boxing venue, which Morrissey frequented in the mid-1990s

In mid-1993, Morrissey co-wrote his fifth album, Vauxhall and I, with Whyte and Boorer; it was produced by Steve Lillywhite. 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, 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, 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. 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.

Move to Los Angeles: 1995–2003

After his contract with EMI expired, Morrissey signed to RCA. 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 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 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.

The England that I have loved, and I have sung about, and whose death I have sung about, I felt had finally slipped away. And so I was no longer saying, "England is dying." I was beginning to say, "Well, yes, it has died and here's the carcass"—so why hang around?

— Morrissey, on his move to Los Angeles.

Leaving Britain, Morrissey purchased a house in Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles. 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, 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 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 which were then in their infancy.

Comeback: 2004–2009

In 2003, Morrissey signed to Sanctuary Records, where he was given the defunct reggae label Attack Records to use for his next project. Produced by Jerry Finn and recorded in both Los Angeles and Berkshire, 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 and Later with Jools Holland, and gave his first television interview in 17 years on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross; 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".

Morrissey performing in 2006

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, 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, The Cockney Rejects, Lypsinka, The Ordinary Boys, The Libertines, and playwright Alan Bennett. He had unsuccessfully attempted to secure appearances from Brigitte Bardot and Maya Angelou. That year he also performed at several UK music festivals, including Leeds, Reading, and Glastonbury.

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; Morrissey called the album "the most beautiful—perhaps the most gentle—so far". Billboard described the album as showcasing "a thicker, more rock-driven sound".

Morrissey at SXSW in 2006

In December 2007, Morrissey signed a new deal with Decca Records, 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 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. 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 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, and was briefly hospitalised. Following the Swords tour, Morrissey had fulfilled his contractual obligation to Universal Records and was without a record company.

Further studio albums and literary work: 2010–2019

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, Morrissey criticised UK Prime Minister David Cameron 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 and her band were special guests at the Staples Center concert in Los Angeles, and Kristeen Young opened on all nights.

Morrissey during his performance at the Hop Farm Festival 2011

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 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, 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 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", 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", 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 oesophageal cancer.

Morrissey performing at the Royal Albert Hall in March 2018

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 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, prior to the release of his twelfth studio album, a covers album titled California Son.

Two more studio albums, unreleased album and Without Music the World Dies: 2020–present

Morrissey performing in 2023

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.

On 29 October 2022, it was announced that Morrissey would be releasing his fourteenth solo album Bonfire of Teenagers in February 2023 on Capitol Records in the US, although he did not sign with a label for a UK release. The album has eleven songs produced by Andrew Watt and features Red Hot Chili Peppers members Chad Smith and 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 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 claimed in a post on his website that he and Marr had received a "lucrative offer" to tour as the Smiths in 2025. The singer claims he accepted the invitation, but Marr did not respond. Marr did not publicly comment, but had then-recently posted a picture of right wing British politician Nigel Farage to rebuke calls to reunite in the aftermath of Oasis's reunion. Marr previously claimed 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.

Artistry

Lyrics

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 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.

Morrissey Live at SXSW Austin in March 2006

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 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

As a solo performer, Morrissey typically featured older imagery as his stage backdrop, as seen here at a 2011 performance in Berlin

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, 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 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 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.

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 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 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 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 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" 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 [sic] dead. Though that is nothing compared to what happens in McDonald's and 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 'are not us'."

In February 2013, after much speculation, it was reported that the Staples Center 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 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 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 with his band after a 2018 performance at the London Palladium

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, although adding that he "hate sex". 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 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 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 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 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 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 . 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. The London Metropolitan Police investigated Morrissey as a result of the song's lyrics. Following 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 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 was forbidden to like the Smiths, criticising the Prime Minister's hobby of 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 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 UK's referendum on EU membership as "magnificent" and said the BBC had "persistently denigrated" supporters of the 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, a British music magazine, saying: "We do not believe is a racist."

The ones who listen to the entire song, the way I sing it, and my vocal expression know only too well that I'm no racist and glorifier of xenophobia. The phrase "England for the English" is in quotes, so those who call the song racist are not listening. The song tells of the sadness and regret that I feel for anyone joining such a movement .

— Morrissey, on "The National Front Disco" (quoted in 2004).

Various sources accused Morrissey of racism for making reference to the 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 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 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 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 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 UKIP leadership election had been rigged against 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;

My politics are straightforward: I recognize realities. Some realities horrify me, and some do not, but I accept that I was not created so that others might gratify me and delight me with all that they think and do – what a turgid life that would be. I've been offended all of my life, and it has strengthened me, and I am glad. I wouldn't have the journey any other way. Only by hearing the opinions of others can we form truly rational views, and therefore we must never accept a beehive society that refuses to reflect a variety of views.

American politics

At a Dublin concert in June 2004, Morrissey commented on the 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.

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, 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

Morrissey in 2006

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 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 that analysed Morrissey's relationship with the Latino community, theorised that Morrissey's rockabilly influences were seen as a nod to the 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 in Spanish. The 2018 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

Bookish, reclusive-but-pugnacious—avowedly celibate—with an almost Puritan disdain for cheap glamour and armed with a deeply unhealthy interest in language, wit and ideas Morrissey succeeded in perverting pop music for a while and making it that most absurd of things, literary. Some were moved to talk of how much Morrissey owed that blousy Anglo-Irish nineteenth-century torch-singer and stand-up comedian Oscar Wilde, the "first pop star". Arguably, poor Oscar was merely an early failed and somewhat overweight prototype for Morrissey.

— Mark Simpson, 2004.

Morrissey is routinely referred to as an influential artist, both in his solo career and with the Smiths. The BBC has referred to him as "one of the most influential figures in the history of British pop", and NME 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 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 . . . 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 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.

Morrissey performing in 2011

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 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, 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 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" 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". 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 era, including Suede, Blur, Oasis, and 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

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1995 Himself Best British Male Nominated
2005 Nominated

GAFFA Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 Himself Årets Udenlandske Sanger Won
2007 Nominated

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1993 Your Arsenal Best Alternative Music Album Nominated

Ivor Novello Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1998 Himself Outstanding Contribution to British Music Won

Lunas del Auditorio

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2007 Himself Best Foreign Rock Artist Nominated

MOJO Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2004 Himself Icon Award Won
2005 Inspiration Award Nominated

Meteor Music Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 Himself Best International Male Won
2010 Nominated

NME Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1984 Himself Best Songwriter Won
1985 Won
Best Dressed Won
Best Haircut Won
Best Male Singer Won
1986 Won
Most Wonderful Human Being Won
1987 Won
Best Male Singer Won
Safe Sex Won
1988 Favourite NME Cover Of 1988 Won
Most Wonderful Human Being Won
Best Solo Artist Won
1989 Won
1990 Won
1991 Won
1992 Won
2005 Nominated
Hero of the Year Nominated
Hottest Man Nominated
2006 Morrissey: Who Put the M in Manchester Best Music DVD Nominated

PLUG Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2006 Morrissey: Who Put the M in Manchester Best Music DVD of the Year Nominated

Pollstar Concert Industry Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result Ref.
1987 The Smiths Small Hall Tour of the Year Nominated

Q Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
1994 Himself Q Songwriter Award Won
2004 "Irish Blood, English Heart" Best Track Nominated

Rober Awards Music Poll

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2013 "Satellite of Love" Best Cover Version Nominated
2014 Himself Comeback of the Year Won

Personnel

Main article: List of Morrissey band members

Current members

  • Jesse Tobias – guitar (2004–present)
  • 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

Main article: The Smiths discography

Solo

Main article: Morrissey discography

Publications

Publications by Morrissey

Publications with contributions by Morrissey

See also

References

Citations

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