Morrissey

Guide Note

Morrissey is a charismatic English singer and songwriter of Irish descent, who began his career as the lead singer of pioneering 1980s indie rock band The Smiths. He has gone on to have a successful solo career.

Fast Facts

1. Name: Steven Patrick Morrissey
2. Born: May 22, 1959

Influences

Morrissey's own music has come to represent its own sort of undefinable sub-genre, perhaps owing to the diversity of his influences. As a teenager, he was enamored of proto-punk and glam-rock bands, particularly the New York Dolls, whose UK fanclub he ran. He is also a dedicated fan of pop and rock from the 1950s and early 1960s, as well as the British working class punk genre known as "Oi!" His professed tastes also include the soul group Martha and the Vandellas, and singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.

Sexuality

Since the 1983 Smiths track Hand in Glove — which was interpreted to have gay themes, Morrissey's sexuality has been a matter of some fascination for both his fans and the press, heightened by his own seeming obsession with Oscar Wilde. In 1980s interviews, he professed himself to be a dedicated celibate, although 1990s interviews seemed to suggest that this was no longer the case. While Morrissey has maintained that his sex life is not relevant, critics have suggested that sexual ambiguity is actually part of his appeal.