According to the NME, Morrissey and many, many more artists will have their Desert Island Discs episodes available online to stream. This will commence in April, 2011 and will feature approximately 500 episodes of the long-running radio program.

Full story here:

'Desert Island Discs' archives to be made available online - NME.com
BBC Radio 4 programme has featured the likes of Morrissey and Paul McCartney

Valerie Siebert from The Quietus converses at leisure with David Johansen about the New York Dolls' latest album Dancing Backward In High Heels and Malcolm McLaren and Morrissey.

- ...And how about your own legacy – particularly in the New York scene? What do you see when you survey your kingdom these days – with the new New York scene bands like The Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs who seem quite at home on the cover of fashion mags?

DJ: I think they're great. Whenever I see them on TV or we're on a bill together or something, I think that they're really good and they're good rock'n'roll bands.

Have you met any of them? Have any come forward as fans?

DJ: Yeah, sure I've met them, but I'm sure they wouldn't come forward as fans because that would just make things weird. Don't you think that would be weird? Like if someone comes and says to you 'Wow I'm such a big fan of you' wouldn't you think 'Wow, that's weird?'

Really? But what about Morrissey? He's...

BECAUSE WE MUST

a Smiths & Morrissey night
(+ Brit Pop)
Saturday
March 19th
9pm to 1:30am
18+
$5 (donations)

proceeds benefit
The West End Animal Shelter
http://www.westendshelter.com/

296 West 2nd Street
Pomona, CA 91766
(near The Glasshouse)

DJ sets:
Daniel Sant (Northern Towns/Over My Dead Body)

Rob Moran (NRWS/Some Girls/Unbroken)

XfurnX (amoeba records and all around good dude)

Confirmed for Saturday, July 2 at the Hop Farm Festival site

Saturday July 2 lineup:
MORRISSEY
LOU REED
IGGY & THE STOOGES
PATTI SMITH
NEWTON FAULKNER
BROTHER
MARY COUGHLAN

BIG TENT
NOISETTES•GANG OF FOUR
THE BLUETONES
PARIS RIOTS

BREAD & ROSES STAGE
THE LEISURE SOCIETY
BRIGID POWER RYCE

Full lineup (3 MB PDF)

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Rumored earlier in this forum thread.

Press release:

New Smiths Tribute in the works from American Laundromat Records

The Wedding Present, Greg Laswell, Doug Martsch (Built To Spill), William Fitzsimmons, Sara Lov, Trespassers William, Tanya Donelly, and others on board to cover The Smiths

Mystic, CT – March 1, 2011; American Laundromat Records (ALR) is proud to announce plans to release a Smiths tribute CD titled Please, Please, Please: a tribute to The Smiths. The CD will feature newly-recorded covers by The Wedding Present, Greg Laswell, Doug Martsch (Built To Spill), William Fitzsimmons, Trespassers William, The Rest, Katy Goodman (La Sera, Vivian Girls), The Leisure Society, Joy Zipper, Tanya Donelly and many other outstanding artists. The CD is slotted for Autumn 2011 worldwide release.

Confirmed Artists (in alphabetical order) / Track Covering
Cinerama / London
Class Actress / Ask
Dala / Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
Doug Martsch...

From Mary Coughlan and her band's Facebook page:


Here is a backstage photo (not great quality)...


Check out the back of Morrissey's head here on youtube...

Ex-Smiths Guitarist Johnny Marr Planning Two Solo Releases - Billboard.com

Excerpt:

Johnny Marr, the former songwriter and guitarist in the Smiths, is planning a return to front man status.

After stints performing with Cribs and Modest Mouse, Marr plans to release two albums within the next 18 months under his own name.

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Also, from GlasgowChivas, confirmation on Johnny Marr's Twitter that he will tour:

@Johnny_Marr:
@cjcole01 I'm going to tour in the Fall/ Autumn

Press release:

THE JD SET IS BACK IN MANCHESTER!

MANI AND FRIENDS HONOUR THE SMITHS AT BAND ON THE WALL

The JD Set returns to Manchester’s Band On The Wall where Mancunian legend MANI and a host of friends will pay tribute to one of the city’s defining acts on 12th May 2011. Taking songs from across THE SMITHS five albums Mani will be joined by Tom Clarke of The Enemy, Little Barrie and ones to watch The Moons. With so many great tunes to choose from there are sure to be debates about what Mani’s supergroup should play. Keep an eye on www.thejdset.co.uk for more details and to view rehearsal footage in April to see what makes the cut. Mani said of this unique and very special night:

"I chose The Smiths on two levels really, geographically and musically. I am a fiercely proud Mancunian and fiercely proud of the musical output of the great city.

The Smiths are just one of many musical icons that Manchester has provided to the...