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Older Stuff
posted by
davidt
on Saturday September 13 2008, @09:00AM
Alistair Stevenson writes:
Today's Guardian newspaper (London) includes a story about celebrities remembered by their teachers, that includes Morrissey
Fame Academy - The Guardian They grew up to become stars of stage and screen, of literature and politics, of art and sport. But what were today's celebrities like as children? Did they already have that spark that sets them apart? We track down their former teachers to find out Morrissey (aka Steven Patrick Morrissey) St Marys secondary modern, Stretford, Manchester, 1970-75. Aileen Power, English and art teacher Steven had longish, curly hair, like an art student. I suppose he was reclusive, but the word that springs to mind is reverie - he was in his own world. I don't remember him as being opinionated and he certainly wasn't vociferous. But you realise that maybe things hit home that surfaced later on. I was and am very keen on the pro-life thing, and I showed the children pictures of aborted foetuses. Years later, he attended an anti-abortion rally, and obviously his revulsion for slaughter led him to champion animal rights. Steven had a soft, sonorous voice, and a couple of PE teachers said he was "limp-wristed". In The Headmaster Ritual, he sings about the brutality of his schooldays, but that's dramatisation. He was never in trouble, but the strap was used - probably too much. There was a coldness - if you were going to be punished, you went silently to the housemaster. It was quite brutal. Steven wasn't the cleverest, but he was a deep thinker. He had a feeling for English and literature, as well as for art. He had a sensitivity. I would have expected him to become a poet, but he surprised me with the music because we didn't have a music department. When he played at the Apollo, I wanted to find out what person he'd become. It was surreal, trying to link the artist with the reserved, seemingly strait-laced student. But perhaps he was always simmering, waiting to explode."
posted by
davidt
on Saturday September 13 2008, @09:00AM
An anonymous person writes:
Life after Marriage.
"Six creative partnerships that at some stage all hit the rocks. But which one's winning in the perilous world of The Solo Career?" Morrissey (49) "The dominant half of the greatest rock marriage of our times, Morrissey was closer to his mother than his father and took prescription drugs for depression during his adolescence.In Johnny Marr he found someone-perhaps the only person-whose gift for melody and harmony could match his own brilliantly arresting songs lyrics. After huge success-their studio albums'peak chart positions were 2,1,2 and 2-Marr left, unable to deal with the stress and strain of the relationship any longer.In a 20-year solo career, including four years (1999-2003) without a record contract and characterised by an intense, combative relationship with fans and media alike, no Morrissey solo record has ever charted lower than 8. Neither he nor his former collaborator have ever seriously damaged their legacy, neither will ever run out of cash and both have devoutly loyal supporters who don't expect- or possibly even want The Smiths to reform. The perfect divorce.Morrissey's new album, Years Of Refusal, is out early in september." (ahem) Score:9 Johnny Marr(44) "Johnny Marr wrote-and went on to perfect-the golden rules for departing super-guitarists when he left The Smiths.First up was Electronic, his three-way collaboration with Neil Tennant and Bernard Summer.Huge hits followed.He joined The The to record Mind Bomb (quite possibly their best album) and variously wrote, recorded and toured with The Pretenders, Billy Bragg, Talking Heads, Oasis, Bryan Ferry and Beck. Then there was Johnny Marr and The Healers, the band he formed with Zak Starkey. Since 2006 Marr has been a full-time member of Modest Mouse, even moving to Portland, Oregon to work on the writing and recording of the band's fifth album, "We were dead before the ship even sank". Interestingly, he has recently joined Yorkshire band The Cribs after enjoying touring with them earlier this year, though no relocation to Wakefield has yet been announced. And just in case he gets bored, a new Healers album is "pretty much done". When, we wonder, does he sleep?" Score:8 The other scores: *-Brett Anderson (6) -Bernard Butler (9) *-Pete Doherty(3) -Carl Barat (3) *-Ian Brown (7) -John Squire (2) *Mick jagger (6) -Keith Richards (7) *Robert Plant (9) -Jimmy Page (7)
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