Johnny Marr's Management response to Morrissey's allegations (September 17, 2024)

A statement from Johnny Marr's management:

Recent statements made by Morrissey on his website regarding the trademark of
The Smiths' name are incorrect.

Here are the facts:

In 2018, following an attempt by a third party to use The Smiths' name - and upon
discovery that the trademark was not owned by the band - Marr reached out to
Morrissey, via his representatives, to work together in protecting The Smiths' name.

A failure to respond led Marr to register the trademark himself.
It was subsequently agreed with Morrissey's lawyers that this trademark was held
for the mutual benefit of Morrissey & Marr.

As a gesture of goodwill, in January 2024, Marr signed an assignment of joint
ownership to Morrissey. Execution of this document still requires Morrissey to sign.

In the interests of accuracy and clarity regarding the trademark, and to answer
recent reports that Marr ignored a promoter's offer to tour as The Smiths, Marr says:

"To prevent third parties from profiting from the band's name, it was left to me
to protect the legacy. This I have done on behalf of both myself and my former
bandmates."

"As for the offer to tour, I didn't ignore the offer - I said no."

Additionally, speculation about Johnny Marr touring with a different singer as
The Smiths is not true. There are no such plans.

Johnny Marr also confirms that he declined a suggestion for another greatest hits
compilation from Warner Music Group given the number already in existence.

---

Related items:

• Morrissey Central: "THE PLOT THICKENS" - September 15, 2024
• Morrissey Central: "SMITHS NOT OK" - September 11, 2024
• Morrissey Central: "WAR IS OLD, ART IS YOUNG" - August 29, 2024

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

You haven't yet acknowledged that what Morrissey did was intentionally deceptive and wrong. In fact, you continue to defend him. Good people don't do that.

You didn’t see my reply to Johnny’s management statement in the other thread then. And again I didn’t mischaracterize Marr as you falsely accused me of. Now apologize.

And good people understand where others go wrong.

 

[Dead Girl]

Thank you. A clarity, that will never come from Morrissey or his management. People who have insulted Marr because of Morrissey's poor accusations should be ashamed of themselves.

I feel really bad now because I called Johnny a c*nt when I read the original statement from Moz. Oops. Well, I'm not one who won't admit I was wrong and apologize so... Sorry for jumping to conclusions Johnny.

 

[Phranc & Open]

I feel really bad now because I called Johnny a c*nt when I read the original statement from Moz. Oops. Well, I'm not one who won't admit I was wrong and apologize so... Sorry for jumping to conclusions Johnny.

You have my utmost respect for formulating something like this seriously here. Some of the Morrissey fans on X are having a nervous breakdown. It's unclear whether it's because of the overwhelming evidence or because their idol looks like a caught child. FiDo, for example, takes refuge in more ghost stories rather than in discussion.

 

[Anonymous]

So Morrissey didn't turn up for every single thing. The guy suffered from depression and these incidents were not exactly happening every week. Morrissey contributed all the lyrics, all the singing and the vast majority of the press interviews. He was the public face of the band. When Marr walked out, he basically dumped all responsibility on Morrissey to negotiate with the record company and sort out the financial situation.

You don’t get it. That’s how you leave an abusive relationship- you leave and you don’t look back. No contact, you run. Even 40 years later Morrissey is still being abusive to Johnny, getting his brainwashed fans such as yourself to heap abuse on him. No wonder Johnny won’t take the money, no matter how much.

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

I both love Moz as a person AND see him as a liar.

Marr seems more honest, though he isn't as interesting and his music isn't as exciting.

Yes, yes, and yes. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Everyone does lie!
Morrissey is not special in that department!
He's also a brutally honest person with strong views that he stands firmly by. I admire that about him. It could be because I myself am a brutally honest person, (unfortunately) to a fault -- Well, I get told that I am, at least -- I just don't like to sugar coat things. It's why I stay very quiet in most in-person conversations, and that could be why I have no friends. I feel for him because I think I'm...
(new-fan-cliche warning!!! )
a little bit like him.

 

[Phranc & Open]

Yes, yes, and yes. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Everyone does lie!
Morrissey is not special in that department!
He's also a brutally honest person with strong views that he stands firmly by. I admire that about him. It could be because I myself am a brutally honest person, (unfortunately) to a fault -- Well, I get told that I am, at least -- I just don't like to sugar coat things. It's why I stay very quiet in most in-person conversations, and that could be why I have no friends. I feel for him because I think I'm...
(new-fan-cliche warning!!! )
a little bit like him.

Wow! A manifesto on the lie! Listen all you people, Morrisey is just like all of us and especially like Ashley. Did you walk behind him at the soundcheck and touch him?

 

[Mimi Ramone]

Everything happened very much as expected, unfortunately. I knew Morrissey would keep childishly pushing and pushing until someone finally would say something.With all the rumours Johnny really could not stay silent forever. Johnny handled it in the most professional way, just keeping it formal and fact oriented. I really don't know why Morrissey does this to his career, he really seems to be seriously mentally ill and just can not help himself, because nobody in their right mind would be that crazy and run himself to the ground on purpose and more than one time. It's just baffling, Der Spiegel, Bonfire/Capitol, now this - he must know, that the other side can produce facts and will do when pushed enough. And what now? He has gained absolutely nothing positive from it. Nothing. Exposed himself as a liar and paranoid lunatic (again), made Johnny even more popular as the guardian and the sane one of the Smiths and the chance that a label would take him on is shrinking even more. I don't get why his super fans call that brutally honest, when he is lying and sabotaging himself. That's not witty nor funny nor artsy, that is seriously ill.

 

[Thewlis]

Wow! A manifesto on the lie! Listen all you people, Morrisey is just like all of us and especially like Ashley. Did you walk behind him at the soundcheck and touch him?

Or are you a child from those ugly new houses
Who could never begin to know
Who could never really know

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

Wow! A manifesto on the lie! Listen all you people, Morrisey is just like all of us and especially like Ashley. Did you walk behind him at the soundcheck and touch him?

It's truly ground breaking stuff!!!

 

[Thewlis]

Everything happened very much as expected, unfortunately. I knew Morrissey would keep childishly pushing and pushing until someone finally would say something.With all the rumours Johnny really could not stay silent forever. Johnny handled it in the most professional way, just keeping it formal and fact oriented. I really don't know why Morrissey does this to his career, he really seems to be seriously mentally ill and just can not help himself, because nobody in their right mind would be that crazy and run himself to the ground on purpose and more than one time. It's just baffling, Der Spiegel, Bonfire/Capitol, now this - he must know, that the other side can produce facts and will do when pushed enough. And what now? He has gained absolutely nothing positive from it. Nothing. Exposed himself as a liar and paranoid lunatic (again), made Johnny even more popular as the guardian and the sane one of the Smiths and the chance that a label would take him on is shrinking even more. I don't get why his super fans call that brutally honest, when he is lying and sabotaging himself. That's not witty nor funny nor artsy, that is seriously ill.

True, and like you say he’s been like this forever.

Just like he will keep cancelling shows without explanation and he will keep getting rid of band members without explaining and he will keep fighting with record companies and managers and so forth.

It seems really strange to me that (longtime) fans want/except him to change, so futile.
I will not change and I will not be nice.

Just enjoy the music, or don’t, or else move on (or don’t), it’s really that simple.

 

[Phranc & Open]

It's truly ground breaking stuff!!!

What's wrong with a sweet little lie? Come on? We all do it now and then. Don't be too harsh on Morrissey, because of that. Is that, what you wanted to say?

 

[Seymour Glass]

Why this sudden obsession with the Smiths? Isn't "Smiths dead"? He really needs to shut up and put out some new music already.

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

What's wrong with a sweet little lie? Come on? We all do it now and then. Don't be too harsh on Morrissey, because of that. Is that, what you wanted to say?

Hm? Eh? I said all I wanted to say.

 

[Katsneezle]

Yes, yes, and yes. I couldn't have said it better myself.

Everyone does lie!
Morrissey is not special in that department!
He's also a brutally honest person with strong views that he stands firmly by. I admire that about him. It could be because I myself am a brutally honest person, (unfortunately) to a fault -- Well, I get told that I am, at least -- I just don't like to sugar coat things. It's why I stay very quiet in most in-person conversations, and that could be why I have no friends. I feel for him because I think I'm...
(new-fan-cliche warning!!! )
a little bit like him.

Sorry Ashley, but you don't look enough like a young Johnny Marr to stand a chance with the Mozzer.

 

[Young And Alive]

Why this sudden obsession with the Smiths? Isn't "Smiths dead"? He really needs to shut up and put out some new music already.

His unreleased music won't see the light of day because he refuses to self-release it.

The only way he could get his career back on track is to resurrect The Smiths, but now that's dead in the water (in truth, it already was). The idea of reforming The Smiths was the only reliable fall back Morrissey had. It was the only thing that would reignite interest in him from people who don't like him anymore. Think about it - if you are someone who thinks he is racist and his latter material has been poor, you would nevertheless be interested if Johnny has agreed to share a stage with him again. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. You might dislike the things Morrissey has said, but if Johnny has forgiven him to the extent that he's agreed to reform The Smiths with him, then you'd give Morrissey the benefit of the doubt.

So what now? Well, if I was Morrissey, I'd u-turn on not self-releasing. Get the music out there.

Make the set lists more appealing to the fans. And do not - under any circumstances - cancel shows. If you announce a show, you turn up and give 100%. No exceptions. No walking off stage because it's too cold, or because someone who's had too much to drink heckles you. Heckle them back. Then play Back to the Old House followed by Playboys. Remind people who you are and what you have in your arsenal.

Stop blaming everyone else for the decline in your career. If you cannot open your mouth without whining, then do not speak.

Ditch Donnie Nutcase, let Jesse go and bring back Alain. Tour UK/Europe and ask Boz if he'd like to make any special guest appearances.

Publicly apologise to Johnny and take him up on his offer to co-sign for The Smiths trademark. Mend your bridges with him privately and who knows what might happen as regards a collaboration in a year or two.

If you do not support Farage, say so. If you do not support far right politics, say so.

All of the above is what needs to happen - but I sincerely doubt any of it will. Morrissey is incapable of admitting when he's wrong, incapable of apologising and incapable of taking responsibility for anything.

He managed to find a way through this in the past because he was still writing decent songs and he still had a support network around him, not least his mother. But she has gone, and he's alienated a lot of the people close to him who used to like him.

The current situation is way, way worse than aftermath of The Smiths' split and way, way worse than the 1997-2004 wilderness years.

 

[sparacus]

You don’t get it. That’s how you leave an abusive relationship- you leave and you don’t look back. No contact, you run. Even 40 years later Morrissey is still being abusive to Johnny, getting his brainwashed fans such as yourself to heap abuse on him. No wonder Johnny won’t take the money, no matter how much.

This is incredibly unfair to Morrissey. Whatever you may think of him now, think about the Morrissey of the 1980s. He was a sensitive, shy, lonely young man who found an outlet in the Smiths, in writing and singing. Marr was an outgoing, confident lad-type, as were the other Smiths. The idea that shy, insecure Morrissey was some kind of domineering, bullying abuser is bizarre really.

 

[Young And Alive]

This is incredibly unfair to Morrissey. Whatever you may think of him now, think about the Morrissey of the 1980s. He was a sensitive, shy, lonely young man who found an outlet in the Smiths, in writing and singing. Marr was an outgoing, confident lad-type, as were the other Smiths. The idea that shy, insecure Morrissey was some kind of domineering, bullying abuser is bizarre really.

Being shy and insecure is not mutually exclusive with being abusive.

A lot of abusers abuse from a position of insecurity with themselves.

Morrissey's problem is that he thought he owned Johnny and that, no matter how much he pushed Johnny (whether by making him pick up the slack when it came to firing people, or when Morrissey wouldn't turn up at the studio or for video shoots, or whatever it may be) he mustn't take anything back.

In a nutshell, Morrissey clearly felt it was fine for him to act like a dick with no responsibility to anyone else, but Marr was forbidden from doing the same. Someone to sack? Johnny will do it. Can't be arsed going to the studio? Johnny will deal with it. No manager? Johnny can handle it.

If Morrissey had been under 1% of the stress Marr was under by 1986/87 then he would have quit the band too.

Refusing to hire a manager and making Johnny do all the legwork that a manager should have been doing was extremely disrespectful to Johnny, as well as being impractical. It's no wonder Johnny burnt out and the band fell apart.

 

[Katsneezle]

This is incredibly unfair to Morrissey. Whatever you may think of him now, think about the Morrissey of the 1980s. He was a sensitive, shy, lonely young man who found an outlet in the Smiths, in writing and singing. Marr was an outgoing, confident lad-type, as were the other Smiths. The idea that shy, insecure Morrissey was some kind of domineering, bullying abuser is bizarre really.

Morrissey is a professional gaslighter. He was a genius at projecting that sad, shy image through his lyrics, looks, photos, interviews. It's a facade that everyone fell for, including myself. I've come to see that he's a viper: manipulative, self-serving and without conscience. How else do you cancel a whole tour that people have saved up their money for and never apologize?

Read up on Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Read up on Narcissistic Abuse. This is exactly what happened with Morrissey and Marr. Remember that Johnny was just 18 when the band started and Morrissey was 5 years older.

 

[Mimi Ramone]

True, and like you say he’s been like this forever.

Just like he will keep cancelling shows without explanation and he will keep getting rid of band members without explaining and he will keep fighting with record companies and managers and so forth.

It seems really strange to me that (longtime) fans want/except him to change, so futile.
I will not change and I will not be nice.

Just enjoy the music, or don’t, or else move on (or don’t), it’s really that simple.

I am really not up for a discussion with super apologising fans, that make it their mission to protect their Mozi at any cost. It's been debated on here to death. Everyone has different opinions and motives why they are here and that's fine. Deal with it (or don't). It's really that simple. For me, I don't and didn't expect him to change, on the contrary, I know that he is a self sabotaging train wreck and am seriously baffled, how much and wholeheartedly and and on purpose one can sabotage himself in an always revolving same pattern. But the discrepancy between what he is roaring up his fans with and what are facts is so massive, that he must have lost all grip on reality. The super fans are in a toxic parasocial relationship with him, they are being lied to, they are being treated poorly with cancellations without apology etc. and Mozi has to do absolutely nothing, because those people justify it for him. But I repeat, I (sadly) don't expect him to change, but I am not sugar coating what he is either, a seemingly not very nice and self centered person, that is loosing his grip on reality more and more. And yes, it's his life to wreck his own way (). That's fine. I am just observing.

 

[dallow_bg]

The people in the gay community who would appreciate his acknowledgement and support probably disagree. That would hurt his career but farm animals? He is there for them, 100%

Morrissey is always #1 with farm animals.