Morrissey (born 22 May 1959) is an English singer, songwriter and author. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the indie rock band The Smiths, which was active from 1982 to 1987. Since then, Morrissey has had a solo career, making the top ten of the UK Singles Chart on ten occasions.
As a child he developed a love of literature, kitchen sink realism and popular music. Involved in Manchester's punk rock scene during the late 1970s, he fronted two punk bands, The Nosebleeds and Slaughter & The Dogs, with little success. With Johnny Marr he established The Smiths in 1982, soon attracting national recognition for their self-titled debut album. As the band's frontman, Morrissey attracted attention both for his intelligent, witty, and sardonic lyrics and his idiosyncratic appearance; deliberately avoiding rock machismo, he cultivated the aesthetic of a social outsider who eschewed drugs and embraced celibacy.
The Smiths released five further albums – including the critically acclaimed Meat is Murder and The Queen is Dead – and had a string of hit singles. Personal differences between Morrissey and Marr resulted in The Smiths' separation in 1987.
Highly influential, Morrissey is widely credited as being a seminal figure in the emergence of indie rock and Britpop. He has been acclaimed as one of the greatest lyricists in British history, with his lyrics having become the subject of academic study. However, his forthright opinions – endorsing vegetarianism and animal rights, condemning royalty and prominent politicians, and questioning issues of British national and cultural identity – have courted controversy.
Morrissey captured by Jill Furmanovsky at her London studio in December 1983, during the early days of The Smiths
Early image of The Smiths on a shoot in 1983 on the outskirts of Manchester
Morrissey and Johnny Marr of The Smiths photographed in London in 1983 just after they first signed to the legendary Rough Trade Records.
Morrissey wields a protestor’s placard bearing the title of The Smiths anarchic ‘Queen is Dead’ tour and album in Manchester,1986
Cat was renowned for his playing in the extreme high register. He claimed that he developed his screaming high notes to impress the girls.
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Colour image of Pink Floyd performing during their British Winter tour in 1974
The Arctic Monkeys photographed by Kevin Westenberg at the Palácio da Justiça, Lisbon for Mojo Magazine in September 2022.
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Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.
Jill Furmanovsky is one of the greatest ever rock & roll photographers with a huge archive of iconic shots of the world's best music artists
Discover our specially curated collection of limited edition prints from renowned music photographer Gered Mankowitz
Our contact sheet print collection is a rare opportunity to look back at the hidden moments surrounding some of rocks most iconic images.
