Morrissey has announced that he “has no choice” but to put up for sale the entirety of his business interests in the Smiths “to any interested party/investor”.
The deal, made in apparent seriousness on his website, Morrissey Solo, in a post titled “A Soul for Sale”, would include the band’s name and artwork, which he created, as well as his share of merchandising rights, lyrical and musical compositions, synchronisation, recordings and publishing contractual rights.
In a statement, Morrissey wrote that he was “burnt out by any and all connections” to his former bandmates, Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce and the late Andy Rourke.
“I have had enough of malicious associations,” he continued. “With my entire life I have paid my rightful dues to these songs and these images. I would now like to live disassociated from those who wish me nothing but ill will and destruction, and this is the only resolution.
“The songs are me – they are no one else – but they bring with them business communications that go to excessive lengths to create as much dread and spite year after year. I must now protect myself, especially my health.”
Serious investors, Morrissey wrote, should email eaves7760@gmail.com to inquire – although the email address doesn’t seem to exist, generating an automated bounce back response.
Morrissey shares 50% of the rights to the Smiths with Marr. Whether the brand retains its value to investors without Morrissey as an active participant to help market it remains to be seen.
Representatives for Marr and Joyce declined to comment when contacted by the Guardian.
It is unclear what annual business communications are being referred to by Morrissey. Joyce recently announced the publication of a “no-holds-barred” memoir, The Drums, this November.
Johnny Marr has previously said that he declined an “eye-watering” offer for the Smiths to re-form. “It was a little bit about principles, but I’m not an idiot, I just think the vibe’s not right,” he said, referencing the evident political and personal differences between him and Morrissey.
In 2024, Marr rubbished Morrissey’s claim that he had acquired the rights to the Smiths’ trademark “without any consultation”. Morrissey said that Marr owned the copyright which would allow the group to tour with a new vocalist.
Marr said this was incorrect. A spokesperson said on his behalf: “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 and 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.”
He denied that he was planning to tour under the Smiths name with a different singer, and had also turned down an offer from Warner Music Group to release a new Smiths compilation “given the number in existence”.
Morrissey’s apparently dire situation may have been influenced by the evidently unsuccessful attempt to reform the Smiths, as well as the difficulties he has faced in releasing his 14th solo album, Bonfire of Teenagers, which remains on the backburner.
He has previously said he was “gagged” owing to the subject of its title track, the 2017 terrorist attack on an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester that killed 22 people.
He has been performing the song since 2022. It features lyrics about how “The silly people sing Don’t Look Back in Anger / And the morons swing and say Don’t Look Back in Anger / I can assure you I will look back in anger ’til the day I die,” a reference to the street singalongs of the Oasis track after the bombing. The song concludes with Morrissey singing “go easy on the killer”.
He was dropped by his former label BMG in November 2020 and blamed the split on the label’s “new plans for ‘diversity’”. At the time, BMG declined to comment on whether the decision had anything to do with the musician’s contentious statements about race and sexual assault.
Bonfire of Teenagers has been completed since May 2021. His new deal with Capitol should have seen the album released in February 2023. However, at the end of 2022, he said he had “voluntarily” split from Capitol and his management team, and claimed that the label was “holding on to” the record.
In April 2024, he said he had bought back the rights to the record but alleged that “every major label in London” had refused it “while also admitting that it is a masterpiece”.
He has called the record “the best album of my life” and said the “madly insane efforts to silence the album are somehow indications of its power. Otherwise, who would bother to get so overheated about an inconspicuous recluse?”
