Morrissey Demands Johnny Marr ‘Stop Using My Name as Click-Bait’; Marr Slaps Back With Trump Comparison
variety.comChris Willman Music WriterJust in case it wasn’t abundantly clear for the last 35 years that the Smiths are never, ever getting back together, a war of words has erupted between the group’s former singer and guitarist, Morrissey and Johnny Marr, respectively — although Morrissey devoted 378 words to his seemingly enraged fusillade, and Marr response was a considerably shorter, slyer 37 words.Morrissey (who rarely uses social media except to promote new releases) took to his official website to publish a statement with the headline “Open Letter to Johnny Marr.” It was unclear exactly what set the singer off, although Marr appears on the cover of the new issue of Uncut in England, promoting his new solo album, “Fever Dreams Pts 1-4.” Whatever it was that got Morrissey going, his angry and occasionally bitterly funny response was not what many would characterize as moderate, even though he begins his statement by insisting how calm he is. “This is not a rant or an hysterical bombast,” Morrissey begins. “It is a polite and calmly measured request: Would you please stop mentioning my name in your interviews?
Would you please, instead, discuss your own career, your own unstoppable solo achievements and your own music? If you can, would you please just leave me out of it?”The oft-controversial singer continues: “The fact is: you don’t know me.
You know nothing of my life, my intentions, my thoughts, my feelings. Yet you talk as if you were my personal psychiatrist with consistent and uninterrupted access to my instincts.
We haven’t known each other for 35 years — which is many lifetimes ago. When we met you and I were not successful. We both helped each other become whatever it is we are today.
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