Last month, Johnny Marr of the iconic 80’s band The Smiths celebrated his 47th birthday.
Co-founding The Smiths in 1982 alongside singer Morrissey, Johnny was born John Martin Maher to Irish parents in Manchester.
As a co-writer for The Smiths, Marr contributed to timeless songs such as ‘There is a light that never goes out’, ‘This Charming Man’, and ‘Big Mouth Strikes Again’.
However, he didn’t initially aspire to be a song-writing musical genius. Like many working-class British boys, he dreamt of playing professional soccer.
Nottingham Forest showed interest in him, and he even had trials with his favorite team, Manchester City.
He humorously remarked, “I was considered good enough for City, but they never followed through because I was likely the only player using eye-liner.”
In 1987, Johnny Marr exited The Smiths. Not long after, the band disbanded permanently. It’s clear that The Smiths would have struggled to exist without Marr. While Morrissey has produced some fantastic work as a solo artist—truly remarkable—it’s evident that something melodic and melancholic is missing.
Since departing from The Smiths, Johnny Marr has collaborated and performed with bands such as The The, Modest Mouse, Crowded House, and more recently, The Cribs.
He has also lent his talents on a 12-string guitar to the soundtrack of this year’s blockbuster film, Inception.
by Wallace McTavish
