The singer claimed that Marr ignored an offer to reunite the band, while the guitarist said that he actually turned down the proposal.
Morrissey decided to fire his managers after several of his claims about The Smiths were disputed by Johnny Marr. In a new post on his blog, this Thursday, the 19th, the singer announced: “Morrissey severed all connections with Red Light Management/Pete Galli Management.”
The artist accused Marr to ignore a lucrative offer to gather the The Smithsin addition to “blocking” the release of reissues of the band’s albums and registering the brand alone. Last Tuesday, the 17th, the guitarist used Instagram to speak out:
View this photo on InstagramA post shared by Johnny Marr (@johnnymarrgram)
A statement from the agents of Johnny Marr:
Recent statements made by Morrissey on their website about the trademark The Smiths are incorrect.
Here are the facts:
In 2018, after a third party attempted to use the name of the The Smiths — and upon discovering that the brand did not belong to the band —, Marr contacted Morrisseythrough their representatives, to work together to protect the name of The Smiths.
A failure to respond led Marr to register the trademark alone. It was then agreed with the lawyers of Morrissey that the trademark was registered for the mutual benefit of Morrissey and Marr.
As a gesture of goodwill, in January 2024, Marr signed a joint ownership agreement with Morrissey. The execution of this document still requires the signature of Morrissey.
Regarding the brand and to respond to recent news that Marr ignored a promoter’s offer to tour as The Smiths, Marr he said:
‘To prevent third parties from profiting from the band’s name, the legacy was left to me to protect. What I did was for my own and my former bandmates’ benefit.
As for the tour offer, I didn’t ignore it — I said no.
Furthermore, speculations about Johnny Marr tour as The Smiths with a different singer are not true. There are no plans for that.
Johnny Marr also confirms that he rejected a suggestion to make a greatest hits compilation from Warner Music Group, given the number already in existence.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
