Ex-The Smiths frontman Morrissey fires management team

The bad blood continues… Please, Please, Please, Let it stop. 

Following the release of a statement by Johnny Marr’s management refuting claims that he owed “100 per cent trademark rights” to The Smiths’ name, his ex-bandmate Morrissey has fired his management team.  

The former The Smiths singer announced the news on his website with a sober: “Morrissey has severed all connections with Red Light Management/Pete Galli Management.” 

No further details were given.

In recent weeks, Morrissey has made a series of accusations aimed at his former bandmate, claiming that Marr ignored an offer for a 2025 tour, that the guitarist blocked the release of a greatest hits album titled ‘Smiths Rule OK!’, and that Marr owns the copyright to the band’s name, an action that was done “without any consultation to Morrissey, and without allowing Morrissey the standard opportunity of ‘objection’.” In Morrissey’s eyes, this would allow the group to tour with a new frontman.

However, Marr and his management team debunked all of these statements, stating that Marr had not “ignored” an offer to reunite The Smiths, he had rejected it. It also came to light that Marr had reached out to Morrissey in 2018 via representatives after a third party had attempted to use the Smiths name.  “A failure to respond” led to Marr registering the trademark himself. There was, however, a subsequent agreement with Morrissey’s lawyers that the trademark was “held for the mutual benefit” of both parties.

“Additionally, speculation about Johnny Marr touring with a different singer as The Smiths is not true. There are no such plans,” added the statement.

The Smiths broke up in 1987 after six years together and four albums: ‘The Smiths’ (1984), ‘Meat Is Murder’ (1985), ‘The Queen Is Dead’ (1986), and ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’ (1987).

Since disbanding, both Marr and Morrissey have had numerous disputes, particularly over their different political views.

Morrissey has divided fans with comments praising Brexiteer Nigel Farage, his praise for far-right anti-Islam activist Tommy Robinson, his comments referring to Hitler as ‘left wing’, as well as advocating for far right political party For Britain, which was founded by the anti-Islam activist Anne Marie Waters.