Morrissey has announced he is putting his entire business stake in The Smiths up for sale, citing exhaustion with ongoing conflicts with his former bandmates. The announcement was made on Morrissey Central.
The statement outlined his decision to sell all business interests related to the iconic band due to ongoing tensions with former members.
“A soul for sale: Morrissey has no choice but to offer for sale all of his business interests in ‘The Smiths’ to any interested party / investor,” he said.
The sale would include comprehensive rights to the band’s legacy and creative output.
“This would include Morrissey’s full and exclusive rights to: 1. The name ‘The Smiths’, as created by Morrissey. 2. All Smiths artwork, as created by Morrissey. 3. All Smiths merchandising rights. 4. All Smiths songs lyrically / musically. 5. All synchronisation rights. 6. All Smiths recordings. 7. All contractual rights for Smiths publishing,” he continued.
Morrissey explained his motivation for the decision, expressing frustration with his former bandmates.
“I am burnt out by any and all connections to Marr, Rourke, Joyce. I have had enough of malicious associations,” he said. “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.”
He also cited health concerns as a factor in his decision.
“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,” he said. “I must now protect myself, especially my health.”
The announcement marks a significant development in the ongoing disputes between Morrissey and his former Smiths bandmates.
This latest move comes amid a long history of tensions between the former bandmates, particularly regarding financial and creative control of the band’s legacy.
American Songwriter reported that Johnny Marr recently revealed he declined a lucrative offer to reunite The Smiths for a tour. The guitarist stated he turned down what he described as “an eye-watering amount of money” because he felt “the vibe’s not right.”
“I’m not an idiot, I just think the vibe’s not right. Bad vibe. It was an eye-watering amount of money,” Marr said, explaining his preference to focus on his current musical pursuits instead.
The dispute over The Smiths’ name and trademark has been particularly contentious between Morrissey and Marr. The Independent noted that Marr has previously refuted Morrissey’s claims regarding copyright and trademark ownership of The Smiths’ name. Marr explained that he registered the trademark solely under his name to protect it from a third-party attempt.
Despite this registration, Wikipedia documented that Marr had agreed to share ownership with Morrissey. This highlights the complex legal and business relationships that have continued to strain their post-band relationship. The ongoing disputes have prevented any potential reunion and have now led to Morrissey’s decision to completely divest from the band’s business interests.
