The Smiths Showbiz and Celebrity Breaking News

Morrissey has announced plans for a tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of his music career.The jaunt dubbed the ’40 Years Of Morrissey’ tour, will kick off in Mexico City on September 10 before calling at venues in Peru, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil.From there, the former Smiths frontman will head to North America, performing several shows in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Washington DC and New York.He will conclude his tour stateside with a four-night residency at New York City’s United Palace, which wraps up on October 25. You can view the full list of dates below.A pre-sale for Morrissey’s 40th anniversary tour will begin tomorrow, (June 22) at 10am local time before tickets will go on general sale on Friday (June 23).

Morrissey has accused Capitol Records of “fascism” after the label shelved his latest album ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’.The controversy around the album stems back to 2022, when the singer-songwriter and former Smiths frontman revealed that he had “voluntarily withdrawn from any association with Capitol Records” — despite announcing that he would be releasing the LP with them just two months earlier.He also revealed that Miley Cyrus — who recorded backing vocals for ‘Bonfire’ track ‘I Am Veronica’ in 2020 — had asked to have her vocals removed from the song.Both severed partnerships came in relation to the musician’s political stance and his support for controversial far-right anti-Islam political party For Britain, which he previously wore a badge for during a 2019 television appearance.Upon announcing his departure from Capitol, the label seemingly shelved ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’ in February, and the album remains unreleased. Now, in a new statement released on his website, Morrissey has accused the brand of “fascism” and having a “creeping culture of censorship”.“It’s a clear display of how censorian the music industry has become.

Noel Gallagher has spoken about working with Johnny Marr on his new album ‘Council Skies‘ – hailing the former Smiths turned solo star as “the G.O.A.T.”The pair have long been friends and collaborators – with Marr contributing to Oasis‘ 2002 album ‘Heathen Chemistry’ as well as playing on The High Flying Birds‘ ‘Ballad Of The Mighty I’ in 2015 and ‘If Love Is The Law’ from 2017. They teamed up again for three songs on Gallagher’s new album ‘Council Skies’, namely lead single ‘Pretty Boy’ along with ‘Open the Door, See What You Find’ and the title track.“Sadly, we’ve never sat down to write a song,” Gallagher told NME for the latest in our In Conversation series.

Lewis Capaldi’s new album ‘Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent’ is already outselling the rest of the Official Albums Chart Top 20 combined, and set to reach the Number One spot.The album arrived last Friday (May 19) and marked the second full-length LP from the Scottish singer-songwriter.

Smiths drummer Mike Joyce appeared on BBC Breakfast today (May 21) to pay tribute to his late bandmate Andy Rourke.Rourke died after “a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer”, confirmed a statement from bandmate Johnny Marr on Friday (May 19). He was 59 years old.Since then, tributes from across the music industry have poured in, with Joyce himself hailing Rourke’s “perpetual” musical legacy, while Morrissey said of Rourke: “I just hope … wherever Andy has gone … that he’s OK.

New Order and Joy Division co-founder Peter Hook ran the AJ Bell Great Manchester Run this morning (May 21) in honour of The Smiths’ Andy Rourke.Rourke died earlier this week after “a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer”. He was 59.Speaking to BBC Sport after completing the Great Manchester Run, Hook told host Jeanette Kwakye that: “I lost a really good friend this week, Andy Rourke from The Smiths.

Johnny Marr and his late Smiths bandmate Andy Rourke reuniting on stage last year, following the news of his death.Rourke died after “a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer”, confirmed a statement from Marr this morning (May 19). He was 59 years old.Last year, Rourke made a guest appearance at one of Marr’s New York City shows, joining Marr on stage at Madison Square Garden when supporting The Killers to play ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ and ‘How Soon Is Now?’.See footage from the show below.We got a mini-Smiths reunion at Madison Square Garden! Johnny Marr just brought up Andy Rourke for There Is A Light That Never Goes Out@mainlyoasis pic.twitter.com/irPi6lNR5L— Robbie Fox (@RobbieBarstool) October 1, 2022After the on-stage reunion, the pair then went on to reunite for their first new song in 35 years with Blitz Vega, the band comprising Rourke and ex-Happy Mondays guitarist Kav Blaggers.Upon the release of the new song, Rourke reflected on reuniting with his old bandmate.

Morrissey has paid tribute to former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke following the news of his death.Rourke died after “a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer”, confirmed a statement from Johnny Marr this morning (May 19). He was 59 years old.Expressing his “deep sadness” over his passing, Marr added: “Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans.”The soloist has since shared a longer message, in which he described Rourke as “one of those rare people that absolutely no one doesn’t like”. Marr went on to say that he’d “be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by everyone who knew him”.Elsewhere, ex-Smiths drummer Mike Joyce hailed Rourke as “not only the most talented bass player I’ve ever had the privilege to play with but the sweetest, funniest lad I’ve ever met”.He continued: “Andy’s left the building, but his musical legacy is perpetual.

Andy Rourke, the bassist in seminal British indie rock band The Smiths, has died age 59. The news was announced on Friday by Rourke's former bandmate Johnny Marr, who paid tribute to "a kind and beautiful soul" and confirmed Rourke passed away following a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. In his statement, Marr wrote: "It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Andy Rourke after a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer.

Smiths drummer Mike Joyce has paid tribute to his ex-bandmate Andy Rourke, following the news of his passing.Rourke died after “a lengthy illness with pancreatic cancer”, confirmed a statement from Johnny Marr this morning (May 19). He was 59 years old.Expressing his “deep sadness” over his death, Marr added: “Andy will be remembered as a kind and beautiful soul by those who knew him and as a supremely gifted musician by music fans.”Rourke formed The Smiths in Manchester with Marr, Morrissey and Joyce back in 1982.Writing on Twitter today, the latter hailed Rourke as “not only the most talented bass player I’ve ever had the privilege to play with but the sweetest, funniest lad I’ve ever met”.Joyce continued: “Andy’s left the building, but his musical legacy is perpetual.

Twitter.Rourke befriended Marr when he was 11 years old, with the two regularly jamming together in their teenage years before forming The Smiths with frontman Morrisey and drummer Mike Joyce in 1982.The Manchester native was a key band member until their 1987 breakup, before the release of their fourth studio album “Strangeways, Here We Come.”Rourke continued to work with Morrissey on his solo project and performed alongside artists Sinéad O’Connor, The Pretenders, Badly Drawn Boy, and guitarist Aziz Ibrahim, according to CNN.Bassist Mat Osman of Suede praised Rourke’s unique talent as he mourned the rocker.“A total one-off – a rare bassist whose sound you could recognise straight away. I remember so clearly playing that Barbarism break over and over, trying to learn the riff, and marvelling at this steely funk driving the track along,” the rocker tweeted.“I am so saddened to hear this news! Andy was a superb musician and a lovely guy,” longtime Smiths producer Stephen Street tweeted.“I first met Andy aged 17 @simonWolstencr1 party.

The Smiths, has died. He was 59.Rourke’s death was announced today (May 19) by former bandmate Johnny Marr on social media.

Johnny Marr has announced a series of headline shows, set to take place across the UK later this year.Announced today (April 25), the new tour will feature eight stops at venues across the UK and work around the numerous festival appearances the former Smiths guitarist is already set to play.The tour spans throughout summer 2023, and will kick off with a performance at the Picturedrome in Holmfirth on July 17. From there, Marr will embark on shows in Lincoln, Northampton and Tunbridge Wells for the remainder of the month, before playing four more gigs in August.These will feature sets in Wrexham, Frome and Plymouth, before ending with a show at the Empire in Middlesbrough on August 25.

Johnny Marr has announced an upcoming photo book, “a labour of love” that celebrates his important guitars.Set for release on October 17, Marr’s Guitars will pay homage to over 100 of the guitars that he has had throughout his 40 year career and include anecdotes about the milestones he faced during this time.“Guitars have been the obsession of my life – they’ve been a mission and sometimes a lifeline,” the former Smiths guitarist turned solo star and composer said in a statement. “So I’m delighted to have made Marr’s Guitars.

Morrissey has announced details of a summer UK tour for July 2023. Check out full dates and ticket details below.The former Smiths turned solo star previously announced an outdoor show at Leeds Millennium Square, and will now be playing additional headline gigs around the dates in Portsmouth, Nottingham, Dublin and Liverpool.

The Charlatans and Johnny Marr have announced an outdoor co-headline show for this summer – find all the details below.The two acts are due to perform at The Piece Hall in Halifax, West Yorkshire on Saturday, August 26.Tickets go on general sale at 10am GMT this Friday (March 17) – you’ll be able to buy yours here. Alternatively, Piece Hall members can access a pre-sale from the same time today (March 14).In a statement, Charlatans frontman Tim Burgess said: “Yorkshire crowds have always been among our warmest and loudest supporters and we cannot wait to play for them again alongside our good friend Johnny Marr.”Marr added: “I’ve played some truly memorable gigs in Yorkshire and I can’t wait for another unforgettable night in Halifax on August 26.

Morrissey has announced a pair of outdoor UK headline shows for this summer – find all the details below.The soloist and former Smiths frontman is due to perform at Crystal Palace Park in south London on Sunday, July 9 before heading to Millennium Square in Leeds the following Wednesday (July 12).Morrissey will be joined by special guests The Slow Readers Club in Leeds. It’s not yet known who’ll support the singer at the London concert.Tickets for both dates go on general sale at 10am GMT this Friday (March 10) – you’ll be able to buy yours here.

Morrissey has once again hit out at former label Capitol Records for seemingly shelving his unreleased album ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’, following his exit from the label at the end of last year.In a new statement posted on his website, the singer has contrasted Capitol not releasing ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ with its decision to continue publishing Sam Smith‘s records. Smith has released all four of their studio albums – from 2014’s ‘In the Lonely Hour’ to last month’s ‘Gloria’ – via Capitol.“Capitol Records (Los Angeles) proudly promotes Sam Smith’s ‘satanism’; yet they consider the honest truth of Morrissey’s factual ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ to be their biggest threat and they will not release it despite their contractual obligation and promise to do so,” the statement reads.

Johnny Marr was joined on stage by Smiths bandmate Andy Rourke at his Madison Square Garden gig last night (November 30) – check out footage below.The gig came as part of Marr’s tour in support of The Killers, which began back in August. At the first two shows of the tour, he joined them for a number of songs in the encore.In Seattle, he came on stage for performances of Smiths songs ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ and ‘What She Said’, before helping The Killers end the set with ‘Mr.

Morrissey has performed his new song ‘Kerouac’s Crack’ for the first time in Blackpool. Watch a clip of the performance below.He debuted the track, which comes from his upcoming album, ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’, last night (September 28).

The Smiths‘ Mike Joyce has discussed the band’s final album ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’ on its 35th anniversary.The legendary Manchester quartet’s fourth studio LP came out on September 28, 1987, a few months after the band split up.Speaking to BBC News to celebrate its birthday, Joyce said “it was a great experience recording that album,” adding that he marks it out from the band’s previous records because it is “a story album”.Joyce added: “I think it’s just an unusual-sounding album. There’s great songs on the others, but it just pips it for me, in terms of what we ended up with as an album and the whole thing in its entirety, rather than individual songs.”Remembering the recording process for the album, Joyce said: “A lot of it was written in the studio.

Morrissey has shared ticket details of his forthcoming 2022 UK and Ireland tour.The soloist and former Smiths singer announced the tour earlier this month – more than two years on from his last UK live date at Wembley’s SSE Arena in London.Morrissey’s tour includes two London dates at two iconic venues – The Palladium and O2 Academy Brixton – and takes in stops at locations including Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton and more along with his previously announced concert in Ireland.It’s now been announced that tickets for the UK dates go on general sale this Thursday (June 23) at 9.30am BST here, with tickets for Killarney, Ireland available via here.Morrissey UK and Ireland 2022 live dates:SEPTEMBER 2022Saturday 24 – Killarney INEC ArenaWednesday 28 – Blackpool Opera HouseFriday 30 – Doncaster DomeOCTOBER 2022Sunday 02 – Glasgow SEC ArmadilloTuesday 04 – Manchester O2 ApolloWednesday 05 – 2022 Birmingham O2 AcademyFriday 07 – Stockton GlobeSunday 09 – The London PalladiumTuesday 11 –  London O2 Academy BrixtonFriday 14 – Brighton CentreMeanwhile, last month Morrissey played the first night of his 2022 US tour and debuted his new single ‘I Am Veronica’ as well as aired some rarely played solo and Smiths tracks.Fans of the singer were eager for news on new music after it emerged that ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’, Morrissey’s album first since leaving his label deal with BMG, will be sold to the highest record label bidder.Announced via the singer’s website, ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’ has 11 tracks and was completed in Los Angeles.“The worst year of my life concludes with the best album of my life,” a quote from Morrissey states of the album, with a note adding: “Morrissey is unsigned.

Morrissey has shared full details of dates and venues for his forthcoming UK tour.Last week, the former Smiths star announced nine forthcoming shows in Blackpool, Doncaster, Glasgow, Stockton, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Brighton along with his previously announced concert in Ireland.Now, he has given a further update on the tour on his Instagram page. The jaunt will see Morrissey kick off the tour at the Gleneagles INEC Arena in Killarney on September 24 before wrapping up at Brighton Centre on October 14.The tour will also include two London dates at the capital’s Coliseum and the O2 Academy Brixton on October 9 and 11.

Morrissey has shared details of a full UK tour later this year.The former Smiths announced nine forthcoming shows in Blackpool, Doncaster, Glasgow, Stockton, Manchester, Birmingham, London and Brighton along with his previously announced concert in Ireland.In a message on his Instagram page, he wrote: “Full details will appear next week of Morrissey’s ten upcoming concerts in Eire and the UK. The dates are fixed for September and October.“No rules / regulations / restrictions will be in place for these concerts – everyone is welcome.”A post shared by Morrissey (@official_morrissey_central)Morrissey’s last UK date was at London’s SSE Arena, Wembley in March 2020.Last month, the former Smiths man said that songs from his long-mooted fourteenth solo album ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’ will be given their debut his forthcoming Las Vegas residency.

Morrissey has said that songs from his long-mooted fourteenth solo album ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’ will be given their debut at a Las Vegas residency.A post on his website said: “The Morrissey concerts in Las Vegas in July will showcase songs from the album ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’, which was recorded in January 2021.”A statement from the former Smiths frontman himself added: “The thrill of this album was the speed under which it was recorded. Considering the knots of grief I had experience [sic] at the time, it made ‘Bonfire’ an incredible achievement for me.”Morrissey will play a residency titled ‘Viva Moz Vegas’ at the The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on July 1, 2, 6, 7, and 9.

Morrissey played the first night of his 2022 US tour last night (May 10), debuting his upcoming single ‘I Am Veronica’ as well as airing some rarely played solo and Smiths tracks. Check out footage and the setlist below.Performing at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, the indie veteran aired a new song – which is the opening track from his long-mooted new solo album, ‘The Bonfires Of The Teenagers‘.“It’s very hard to believe in these ridiculous times, but we are about to release a new single,” Morrissey told the crowd.

Morrissey has announced Viva Moz Vegas, a five-date residency taking place at Las Vegas’ Colosseum at Caesars Palace – get tickets here.According to a press release, Viva Moz Vegas “will serve as an intimate, invigorating dive into Morrissey’s expansive career from his early days to the new album”.“As an artist who is always trying new things, and never wanting to repeat himself, this could be fans’ only chance to experience the provocative combination of Morrissey in Las Vegas.

Johnny Marr has announced a ‘Fever Dreams Pt 2’ EP and shared two singles ‘Tenement Time’ and ‘Sensory Street’.Due for release on December 17, the EP will preview four brand new tracks that make up the second quarter of his forthcoming double album, ‘Fever Dreams Pts 1-4’.You can watch the official music video for ‘Tenement Time’ and the new lyric video for ‘Sensory Street’ below.

Johnny Marr has shared a performance of ‘How Soon Is Now’ from his forthcoming live-streamed event Live At The Crazy Face Factory. Watch it first on NME below.Announced last month alongside details of Marr’s new album ‘Fever Dreams Pts 1-4’, the global online show will be broadcast from November 10-14.

Morrissey has shared two unheard demos on his official website – listen to ‘Once Upon A Woman’s Body’ and ‘If Saturday Ever Comes’ below.Both tracks have been posted to Morrissey Central this week under the title of ‘lost demo’, with full lyrics shared for both songs.On ‘Once Upon A Woman’s Body’, he sings: “Once upon a woman’s body, you went soft too soon and she said “that’s OK – I’ll find someone who… isn’t you””.‘If Saturday Ever Comes’, meanwhile, sees him reflecting on death, singing:

Morrissey has shared a new post on his website, appearing to rank all of his solo and Smiths albums from best to worst.At the top of the list, which lists all of the singer’s 30 studio and live records, both solo and with the Manchester band, sits his 2014 solo LP ‘World Peace Is None Of Your Business’.At Number Two is ‘Ringleader of the Tormentors’ from 2006, while in third is 2004’s ‘You Are The Quarry’.The most highly ranked Smiths album in the list is 1984 compilation album ‘Louder Than

Johnny Marr kicked off an intimate UK tour last night (September 20), debuting new material and playing Smiths classics – see the setlist, footage and remaining tour dates below.Marr played a show at the Stylus in Leeds to begin a short run of small UK dates in the run-up to the release of new double album ‘Fever Dreams Pts 1-4’.Among the new songs debuted was recently shared first single ‘Spirit, Power And Soul’, while other new material from the album was previewed at the show, including

Morrissey has aired some Smiths songs for the first time in years while kicking off his new Vegas residency.On August 28, Morrissey opened at The Colosseum, Cesar’s Palace, with ‘Never Had No One Ever’, which is the first time the song has been performed live by any member of The Smiths since 1986.

Johnny Marr has reflected on his time in The Smiths in a new interview, discussing how the seminal Manchester band had a “blind spot” of being obsessed with media and notoriety.The Manchester icons became indie darlings at the height of their fame, before calling it a day in 1987.Speaking to Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for the new BBC Radio 4 series The Poet Laureate Has Gone to His Shed, Marr said that the band could have done with “less” coverage at the height of their 1980s fame.Discussing

Morrissey-inspired song that aired on The Simpsons last month has been released on streaming services.The song, titled ‘Everyone Is Horrid Except Me (And Possibly You)’, was sung by a character named Quilloughby (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch).

Morrissey has hit out at The Simpsons, after The Smiths were sent up in the show’s latest episode.The episode, titled Panic On The Streets of Springfield, aired last night (April 19), and saw Lisa getting a new imaginary friend – a depressed indie singer from 1980s Britain.While the show stopped short of getting Morrissey onboard to voice the character, they instead enlisted the services of Benedict Cumberbatch to voice him.Hours after the episode aired, a statement on Morrissey’s Facebook page